Air Force 1 44, Terminator 52

On paper, people were saying that Air Force 1 should easily win this game. But to say that would not validate Terminator’s great season. After a runner from Brandon Smith, Terminator answered right back with a three from Dan Gladstone. But as we noted before the game, this one was coming down to two players: Omar Grant and Paul Rivera.

From what I can tell, there aren’t too many people that Rivera doesn’t like. But from what I can tell, at least on the court, Rivera doesn’t like Grant. As two of the preeminent point guards in the League, these two just got at it! But with 10 minutes gone by, the score was just 10-10.

Then Terminator started to get that swagger that earned them the third best record in the League. Even though Air Force 1 was running nine deep for the first time since the original Nike Air Force 1s came out, they couldn’t piece it together. With four minutes left in the half, Terminator led 15-10, and by the end of the half, they’d extended their lead to 22-16.

This is when things get interesting. After a super low scoring first half, it’s win or go home time. So who’s going to step up? Trading buckets to get things going, Air Force 1’s Rivera and Smith missed back-to-back threes terribly. But in the blind of an eye – following an alley-oop to Chris Dowling and some zone defense – they’d cut the lead to 26-25 with just under 16 minutes to play.

If anyone doesn’t think Grant is a cold-blooded killer, they’ve never watched this kid play, as he knocked down a three to extend the lead. But the late-season acquisition of Bobbito Garcia was paying dividends after a three of his own dropped for the one-point lead. “Anything you can do I can do better?” Well, that’s what Treasure Kyn-Neal was thinking the next possession as pulled up from the parking lot and nailed it.

If there was an X-factor for Terminator this season, it was Neal. While Grant has gotten all the fanfare, it has been Neal pacing his squad each week – and always converting the tough buckets. And let me add All-Star Al Reyes to that list as well. What other big guy can knock down the triples like him? And before you knew it, Terminator was up 44-33 with six minutes left to play following a ridiculous bucket from Jamaal Lesane.

So if Air Force 1 was going to make a comeback, Rivera was going to lead them to the Promised Land. Down 10, Rivera got the rock to Smith for back-to-back long-range bombs, cutting the lead to 44-40 with just under four minutes to play. As Jay Corbin screamed from the crowd, “Hand Down, Man Down.” We had ourselves a game.

This is it. 1:44 left to play, and the score still standing 44-40 in favor of Terminator. Gladstone checks in the game for David Morissy, and then Terminator showed us all how to play four corners. Sending Lesane to the line, he hit one, but got his own rebound. Back at the line, this time he missed the front end.

Now it was 47-42, and Rivera pulled from deep. No dice. Fouling Gladstone, he was only able to hit one. 48-42 with 44 seconds left. With Air Force 1 unable to convert, it came time to foul. And foul. And foul. This one was over.

Final score: Terminator wins, 52-44.

	1	2		T
Air Force 1	16	28	-	44
Terminator	22	30	-	52

Box Scores

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