2011 FBA Finals

The 2011 FBA Finals was the championship series of the 2010–11 season of the Furry Basketball Association (FBA) and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The series featured the Western Conference champion Stanislaus Thrust and the Eastern Conference champion Lorain Firestorm. The Thrust had home-court advantage and higher seed since the team finished the regular season with a better record than the Firestorm. Unlike the previous rounds of the playoffs, the Finals series were played in a 2-3-2 format (Games 1 and 2 at home for the higher seeded team, Games 3 and 4 and 5 at home for the lower seeded team, Games 6 and 7 at the higher). Game 1 was scheduled on Tuesday July 19, while Game 7 which closed out the series was scheduled on Sunday July 31. This was only the fourth time in FBA history that the Finals would last all seven games.

Background

Waiting in the Wings Written by Patrick Suarez © Patrick Suarez

"I'm sure he'd be proud, no matter how the Finals finish up." That quote from Bruce Bounder (Hare, G, RMY) two years ago was echoed today in Bowling Green, Ohio, in a brief interview with the mother of Ian Histon (Leopard, G, LOR) in one of the local newspapers. Both furs were referring to the influential family members that Mitchell Redding (Rabbit, G, STA) and Histon had lost during their FBA careers -- the lapine's uncle and the feline's father -- and to whom these players have dedicated their games. But only one of those two FBA stars will emerge victorious from this series; the other will have to try again next year. No one can deny that their two teams, with the second-best records in their respective conferences, deserve to be in the Finals. While the Stanislaus Thrust had the 2009 championship denied by a buzzer-beating Game 7 shot off the paws of Jackson Nuez (Squirrel, G/F, HNT), this year it was Doral (Gecko, G/F, STA) with a tongue-tip in Game 7 of the Semifinals to finish off the reigning champion Bikers and bring the Finals back to California. On the other side of this year's Finals matchup, Lorain had their recent runs at the playoffs cut short of the Finals, last year by the lower-seeded Biloxi Mudpuppies in a five-game upset during the first round while two years ago the higher-seeded Pride bested them in six games during the Quarterfinals. This year, the Firestorm proved their worth by coming back from 2-3 to upset the top-seeded Baltimore Spirits in the Quarterfinals and getting their revenge against Newark through another grueling seven game victory in the Semifinals. The Halley Summers trophy and the award crew have already set up at the Fireplace for a potential series-ending Game 4 on Monday or Game 5 next Wednesday, since the Finals will start at Rabbit Valley Pavilion in Modesto, California. And while they'll be waiting in the wings for the eventual champions, two other furs that have been waiting in the wings have probably already shared a proud smile as they watch their two boys play in the biggest game of their lives. Patrick Suarez (Jackal) is a reporter for FBA News and a correspondent for FUMB magazine.

Stanislaus Thrust

Main article: 2010-2011 Stanislaus Thrust season

Lorain Firestorm

Main article: 2010-2011 Lorain Firestorm season

Road to the Finals

Main article: 2011 FBA Playoffs

Regular season series

Jan 11 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F Firestorm 21 24 26 27 98 Thrust 25 28 22 26 101 Boxscore     Arena: Rabbit Valley Pavilion - Modesto, CA

Mar 31 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F Thrust 26 19 25 29 99 Firestorm 26 24 14 19 83 Boxscore

Arena: Lorain Precinct Arena - Lorain, OH

Series

Game 1

July 19 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F Firestorm 23 23 22 23 91 Thrust 27 19 28 16 90 Boxscore     Arena: Rabbit Valley Pavilion - Modesto, CA

Lorain leads series 1-0

Well. This started with a bang.

The Rabbit Valley Pavilion roared from the noise of a sold out crowd, easily dwarfing the humble crowd that used to fill the Bull Palace of old, where the Stanislaus Thrust played their first ever finals appearance. Using the money from those sold out games, team owner Anjij Qimmiq was able to complete Alpo Arena ahead of schedule, and while the Thrust missed a chance at the Finals in its inaugural year, no one seems to upset that it only took 2 years for one of the newest venues in the FBA to host a championship series.

And no one could imagine a finer place. With its plush, comfortable seating, massive LED jumbotron, and state-of-the-art lighting and air conditioning, the RVP welcomed a much larger crowd convinced to make the trip to Modesto, California for this thrilling Finals series. It trip here couldn't have been more exciting-- with both Conference Finals going to 7 games, the Thrust and the Firestorm were fortunate to have made it to this match. Though neither of them said it had anything to do with fortune.

