Sometimes games aren't meant to be won or lost. Sometimes it just is a battle that ends when the last person throws a punch. It doesn't have to be anyone's fault or misplay, nor does it reflect on any misstep in the game.

Sometimes a team just ends up winning Any Which Way They Can.

On Wednesday Night, House of Skillz did their best Filo Bedo impression, and did just that, beating the defending champion Performance Issues 77-76 on a 3-point buzzer beater by Courtney Sanders in the 2nd overtime.

It was a shot that took me back a few years to my first drive in experience, back in 1980. My dad was a big Clint Eastwood* fan and he told me that we were going to see the biggest movie at the theater.

It was that night I was introduced to Filo Bedo.

For those of you who have not seen the movie, Filo is a bare knuckled fighter who basically spends the movie chasing a blonde, pissing off bikers, and hugging his pet orangutan, Clyde.

I think the orangutan was nominated for an Oscar.

If you can imagine Fight Club meeting Smokey and the Bandit, you pretty much have summed up the entire premise. Women had feathered hair, men wore cut off jean shorts proudly, and Filo’s 82 year old mother falls in love with Mr. Furley.

But in the end, someone always gets knocked out.

Enter Courtney Sanders.

Performance Issues started off the game on a torrid pace, hitting their first 5 – 3 pointers, and jumped out to an early 24-10 lead. But just like Filo Bido, the House of Skillz maintained their poise and battled back.

Vaughn Gray and Tome Ivezaj attacked consistently and made the most of broken plays to tie up the score 27-27.

This game was not unlike a typical Clint Eastwood film, when Clyde decided to announce his right turn. After a physical, but clean, screen late in the first half, the House of Skillz lost their big man Dave Myers (2 first half technical) to a technical as he lost his cool and basically came after me arms a flailing.

Because I am such a fat worthless ballplayer, who has no basketball skills, I merely had to cower in fear and watch it all unfold.

(Because I am really timid and afraid, essentially)

Because I'm so fat, I thought I would show everyone highlights of that “dirty” screen:

Right Turn, Clyde.

In a game of this magnitude, tempers will be lost and men will become boys, but the House of Skillz rose above this chaotic moment to take a halftime lead of 38-37.

The 2nd half it was the best of the best, as buckets were exchanged by Mckinsey Golfin and Gray. Huge shots were hit by Steve Maceri and Ivezaj.

It kinda looked like this.

At the end of regulation, after a series of failed putbacks, the champions found themselves mired in a dogfight.

Mikey Petrovic put on his usual defensive display blocking two shots at the end of the 1st overtime which set the stage for the last blow.

Enter Courtney Sanders.

The highlights were too numerous to mention, as tremendous plays were made by both sides.

If it wasn’t a Gray drive and foul, it was Jeff Wertz with his patented left handed finger roll.

It it wasn’t a Pat Fahey rebound putback, it was Jason Sawinski finding a way to put home a basket in traffic.

But in the end, it always comes down to one punch.

Enter Courtney Sanders.

After a broken play, with time winding down, Gray found himself mired in a travel or dish situation. What many thought was a travel, ended up being a drop off for Sanders who shot up a three pointer that bounced high off the rim into the net.

One shot was going to decide this game, and Courtney Sanders hit his biggest shot of the season. A shot was preceded by him almost coming out of the game, after hitting the deck hard on a defensive rebound.

A huge shot.
Game Over.

At the end of the day, it was a classic.

Someone won the fight with one final punch, a big gumpy biker got dropped by a fat sidekick, and the hero ended up going home to a beautiful Sandra Locke.

Only problem: My wife is always asleep when I get home from these damn 9 p.m. games.

Looks like we both lost tonight. Good game House of Skillz.

*For those of you born after 1985, Clint Eastwood is essentially Vin Diesel, Brad Pitt, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Russell Crowe, and Justin Bieber of the 1960's and 1970's. I would compare him to Chris Brown, but I am pretty sure Eastwood never hit a woman.