game 1 stats, mvp and postgame

HORSEMEN 60 HEROES 48
	Field Goals			Rebounds
Horsemen	M	A	%	Off	Def	T	Stl	Blk	Ast	Pts
Dan P	3	15	20%	3	4	7	1	0	3	6
Neal	10	20	50%	5	17	22	2	2	4	20
Rob	2	10	20%	2	5	7	1	0	2	4
Phil	13	34	38%	2	15	17	5	1	6	26
Brian	2	18	11%	8	4	12	3	4	3	4
TOTAL	30	97	30.9%	20	45	65	12	7	18	60
	Field Goals			Rebounds
Heroes	M	A	%	Off	Def	T	Stl	Blk	Ast	Pts
Louis	3	19	16%	2	7	9	5	3	0	6
Nick	10	22	45%	4	6	10	4	1	1	20
Dan W	3	20	15%	7	3	10	1	0	1	6
Patrick	4	23	17%	11	16	27	4	4	1	8
Kevin	4	19	21%	3	6	9	2	1	4	8
TOTAL	24	103	23%	27	38	65	16	9	7	48

POSTGAME
it's only game 1, so i'll focus on the positive efforts of each player. but before i can do that i need to dish out the Step It Up, Bitch award. brian, you get this week's honors. you know that feeling you get when you see a rat digging through a bag of garbage on a NYC street? that's sort of how i felt watching you put up those prayers. great playing on the defensive end, but your shot is gross.

Horsemen
Rob - it's a known fact that Thai people are 1.7 times faster than the average human. such is the case with rob, who knew every move louis made exactly 1.7 seconds before he did. excellent man coverage.

Neal - 10 for 20 from the field and 22 boards. juicy. someone please get up on my outside shot.

Phil - after getting slammed as last week's Step It Up, Bitch winner, phil came back strong, pulling down a ton of boards and driving more on offense. 6 assists is almost as much as the opponent's team total.

Powers - one word -- holyfuckingshit. one minute he can't sink a layup, next minute he's hitting game winning buckets. 20% is a beautiful improvement. here's powers' shot map:

Heroes
Kevin - missed a double double by one bucket and one board. his shot was not what it usually is, but he had 4 of the team's 7 assists.

Nick - shot well above his career average and ripped 4 steals. nice all around game and dominant offensive player for the Heroes.

Louis - 5 steals and 3 blocks is yummy. couple more buckets and Lou could have made a run for game 1 mvp.

Dan W - 7 offensive rebounds...dan gave his team numerous 2nd chance attempts, shot just wasn't falling. however, he did make the "Play of the Game" video, which will be out soon.

Patrick - owns the low post. if this guy finds his shot, we could be looking at a potential league MVP. here's a little graph:

this game came down to tempo. Horsemen dictated the pace and scored countless fast break points, a big reason for their 7 point FG% advantage and noticeable lead in assists.

whether or not the Heroes can match the run and gun style of of the Horsemen will be determined in game 2. is it too early for predictions? i'd say yes. right now the series is still a newborn baby and we are her parents, holding her and nursing her in our tired arms. the question remains: which parent will have the greatest influence on this precious tiny baby?

i leave you with a quote from my son, Quinn, who said this to me last night before bed:

I don't need what I need
but i need what i love

encouraging, inspiring, and completely confusing. somehow i feel like that cryptic two line sentence holds the answer to Game 2.

-neal