The Thrust nearly threw out their entire roster to rebuild the team around their superstar Mitchell Redding (Rabbit, SG). Only Doral (Gecko, SF) and David Hodge (Maned Wolf, C) had been with the club two years ago when the franchise had their first ever Finals appearance. Back then, Doral was just a rookie having a simply magical first season complete with the first of 2 Defensive Player of the Year Awards, and Hodge was a young athlete offering little more than height to the team. The players that have come to form the new face of the Thrust-- Ned Pritchard (Bullfrog, PG), Parker Davids (Cougar, PF), Clyde Everly (Pig, C), Carlos Syevens-Quiles (Calico Cat, F)-- had all been new pickups from the draft or from trades. The heroes of two seasons ago-- Petr Sek (Red Fox, G, WIL), Frank London (Wolf, F, KCC), Jimmy Mavis (Mule, C, BAL) and Saul Tortuga (Otter, C, TEN)-- had all been sent away to other teams. Except for one.

Romaldo Gonzalez (Tabby cat, Assistant Coach) may have hung up his jersey on the rafters high above, but the big cat remained on his team's sideline in his new role. And while the FBA legend didn't dribble a ball or fire a shot all season, his team was clear. "We're here because of Manny," Redding told a reporter before the game. "Manny got us to the Finals last time. He got us here this time, too."

On the other side, the Firestorm weren't able to claim the drama of reaching for their first trophy-- the team had won their second title back in 2002. But only one player on the team could remember that championship run. Raccoon forward Quentin Ramsey, Jr. (Raccoon, F, deep reserve) had been a rising star in the 2001-2002 season, hitting some clutch shots to keep his team alive in the playoffs all the way to the title. But when he broke his wrist and arm after a hard landing, his shooting was never the same again. Still, he recovered and remained a part of the team, changing the focus of his game to passing and setting screens. But as the years wore on, his game became less and less valuable until today, when he sits in deep reserve in the team, having seen almost no floor time at all this season. Still, as he sits with his fellow players wearing that ring he won back in 2002, he has to be inspiring this new generation of athletes.

That new generation belongs to superstar Erich Haber (Mink, C) who has been the leader of one of the most unique teams in the league. With their towering mink starting line, the Lorain don't look anything like the a typical FBA team. But coupled with their incredible set of guards, the club has proven that you don't have to follow the pack to be a champion.

The same could be said for the other side. Last year's Bikers vs. Taproots matchup spelled out a different message. It said that fundamentals were key to victory. With two of the most complete and unselfish teams in the league facing each other-- the defense-minded Bikers against the star-less Taproots-- it would have been easy to think that the only way to win in the FBA is to play by the book. But neither Rick Loughery (Dolphin) nor Delenna Dresden (Ferret) have ever played by the book. Rick Loughery has been famous from the start of his career for going after unusual talent that everyone else was afraid to use. That eye brought him Doral-- an unusual and utterly unconventional player that can't dribble, can barely pass, and seems to think of nothing but sex off the court-- and he turned the gecko into one of the most ferocious defensive powers in FBA history. That eye also gave him the idea of bringing on Davids and Everly-- two of the most opposing personalities anyone could imagine-- and making them work together to form one deadly front court. And Dresden's willingness to experiment and go off the page brought her the unstoppable Gerry Cross (Mink, SF) / Aisha Melbourne (Mink, PF) / Erich Haber lineup. It brought her Bill Bent (Armadillo, PG)-- a species few thought could compete in professional basketball-- who turned out to be one of the most reliable point guards in the conference. It gave her the eye to spot a chance at snatching Monty Silverthorn (Pine Marten, G), the #1 draft pick from 2008 and a perfect compliment to Bent's slower style. And it gave her local hero Ian Histon (Leopard, G), a late draft pick who scared off others with his beaded hair and odd choice in clothing (I'm talking about the kilts. --ed.), who proved himself one of the hardest-working, most dedicated young athletes in the game today.

When the analysts were asked to pick a winner, it was 50-50. They only agreed on one thing-- that anyone could win.

When the play began, the issues the Thrust faced began to form. It was clear with their towering minks, the Firestorm were going to control the paint, and they did. Davids and Everly struggled to make baskets, forcing the Thrust to take the game outside. That suited Redding just fine who absolutely took over in the first, zipping past his opponents, easily leaving Bent and Leonardo De Hugo (Lion, SG) in his dust as he charged the cup, then threw the defense with brilliant cuts and hesitation shots. With Redding taking over, the Thrust took an early lead, but when the bunny took a rest in the second, it was clear the Firestorm had the advantage. With steady, regular scoring, they hammered the Thrust with their defense and ended the half scraping the deficit down to 1.

After the halftime rest, Redding hit the court again for the third-- always his favorite quarter. Lucky Number 7 once again carried his team and he made his own shots and kept sinking the rock while his teammates struggled. The Sauce got a boost when Michael Porter (Mallard, F) hit the floor to work the corners and Carlos Syevens-Quiles (Calico Cat, F) helped spread out the Lorain D and make some big dunks over Gerry Cross. But mostly, the hard work was being done by the team's superstar with Redding ripping apart the court, taking over the hard wood. He brought the lead back to 7 points.

