Uptown 0, Uptown 0

Majestic. Prestigious. The Mecca.

All of the above have been used to describe Madison Square Garden and none of them are wrong. Even New Yorkers that will never touch the Garden floor call MSG home, but the players and posse that make up the NRF understand it more intimately-and they call it their playground. The All-Star game was for bragging rights but it was more for fun than anything else. However, the NRF’s second stop at Madison Square this season was for everything. While Huarache and Air Force 1 took very different paths to the ‘chip, they’d both put in the work to rep their conferences and last night, they lived up to the billing as the two best teams the league had to offer.

As the first half got under way, both teams seemed a little tight. But the atmosphere changed when Huarache’s Eric “Coach” Newman made an up and under move (I was speechless. The best move I’d ever seen him make) on the left block for a bucket and tied the game at six with 14 minutes left. Both teams got it in with the hustle plays early on, highlighted by Jay Corbin diving for loose balls, but the plays that actually put points on the board-you know, scoring-just wasn’t happening.

Purple City post player and MVP candidate, Jason Burke has been comparing his team to UConn since their playoff run began. It might as well have been the Huskies playing against Butler again for the first half, because neither team could find a real rhythm. With a little under 10 minutes to play, Terance Takyi did get on the scoreboard after making a tough layup in traffic. But AF1’s Brandon Smith matched his bucket and put his team ahead 10-9 with five minutes left.

The games first true highlight play came from none other than NRF most efficient showman, Bang Lee, who threw a cross-court pass through traffic to Ryan Fisher for layup and the two point lead (18-16). After Ben “Lil B” Detrick extends the lead to three with a free throw, Newman answers back with an isolation play and Kareem-esque skyhook to cut the lead to one at halftime (19-18).With only one half of the NRF season remaining, the energy in the air was relatively calm. Sure OG’s in the crowd were having fun watching (except for Scott Williams, who had the evil “I’m tight I’m not playing” grin on all night-haha) but when the Knicks City Dancers came out to do their routine, well, things got more lively.

“That was the best part of the season,” said Dunk captain Steve Halo.

Both teams seemed poised in the second half, albeit tired from running full court on an NBA floor, and came out firing. With 15:00 on the clock, LeKeith Taylor nailed a jumper to net the game at 21. But Burke answered on the other end and helped his squad maintain the lead (23-21). After a relatively quiet first half, AF1’s Smith got loose with a leaning layup followed by a deep three-pointer to give his team a 28-23 lead. Fellow purple playmaker, Bang would continue to find his open teammates, dishing a bounce pass to Corbin for a jimmy off the glass and a down low to Burke for a layup.

Sensing his team was in trouble and trailing by seven, Takyi hits a three of his own and cuts the lead to four, 33-29. Now under two minutes left, AF1 has a mental lapse and leaves Taylor open for a layup under the rim. Wu-Tang Killer Bee, Billy “Grand Master” Dodson cuts the lead to two with a layup of his own but the swag brothers, Detrick and Burke, connect when Detrick dishes to the post for an all-important jumper and four point lead with under a minute to play. Huarache wouldn’t quit, as Roscoe helped cut the lead to four with a pair of free throws but Detrick-Flocka-Flame put the game away at the line, 43-37.

Air Force one did what no other team was able do this season and handed Huarache their only loss. Winning this game kept the title in the fifth straight year and marked the third time Taylor has lost in the Garden. Forever the competitor, surely he’ll lead his team back but for now AF1 reigns supreme.

Heading home with a championship, Burke also walked away with the Finals MVP award.

“It wasn’t all me, but it was mainly me,” Burke would later say of his 15 point, 10 rebound performance.

Before he could answer any questions, Burke could hardly contain his joy from winning as he jumped-and sweated-all over me. I’m sure I left the Garden floor with a little something, too.

When asked what the key to victory was, Detrick and Burke both simultaneously agreed having Bang was the key.

“He played great defense in the last two rounds,” Detrick said. “And he really spread the ball around.”

Whatever their formula for victory was, it worked. Until the season starts down in LES once more, AF1 holds the crown.

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