This week’s late game was hyped by pre-game blog and twitter banter. Team Shox, with their Miami Heat-esque big three and Team Dunk looking to prove that the only new hype in the NRF worth checking for is the color-ways on Nike employee issued Hyperfuses. Much like teams have done to the talented trio in South Beach, Team Dunk came out in a two-three zone and turned Team Shox into jump shooters. That worked well until Christian Grant-Fields and Pat Cassidy (who scored all 14 of his points in the first half) combined to knock down five three-pointers in the first half.

Will Dubose and Harold Reid battled tough down low (with eight and seven points respectively in the first half) leading Team Dunk to a 10 point lead with five minutes to go in the first. CGF (16 points, six rebounds) made a crucial steal plus a basket to spark a 9-3 run capped by Bernard “Shaky” Bowen, cutting Dunk’s halftime lead to one (35-34).

The Second half opened up with an 11-2 run by Team Shox, helping them build a 46-36 lead. Team Dunk showed intensity but couldn’t convert on much needed baskets. Ryan Kearney hit three second half three-pointers, to help cut the lead to eight. Coupled with Sureshot’s 13 points and six rebounds, Team Dunk made a late run to keep the score close but Team Shox opened the season with a 57-51 win.