The crowd cheered going into the fourth, expecting their Thrust to win. They had held on to the lead for the entire game without ever letting the Firestorm once overtake them. But Redding was forced to rest, having had to play his hardest to work around the suffocating Lorain defense. As the bunny rested, the team struggled again, with Haber hitting all of his turnaround and hook shots and Ian Histon brilliantly using his fast paws to get space from Ned Pritchard and hit big shots. The Firestorm slowly scraped at the lead a bit at a time for the entire quarter until they were just 1 point down with seconds left on the clock. The Thrust put Redding back in and the bunny waited out the clock, letting it run. With the shot clock still on, he had to shoot as it came to the finals seconds, but his exhausted arms made him miss the cup entirely, resulting in a shot clock violation and turnover. With possession and just a few seconds to steal it, the Firestorm brought the ball up quick. With Pritchard and Doral on the floor, the 'Storm knew they had to get the ball inside and they did. In a simply brilliant move, Bent got a screen from Histon to get an open passing lane to Haber. Haber ran at the cup from the baseline, drawing the double team. And when the mink jumped, he blind-passed behind himself to Melbourne, who was wide open for the midrange look and drilled home the buzzer-beating shot for the last deuce of the night and stealing the win by 1.

This most certainly started off with a bang.

Game 2

July 21 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F Firestorm 21 32 27 23 103 Thrust 25 21 22 23 91 Boxscore     Arena: Rabbit Valley Pavilion - Modesto, CA

Lorain leads series 2-0

Bill Bent (Armadillo, PG) is not a typical point guard. But he's never tried to be.

The Texas-born armadillo had trouble fitting in from the start when his family relocated to Southern California. Young Billy had no trouble settling into the arid sands surrounding Victorville, but it was difficult to make friends among the local coyotes, foxes, rabbits and rattlers. In a touching interview he gave to FUMB magazine, he spoke of his trouble fitting in, being teased for his curled armored back, which soon earned him the nickname he's carried into his career, "Bent Armor".

It was a school counselor who suggested young Bill try sports as a way to make friends. It's unlikely that counselor had thought he should try basketball, being that Bill was only six feet tall and weighed over 200 pounds. And without a doubt, he didn't look anything like a typical baller when he tried out for the club. But a sympathetic coach tried him anyway and was rewarded when he found a peculiar thing about the short, squat, armored Bent. Even though he could never play anything but guard at his height, his armored back made him nearly impenetrable posting up. It was a strange strategy that threw out the book on standard basketball, but it was something that Bent could do.

And do well. Driven by his desire to fit in and impress his peers, young Bent worked hard to make his unusual game work. He hit the weights hard to strengthen his short arms until he could snap out passes with rocket speed and precision. He worked his legs to push back defenders from the post up, and when he learned how to pivot out quickly combined with his crisp, rocket passing, he ended his high school years having set a school record for assists.

Bent didn't hide the fact that UCLA almost certainly wanted him more to satisfy a species quota than for his basketball skills-- but either way, it got him in the door. And the armadillo refused to slow down as he took his time on their basketball team seriously, working hard to keep his unusual game effective, no matter how much the coaches struggled to figure out his style. In the end, it was enough. By the time he graduated, he was one of the top point guards the school had ever graduated, having reached near record assists in his games. And that was enough to get him picked up by the Tucson Demons in the 2002 FBA Draft.

Bill Bent was a perfect reserve point. With his exotic playing style, he could change the pace of a game quickly and mix up an opponent's strategy when needed. There was no doubt from the start that he was FBA material, but with his unusual reliance on the post up move and his lack of fundamentals, he seemed destined to stay deep on the bench. That was until Delenna Dresden (Ferret) put her sights on him.

The ferret had a reputation for building unique teams, the strongest example being the all-mink front court she built with Erich Haber (Mink, C), Aisha Melbourne (Mink, PF) and Gerry Cross (Mink, SF). But her eye for unconventional lineups extended to the back court when Bent's contract with the Demons expired and the Firestorm quickly offered him a big contract-- not to play in reserve-- but to start.

And that's where this kid from the desert continues to play his unique brand of furry basketball.

The team is lucky to have him against the Thrust. Ned Pritchard (Bullfrog, PG) has made himself a reputation as one of the strongest defending guards in the league. But even his webbed paws and long tongue couldn't get around Bent's wide shell as Bill confidently brought the ball up and past the arc in play after play. With the Thrust finding themselves having to double-team Bent to put pressure on the ball, that gave Leonardo De Hugo (Lion, SG), Monty Silverthorn (Pine Marten, G) and Joey Juloni (Leopard, G) space to work. While none of those guys could offer much defense against the always stellar Mitchell Redding (Rabbit, SG), who did drill home some of the night's most amazing shots, it was enough to keep supporting the dominant Firestorm front court, especially in the second quarter when Lorain just punished the Thrust in front of their own fans.

