THE KITCHEN STOVE - Cristian Miguel Bracco
(2236083) hit one of the most important shots of his lengthy career... in a game his team was losing by 20.
Bracco's three-pointer with 26 seconds left ensured the Racers would avoid the relegation playoff in the Great 8 conference, ahead of the Gulf Coast Shrimps, by point differential.
Entering the season's final game, Racers were 11-10 and Shrimps 10-11. A win by Shrimps and a loss by Racers by meant that fifth place, and safety from possible relegation, would be decided by point differential. Omaha entered the game with a 25-point advantage in this tiebreaker. They would avoid the relegation playoff even with a loss and a Shrimps win, as long as the combined margin wasn't 25 points.
With 45 seconds to go in both games, it was 26. The Shrimps led last-place Fastbeats by 6, and the Racers trailed Hot Water by 20.
Hot Water had a chance to extend the lead, and possibly kick their rivals out of the league. But Don Pickup
(902861) and Hilario Guedes
(10621195) -- normally starters, playing garbage time in this one -- couldn't convert putbacks on the offensive end. Hidacio Charino came up with the rebound, Bracco brought the ball up the court, and hit his important but pedantic three-pointer. That shot, paired with a simultaneous three-pointer by Fastbeats' Wade Smalley, eliminated the possibility that Shrimps could make up the point deficit. The Racers survived by five points.
"This is why I run up the score every chance I get," said Jerry Midwest.
Amazingly, the Racers entered the game talking about a playoff berth; all they needed was a win. They were never in the game. Bracco and Almir Zelezinger were a combined 13-for-44, effectively silenced by Hot Water's 3-2 defense. With no help from the inside -- Charino, Bob Booth, and Steve Rice combined for only 10 points in 86 minutes -- the Racers managed only 38 points after the first quarter.
When asked about his team's lifeless performance in a game they had to have, team owner Jerry Midwest said, "Could you repeat that? I'm sorry, I was filling out some transfer market paperwork."
Edited 3/12/2010 10:55:45 PM by Jerry Midwest