WESTMINSTER, CO: Playoff Recap | The Kardashians rely on the D

'Tis the season to put up or shut up. The playoffs separate the strong from the timid, and this week's games showed who wants to play for the Ultimate Hoops Westminster championship, and who wants to watch as a spectator. Here is how the first week of the playoffs went down.

IMPACT Basketball - 127 vs. Havoc - 73

In the first match up of the night, the undefeated IMPACT Basketball stayed just that, undefeated. IMPACT caught a very early lead against Havoc and only increased it from there. The fundamentally sound and equally skilled IMPACT was too much for Havoc to handle from the very beginning; unable to box out, rebound, get out on shooters, and stop IMPACT’s transition game, Havoc struggled to keep up. The outcome was just as expected as the 1 seed took on the leagues 8 seed.

The Bad Boys - 77 vs. FireSquad - 75

With emotions high and bad blood between the two teams, The Bad Boys held FireSquad off one and final time this season, but just barely. Still with a bad taste in their mouth from their last confrontation, FireSquad prepared to take on The Bad Boys and get their revenge from the intense regular season loss they suffered at their hands only a few weeks ago. Unfortunately that wasn’t enough to fuel their fire, FireSquad fizzled out and still fell short in the final minutes. With questionable late game decisions and rushed shots, FireSquad desperately pushed for opportunity after opportunity to snatch the lead away from The Bad Boys.

The Bad Boys, however, staying aggressive yet composed (something new we are seeing this Playoff series) was able to hold off FireSquad and finish even with a late game injury by one of their better players, Matt Rice. This would end FireSquad’s 2015 Fall season and launch The Bad Boys into Round 2.

The Kardashians - 92 vs. Eat, Sleep, Ball, Repeat - 78

In a great matchup between two teams who put on a good show last week ended a little differently this time around. Last week ESBR edged past The Kardashians, but this week would be a different story. Without the team’s best player, Blake Mahler, ESBR struggled to keep the pressure on The Kardashians. The Kardashians really took advantage and dominated on the boards, ending with 15 offensive rebounds to ESBR’s 5. The second chance opportunities given to The Kardashians due to their efforts on the glass gave them that little extra they needed to get past ESBR. It may have been a different story if Mahler would have joined in on the action, but one thing is sure, The Kardashians are determined to show this league that it is no coincidence that they have made it this far.

White Iverson’s - 76 vs. The Gladiators - 71

Title contenders, the White Iverson’s, struggled a little bit tonight with holes in their roster. Without their regular crew taking the court, they had to battle a determined Gladiators in order to advance to Round 2 of the Playoffs. With hot hands The Gladiators shot 40% from behind the arc and their hustle won them the battle of the boards (39-31). Jake Morin had a double double for the Gladiators ending with 16 points and 10 rebounds; Parker Stephenson finished with a team high 21 points while Team Leader Derek Elliot of the White Iverson’s put up just shy of another 40 point performance, ending with 37 points and 1 rebound shy of a double double. Derek and teammate Joseph McLain did nothing shy of putting the team on their backs to advance them past the scrappy team with more than a few players missing from their bench.


ROUND 2


IMPACT Basketball - 126 vs. The Bad Boys - 75

Another anticipated matchup between two determined teams took place in Round 2 of the Playoffs. In what we thought would be a closer matchup IMPACT Basketball showed us once again why they are at the top of the food chain and fan favorite to win it all. With injuries and loss of key players ailing the efforts of The Bad Boys this game disappointed spectators that came to see a close battle between confident squads. As we have discussed many times, IMPACT’s style of play seems too far advanced for just the average team to be able to knock them off their road to victory. The Bad Boys had a decent size advantage inside with two of the biggest players in the league but failed to execute a game plan that utilized their big men; hardly playing below the free throw line. Unable to keep up with IMPACT’s transition and failed efforts to get out on shooters IMPACT sailed past The Bad Boys unscathed with a 50+ point lead making them THE team to beat in the Championship game next week.

The Kardashians - 79 vs. White Iverson’s - 68

Finishing up Round 2, The Kardashians launched themselves into the Championship game leaving White Iverson’s behind. Again having to put the team on their back, both Derek Elliot and Joseph McLain had combined efforts and snagged a combined 46 out of their team’s 68 point; but it wasn’t enough to give them the golden ticket into next week’s championship game. The Kardashians showed an more even distribution of team efforts lead by Nick Nizam who ended with a team high 29 points shooting 48% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. The Kardashians displayed great teamwork and ball rotation throughout the entire game. Patience in their ball movement and shot selection, The Kardashians made ‘the extra pass” and really took advantage of the White Iverson’s lack of defensive efforts. With more consistent and evenly spread efforts by team members, The Kardashians will now take on IMPACT Basketball next week for the title of Ultimate Hoops Champions.