It was an ugly showing in the second when Parker Davids (Cougar, PF) couldn't seem to buy a bucket against the swift swatting paws of Aisha Melbourne and Clyde Everly (Pig, C) found himself in early foul trouble as he struggled to score against the speedy Erich Haber. With Gerry Cross hitting an amazing 80% of his shots in the first half and the shooting guard position having a hey-dey against the distracted Redding who kept having to double-team Bent, the Firestorm took control and never let go. Coming out of halftime, they continued to dominate the floor to the end as a wailing crowd watched their Thrust lose a second match at home.

With the Firestorm 2-0 in the series and the next three games in the Fireplace, the analysts have been in agreement. "It just looks like the Thrust don't have an answer to this team," one reporter said in a furry sports radio show. "The minks are just too tall, Bent is just too hard to defend, they've got too much strength coming off the bench-- it's heartbreaking to watch, but it looks like for all the trading the Thrust did to build this team, it's just not enough to take the prize."

Game 3

July 23 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F Thrust 30 25 20 30 105 Firestorm 26 25 21 27 99 Boxscore     Arena: Lorain Precinct Arena - Lorain, OH

Lorain leads series 2-1

It's a favorite story among Stanislaus Thrust fans. In the 2009 FBA Finals, Jimmy Mavis (Mule, C, BAL) had helped power his team to the top of the Western Conference, but he was totally outplayed by the bigger, stronger Karl Chiklak (Moose, C, SPO). Without a taller player, it seemed hopeless for the Sauce to match the Frost Giant, but Saul Tortuga (Otter, C, TEN), a pickup from the Moonshiners who had played backup power the whole season, stepped up to the challenge and used his big paws to keep hassling the moose. It was a perfect sports story-- forgotten guy steps up to a tyrant and proves himself better than anyone expected.

The Thrust needed that again. And this time, it was with rookie Susan Kruegar (Raccoon, PF).

The Sauce were in trouble after dropping two games at home. Rick Loughery (Dolphin) didn't sugar-coat it for the reporters. "We're in trouble," he said flatly, slouched over the edge of his water tank. "This was not the way to start a Finals series. It's never over until it's over, but this is not the way to start."

That same feeling was echoed by team star Mitchell Redding (Rabbit, PG), who ran his hands over his long ears in frustration as he listened to questions about his club's failure in Rabbit Valley Pavilion. "We're getting outplayed," he admitted. "There's gotta be change. We gotta change up what we do."

That change came in tonight's game, the first of the series in Lorain. With the Ohio crowd filling the seats, they welcomed their 2-0 Firestorm to the court with deafening cheers. And there to oppose them was Redding, slid back to his usual point guard position, along with Doral (Gecko, SG) and Parker Davids (Cougar, SF) sliding down a role to make room for the seven foot raccoon rookie, Susan Kruegar.

There was no questioning the strategy. Rick Loughery wanted big players on the floor, and this was how he was going to do it. It was risky, though-- Kruegar had barely played at all in the regular season. And she was going to go up against Aisha Melbourne (Mink, PF), a 7 foot 3 beast with a good seven years of pro experience. But coach's instructions were simple. "Just win this one," he was overheard telling his team in a pregame huddle. "I don't care what it takes. Just win this one."

The Thrust opened well, as they had in the previous game. Even with the crowd against them, Redding was outstanding out of the gates. Bill Bent (Armadillo, PG) had nothing to defend Redding with, allowing the bunny baller to drive inside play after play. But in this series, that means facing off against the mink towers. But Kruegar played well, screening off Melbourne and Haber with her big body, giving Redding tiny spaces to work-- which is all the bunny needed. Redding led his team into a scoring run to end the quarter up. But in the second, when the Firestorm have done well, the team actually slowed down as St. Peter used his big paws to hassle Gerry Cross (Mink, SF), taking away a valuable scoring option for the team. Erich Haber (Mink, C) remained dominant over the shorter, slower Clyde Everly (Pig, C), but Doral totally contained the 2 guard position, severely cutting into Leonardo De Hugo's (Lion, SG) and Monty Silverthorn's (Pine Marten, G) scoring ability.

That defense broke down in the third when big dunker Joey Juloni (Leopard, G) delivered a message with a massive dunk on Doral. Despite getting her tongue around the ball, the spotted cat just powered the rock through, catching Doral's tongue on the rim as she was forced to release it. That left Doral having to sit down for a few minutes to rest her tongue, but it also drove Ned Pritchard (Bullfrog, G) into an angry frenzy as he hit the floor and doubled the defensive efforts against Juloni. In one dramatic fast break play, Flight 17 had outrun Pritchard on the way to the cup and seemed unstoppable as he jumped from the key for a hard two-pawed slam, putting the ball behind his head-- where Pritchard was able to strip it out with his tongue leaving Juloni to throw his empty paws forward for nothing but a caught rim.

