COMMISSIONER'S NOTE:

Hey there, FBA fans!

First off, if you haven't already, please wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the GM of the soon-to-be BANGOR Bantams, FBA contributor  katalina!

The season is almost over-- now just one more Finals series. So everyone knows, the teams will get a one day break, then Game 1 of the Finals will begin on Tuesday, July 19th. Good luck to the teams!

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SUMMARY:

NWK @ LOR: L #6 Pride (40-40) 95, W #4 Firestorm (53-27) 102 (LOR wins in 7)

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INJURIES:
No one injured.

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BOX SCORES:
TBA

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CAPSULES:

NWK | 26 22 20 27 | L 95
@LOR | 24 27 22 29 | W 102

Coaches love to say it. In order to win at basketball, you have to want to win.

So, which of these teams wants it more?

For some, it's no surprise that these two clubs have pushed the series to seven games. The desire and the talent on both is incredibly strong. Most analysts had predicted the Newark Pride to make the Conference Finals as they had the last two years. But when Lance Freewell (Clouded Leopard, C) went down with a serious leg injury, just about everyone had crossed the team off their list. And yet, here they were again. There can be no doubt-- the Pride want that title.

But losing Pretty for 55 games wasn't without a price. The team had snuck into the playoffs, dropping in at #6 with a 40-40 record. If they had had Freewell those 55 games, many believe they could have stuffed the poorly-performing Alphas and Bantams, and possibly stolen the division from the Taproots. Had they won the division and gotten that Top 3 ranking, they would have seeded above the Firestorm who were outstanding this season, but only held back by sharing their division with the simply electric Baltimore Spirits.

And it's because of their lower seed that the Pride failed to take home advantage and Game 7 is in Ohio.

Those who read my blog know that while I make my career covering furry sports, I enjoy watching human sports as well. And to anyone who follows the NBA, you know that Northern Ohio is a region with a special basketball history. When local hero LeBron James (Human, F, NBA:MIA) gave up his Cavalier jersey for a better shot at the chip with the Miami Heat, he left behind a traumatized fan base. And when the Cavaliers finished the season at the very bottom of the league standings having set new records for games lost in a row, the pain ran deep. While those fans got a nice dose of Schadenfreude when the Mavericks stole the trophy from the Heat in the NBA Finals, the pain was still there. And it's with that history in mind that the furries of Northern Ohio cling to their unconventional basketball team that might look funny with all its tall minks, its female head coach and its armadillo point guard-- but they win games. And just might make it to the big dance. In a land where hope is a rare commodity, the Firestorm are giving it away for free.

And they want that title. Their town needs that title.

And they've got home advantage.

The Pride have some of their own advantages. Buck Hopper (Rabbit, G, STA) arrived in Ohio early this morning fresh off his victory in Sturgis for the Thrusts' second Finals appearance in three years. With a shot at getting his team's first franchise title, the bunny was clearly excited. But he didn't come to the game just to see who he would face when the 2011 FBA Finals began on Tuesday. He came to support his girlfriend, Pride superstar Valencia Zeraus (Lioness, PG) in her third Conference Finals appearance, fighting for her first League Finals appearance.

Immediately the announcers noted that B-Hop had not secured a floor seat right next to the Pride bench, but rather a lower bowl seat a few chairs up. When asked, assistant coach Phillip Clay Tacuri (Panther) confirmed that was intentional. "The team didn't want B-Hop yelling advice at them all game," he said, referring to a previous match where B-Hop spent nearly the whole game coaching from his seat. "And by 'team' I mean Val."

Still, Hopper did get floor access during warmups and was seen giving his girlfriend a good luck kiss before she went back into the tunnels. She would need it.

The first quarter of play quickly turned into tit-for-tat scoring as the two clubs kept it neck-and-neck, with no team getting more than a 4 point lead. Both clubs showed excellent ingenuity on the floor, getting everyone involved and showing just how solid their playbooks were. While Theodore Sanftner (Prairie Dog, SG) became the scoring leader on the floor after the first quarter, that was only because he hit the final buzzer-beating shot from midrange to put his team up by 2. Immediately behind him, the Queen, Erich Haber (Mink, C) and Leonardo De Hugo (Lion, SG) all had tied for second place. Things got a little bleaker in the second when the Firestorm hit a 14-5 scoring stride, spreading out the deficit and taking control of the game. But then Val did what she does and started to take over, using the give-and-go and pick-and-pop to get her teammates to put her in good position for open looks. But while the Pride concentrated on getting Val to the cup, the 'Storm kept up their variety of shots, working around the Newark defense and getting buckets off the paws of Gerry Cross (Mink, SF), Aisha Melbourne (Mink, PF) and Ian Histon (Leopard, G).

Melbourne hit the last shot of the half, sinking a baseline jumper at the buzzer to give the 'Storm a 3-point lead. In a difficult decision for head official Ralph Gayle (Cardinal), after the buzzer, Melbourne went up to the crowd and waved, calling out to B-Hop. That made Val get jealous and shove the tall mink. Normally that would have resulted in a technical, but since play had stopped, Gayle determined he couldn't levy any punishment after the teams stepped in to separate the two. An online blogger noted that B-Hop shortly tweeted after the event, "@valzeraus28 you my only girl. Srs dont know what up with Aisha"

When gameplay started again, Val returned to her aggressive play. But it was clear that was becoming a liability as the 'Storm wisely double-teamed her, forcing her into difficult shots. After a timeout was called, head coach Raymond Page Leddy (Leopard) laid into his star point guard, demanding she get the others into the game. That ended with Val riding the pine for a bit while Rosemary Swinton (Doberman, G) took her place, distributing more to the rest of the team.

In a series that has featured a few blowouts, it became clear that this game would be a grind. The Pride played great and stayed with the Firestorm for most of the match, but couldn't quite catch up. In fact, it became a slow bleed as the Storm gradually spread the deficit with fundamentals-driven, organized play that somehow never got flashy. When Val did return to the court and do her best to cut the lead, it was clear time was running out. As the clock wound down to its final minute with the home team still up by 5 and the home crowd cheering at the top of their lungs, Val was visibly trembling when she was forced to intentionally foul Bill Bent (Armadillo, PG). Bent was perfect from the line, keeping his team ahead, and while Theodore Sanftner (Prairie Dog, SG) did drill home a clutch 3 in the final minute to give his club a glimmer of hope, that died when he missed his next shot while the 'Storm never missed at the stripe.

When the clock finally ran out, the crowd erupted into cheers as the Lorain Firestorm were on their way to their first Finals appearance in 9 years. The Pride hung their heads as they headed back to the tunnels, having lost their 3rd Conference Finals series in a row. Buck Hopper was seen heading toward the floor, calling out to Val. At first she looked away and growled-- but then looked back and let B-Hop hug her. After a moment she hugged back.

A fan sent a photo to Twitter showing Val resting her head on B-Hop's shoulder as they two embraced at the entrance to the tunnel. Val has a tear in her eye. The fan captioned the photo with the message "Sometimes losing is beautiful."

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THE 2011 FBA FINALS

Tuesday, July 19th

Lorain Firestorm @ Stanislaus Thrust