The Firestorm outscored the Thrust by just a point in the third, but couldn't do it again in the fourth. With Kruegar starting, that allowed Carlos Syevens-Quiles (Calico Cat, F) and Michael Porter (Mallard, F) to hit the court later and better rested, where they were able to deliver sharp buckets from the corners and at the cup. In the end, the Sauce pulled off a much-needed miracle, winning their first game in the series, though they remain behind 2-1 after the 6 point win.

Game 4

July 25 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F Thrust 28 17 20 23 88 Firestorm 25 24 30 28 107 Boxscore     Arena: Lorain Precinct Arena - Lorain, OH

Lorain leads series 3-1

Sitting on the mouth of the Black River, Lorain, Ohio, is a town used to hardship. When a tornado ripped apart downtown in 1924 leaving thousands of anthro families homeless, the furries of the community pulled together and erected building still in use today. While the Firestorm play in a wholly modern sports facility, visitors to Lorain note how the side facing Lake Erie is an old, soot-stained brick wall, looking much like the inside of an old fireplace. The sharp-eyed ones might even notice the hairs and strands of fur fossilized in the concrete between the bricks. And the locals are proud to say, that wall was put up in 1928 by those same furs who rebuilt the city, and it's what gave the facility its much-loved nickname.

When Lorain was awarded an FBA franchise in 1970, they became the second expansion team in the league's history, the first ever in the Eastern Conference. Many of the older fans can remember the frustration they felt when the first expansion team-- the Montana Howlers-- quickly dominated the league, gathering up a breathtaking 9 titles in just 16 seasons. It would take 22 years before the Firestorm would see a hint of that fortune, finally winning their first chip in 1992. Then came the Halley Summers years, the rise of the Bikers-- and a second chip in 2002, won off one of the greatest jumpers in FBA history, the "Rainbow off Erie's Edge", a phenomenal bucket from behind the backboard off the wingtips of Lorain Hall-of-Famer Victor Charadine (Killdeer, G, retired). It was much-needed relief for the sports fans of Ohio who had seen years of tragedy and would see years more.

But Charadine-- dubbed "Broken Wing" by his fans-- had said something meaningful before he retired the following season. "Control the skies," the avian quipped, most likely teasing at the fact he was strictly forbidden from using his wings while he played. The one-flap rule wouldn't be instituted until after his retirement. "Control the skies, and the Firestorm will always win."

That was advice head coach Delenna Dresden (Ferret) took to heart, though probably not in the way Broken Wing expected. Instead of bringing on another brilliant avian shooting guard, she slowly recruited the tallest roster in the FBA. And while all of her players are ground-based species, the Thrust have quickly learned, the Firestorm control the skies.

Having come off their first win of the series, the Thrust seemed pumped as they huddled before tipoff, forming a circle around team captain Mitchell Redding (Rabbit, SG) and hopping up and down with the bunny. The team had tried to beat the Firestorm at their own game by putting their tallest bodies on the floor early, and it seemed to work. A six-point win on the road gave the struggling club their first glimmer of hope. And that energy mixed with that vertically-enhanced lineup help drive the team to a 3-point lead to end the first quarter after strong back-and-forth scoring on the floor. But then it all fell apart.

Having figured out the flaws of the previous game, the Firestorm found a way to deal with the Sauce's new strategy. Renard Antouille (Boar, F) came in early to replace Aisha Melbourne (Mink, PF), and while the Gaul had none of the height to challenge Susan Kruegar (Raccoon, PF), he gave the rookie a serious introduction to the FBA when he knocked her down with his shoulder, slamming into her on a vicious up-and-under move. That drew a foul, and then another under a minute later as the team worked hard to exhaust the rookie. It didn't take long before Kruegar was forced to sit down with Michael Porter (Mallard, F) taking her place. But then Melbourne returned and the Firestorm locked up the skies. No one on the Sauce could make a bucket with the towering minks on full attack, their tall bodies and long arms blocking every shot. It got so bad that Clyde Everly (Pig, C) got blocked 3 times in a row by Erich Haber (Mink, C), each time recovering the swatted ball and still not being able to reach the cup until the shot clock ran out. The frustration ran high as the big pig shoved Haber back, earning a technical and making coach swap him out with the cooler-headed David Hodge (Maned Wolf, C). But even the tallest player on the Thrust couldn't stand up to the mink towers, who put on a defensive clinic, preventing anything from getting at the rim.

It got even worse after halftime. The Thrust clearly needed to score, so they sat down their defensive players Doral (Gecko, SG) and Ned Pritchard (Bullfrog, G) to get Blythe Nacht (Red Fox [silver phase], G) and Carlos Syevens-Quiles (Calico Cat, SF) on the floor. Mitchell Redding led the charge, diving back into his old role as a scoring point guard, heading up each play and taking it to the cup when he found his openings. But the defense was too intense. Despite using all of his signature plays, tearing inside at rocket speed, hopping back for space before putting up his lightspeed fadeaways, there were just so many paws in the way, someone always managed to stop the shot. When rookie Serhan Tevetoğlu (Turkish Angora Cat, F/C) joined Melbourne and Haber, the Storm had three 7 foot plus players on the court-- and no matter how much Redding twisted or hopped back or changed his shot mid-air, one of those towering carnivores kept his shots from scoring. It was too much for the bunny known for his determination to show up predators on the court. When his fifth shot attempt was blocked despite making a phenomenal mid-air double-clutch off-handed layup, the bunny screamed and swore until an official T'd him up. Almost shaking with anger, Rick Loughery had to sit Redding down, and the bunny did, holding his head down on his lap, thumping his foot against the floor with rage.

And through it all, Lorain calmly scored. When Doug Smith (Coyote, G) took over point, Ian Histon (Leopard, G) showed him some of his Rookie Game MVP skills by breezing by the canine for quick J's from the top of the key. Monty Silverthorn (Pine Marten, G) was his usual sharpshooting self, penetrating into the Thrust's front court to put up shots that, if they didn't go in, were easily put back or rebounded by the towering minks. And just to add insult to it all, Joey Juloni (Leopard, G) put the crowd on their feet when he took a cross-key bounce pass from Haber, faking Everly out and giving the spotted cat a chance to throw a rock down hard on the pig's nose.

The second half was never questioned. At the final buzzer, Lorain won Game 4 by 19 points, the biggest spread of the series. The Fireplace was full of cheers as the Storm hugged and high-fived each other, taking a dominating 3-1 lead in the series. The Thrust left with heads down with the players having little to say in post-game interviews.

But Haber said enough. "We controlled the skies," he reminded the reporters.

Charadine would be proud.

Game 5

July 27 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 OT F Thrust 19 30 25 28 20 122 Firestorm 27 24 21 30 16 118 Boxscore       Arena: Lorain Precinct Arena - Lorain, OH

Lorain leads series 3-2

Maggie Seton (Sheep, F) is not your typical baller. For one thing, your typical baller didn't used to be a nun. A devout, habit-wearing nun.

Maggie grew up in Cumberland, Maryland, where she was educated in the schools established by the Ursuline furry order. Taught by nuns in class, she was coached by them as well when they encouraged the 6 foot and growing ewe to join the high school basketball team. Young Maggie excelled at the sport and quickly made a splash in Western Maryland and the Potomac Highlands, leading her team to their best regional championship run in history. Her coaches were so impressed, they spoke openly of young Maggie's chances at receiving a sports scholarship to college and possibly one day going pro in the FBA. Few of them expected her to enter the convent after graduation.

Seton has never given her reasons for entering the convent right out of school. When FUMB magazine interviewed her mother superior, the raccoon didn't know either, though she hinted that Seton may have been trying to escape difficulties with her family. She did confirm that the young ewe played basketball with the other postulates while they were cloistered, (Not a strange thing at all-- the Vatican officially recognized basketball as an approved sport for nuns in the 1950s. --ed.) and that she, in her own words, "dominated that court like Deborah on Israel." It took 15 months before her pleadings reached the determined young ewe that she would serve the Lord best taking her skills to the world then bottling them up inside His church. And soon after Seton left the convent, she did get a full-ride sports scholarship, she did continue to excel at her sport, and she did get picked up in the second round of the 2006 FBA Draft.

While she's easily the greatest ex-nun ever to play in the league, her career has been humble. Never starting, often kept in deep reserve, the Habit-- as her teammates called her-- never got stellar stats, but still clearly belonged in a pro league. Her value lay more as a relief player to give her teammates rest, both during and between games. Her training in the order was useful in cooling down and guiding her teammates. While she only made two buckets in the entire 7-game series of the 2009 FBA Finals, everyone on the Huntsville Mayors were clear that the Habit did her part to win the club's first title in 9 years.

It's a curious bit of fate that Maggie Seton was signed by the Stanislaus Thrust in the off-season, the very team she helped defeat in 2009. And it's curious again that she's making her second Finals trip in 3 years. But the Thrust need her now more than ever.

Mitchell Redding (Rabbit, PG) used to be known as one of the most emotional players in the league. Even before he played his first game, he was so grief-stricken at the loss of his beloved uncle that he had to take time away from practice to be with his family. Since then, the bunny has ferociously gotten in the face of players he thought got away with fouls, has openly taunted predators who looked down on him, has gone out of his way to drive home that he was prey that could play better than any predator. Time, maturity, and the unforgiving training of his former teammate and current assistant coach Romaldo Gonzalez (Tabby cat) helped break Redding of his attitude problems. But it would take more than Gonzalez's stern gaze to bottle up the emotions that overflowed after Game 4.

Redding refused to go to the mic in the post-game interviews, leaving his teammates to field questions about the team's superstar. "He's-- not taking it well," Michael Porter (Mallard, F) understated. "He threw a few things. Said some things. Some mean things. He's-- dealing with all this in his own way."

Later, Romaldo Gonzalez offered his own opinion, based on years of working closely with the rabbit. "This is very hard for him," the tabby explained. "After last year, we knew he needed help, and we got him help. Pedro [Parker Davids (Cougar, PF)] and [Clyde Everly (Pig, C)] have been magnificent additions to the team, they've played so hard to support the conejo, and together we beat the Bikers. To have lost so badly to the 'Storm after that-- to lose because of height, because we don't have enough tall players, tall enough players-- it is very hard for him. When we're this close." He sighed and added, "I also think he promised his girl he would beat them."

All of that could be felt as the series went into its fifth game, the last match in Lorain, possibly the last match of the series and the season. With the Firestorm up 3-1, the fans packed the Fireplace, roaring for their team, eager to see the confetti fall and the Halley Summers Trophy awarded to their club. The analysts all predicted the same thing-- easy Lorain victory. Guaranteed, no chance the Thrust could win. It was what it had been from the beginning-- the Firestorm were simply too tall, too big, too dominant on defense. The Thrust didn't have the size or the height to win this one. In 48 minutes, it would all be over.

With those words being spoken over the airwaves, the Thrust huddled into a circle on the court. Usually Redding, as team captain, would be in the middle pumping up his teammates. But this time it was Seton who stood in the middle, offering her own quiet words of encouragement and faith, despite the enemy sea of fans all around. Head coach Rick Loughery (Dolphin) explained to one reporter, "Seton asked to lead the huddle. We all agreed it was a good idea."

The cetacean wasn't without his own strategies. Susan Kruegar (Raccoon, F/C), who had been instrumental in shaking up the front court to get the team's lone win this series, returned to deep reserve for St. Peter to return to power. But Doral (Gecko, SG) remained at the 2 guard position, bringing up last year's first round pick, Carlos Syevens-Quiles (Calico Cat, SF), or Gonzalez 2.0, as his teammates like to call him. The lineup strategy was simple. Now the club looked much more like the high-offense machine that took the 2009 Finals to 7 games, but most importantly, that won a critical Game 5 on the road. It was clear Rick Loughery was banking on his team doing that again.

And now he probably wishes he'd put money on it.

The game opened like it was a continuation of Game 4. With Erich Haber (Mink, C), Aisha Melbourne (Mink, PF), and now Serhan Tevetoğlu (Turkish Angora Cat, SF) starting, the Firestorm front court had triple towers with all three players towering over 7 feet. That meant ridiculous defense on every attack, as Redding had all four of his first four shots from the post swatted down, and not a single offensive rebound for his team in the first quarter. The frustration boiled over quickly for Redding, but some early time outs and quick talks with Seton kept the bunny focused. The rest of the team struggled around the towering minks who scored at will, with Haber's and Melbourne's hook shots sailing well over the heads of Everly and Davids. The Thrust did manage to score some backdoor points, drawing the defense away from the weak side for the kickout shots, but it was hardly enough to stay in the game. The Sauce quickly fell back by 8 points to end the first.

A sharp-eyed fan caught the new strategy on his oPhone, later uploading the video to his social networking page. "All right , [expletive] defense!," Rick Loughery spat to his players as she splashed in his tank. "There's no way for us to stop those minks in the paint, so stop trying. We're going to hit them as hard and as fast as we possibly can. You know we're in desperation mode here. Now play like it!" Doral sat down for the second quarter, putting rookie Blythe Nacht (Red Fox [silver phase], G) in. With both of their biggest defenders riding the pine, the team was armed for furious offense. And physical. When Redding hip-checked Leonardo De Hugo (Lion, SG), the crowd booed the bunny when he was given the charging foul. But the collision had put De Hugo on the floor, and when Redding had Bill Bent (Armadillo, PG) screened off him again to go at the lion, De Hugo hesitated, giving Redding the space he needed to put up a high floater than snapped silk. The hip-check was peanuts, though, to Everly's shoulder charge right into Haber's chest, shoving the mink back right into the pads. The crowd roared when the official let the play go and counted the pig's bucket, adding to the home team's frustrations.

In the second half of the quarter, the Thrust began to find their groove. Taking coach's advice, Redding scored less and assisted more, driving inside to collapse the mink trio, then kicking out to his teammates. Suddenly, Michael Porter and Blythe Nacht became invaluable as the two 3-point shooters worked opposite sides of the court, offering two kickouts and forcing the 'Storm to split their D. And just when it looked like they were going to figure it out, Redding punished them with a phenomenal pass fake that sent the minks out to the edges, giving a wide open layup to the bunny. By halftime, the Thrust had trimmed the deficit to just 2.

The new strategy was working, but at a cost. The team was working hard to keep moving around the court and setting up the buckets off the quick pass, and even after the halftime break, the players were visible fatigued. Strategy changed again as Rick Loughery put Kruegar and Seton onto the floor along with Doral and Ned Pritchard (Bullfrog, G). With extra height and extra D, Doral and Dig 'Em hit at the 'Storm hard, fearlessly drawing fouls from rough, physical play. When Gerry Cross (Mink, SF) was forced to kick out of a shot to Monty Silverthorn (Pine Marten, G) on the shoulder, it couldn't have been an accident when Doral lept in front of him putting a hand on the back of his head-- and giving the mustelid a face full of his gecko crotch. That drew a foul-- and a smirk from the lizard-- as Silverthorn then became almost totally ineffective that quarter, missing all six of his following shot attempts. And the defense didn't stop there. When David Hodge (Maned Wolf, C) put out his long arm to try to block a shot from Haber from the middle of the key, the clever mink hesitated, crouching to let the wolf fly by and leave him open. But when Haber lifted the ball to shoot for real, Ned Pritchard lept in and slapped the ball down, recovering, and slinging the ball up court to Doug Smith (Coyote, G) for the young coyote's first slam dunk this Finals series. Remarkably, the Thrust managed to outscore the 'Storm again, taking their first lead at the end of the third.

With the crowd nervous now, Lorain head coach Delenna Dresden (Ferret) furiously worked up a new strategy. "Control the skies!" she barked to her team. "Remember that! That's how we win! That's how we succeed!" Her team took that to heart as Tevetoğlu returned to the lineup to recapture that indefensible high-arc shooting. But as soon as the 'Storm did that, Rick Loughery put in his heavy offense club once more. Still exhausted and overplayed, they fought hard to keep up with the heavy Lorain scoring. No one fought harder than Redding who kept leading the charge, bringing up the ball and getting his teammates to the cup with crisp distribution of the ball. It was in the final minutes that Carlito broke out, giving his team a chain of second chance points by putting up tip-in after tip-in and getting some of the most unlikely rebounds jumping up among the minks. In one incredible play, Melbourne had to stretch out her arm to grab a defensive rebound as it came off the rim-- and before she could plant her feet again, Carlito flew in, stripped the ball from her outstretched palm, then reverse-dunked around Haber all in one fluid motion. That earned a huge cheer from Gonzalez, who later hugged his protege in a following time out.

The score remained close as the 'Storm kept the ball high for those unstoppable arcing shots. The dagger seemed to go in when Haber swatted down what would have been a brilliant turnaround fade from P-Con, preventing the tying bucket. When Lorain recovered the ball with less than 23 seconds left, they confidently held to it, thinking they had the win. When the ball was passed to Melbourne, the mink held the ball high and unreachable to wait out the clock, but in a play that couldn't have been in anyone's book, Redding came up to defend the towering mink. Cameras spotted Mitchell smiling up at her as he put a paw on her rear, and stroked her tailbase. That made Melbourne smile and lower the ball-- which Redding quickly slapped out of her paws, recovered, spun-moved around Bent to go at the hoop and throw down a rim-rattling crusher with 0.3 seconds left to tie the score and force overtime.

Dresden argued with the officials over the contact which was deemed legal since Redding had not tried to push off or push against Melbourne. Still, the move rattled the mink so badly, she sat down for OT, looking miserable on the bench. With the first extra minutes of the series coming up, Haber looked uncharacteristically annoyed-- maybe that's why Everly won his first tipoff entering the quarter. That gave the Thrust a critical possession ahead of the Firestorm as the brief quarter turned into a tit-for-tat scoring battle. Each side managed to snap silk on each possession, the Firestorm with their unstoppable top shelf shooting, the Thrust with their rapid passes and quick looks off the assists. Parker Davids took off in OT, showing incredible conditioning and very little fatigue despite his extended minutes. With Melbourne sitting down, he played hard and rough against Renard Antouille (Boar, F). In one phenomenal play, the big cougar went up at the cup with Antouille planting his feet and holding him back-- but despite being too far to reach the basket, St. Peter just elevated and slung the ball down the drain for the points and the foul. That extra point was the dagger as the Firestorm kept scoring on their possessions, but couldn't quite keep up. The Sauce were still a point ahead when they had the last possession in the final seconds, forcing the 'Storm to desperately go for an intentional foul. But Redding played keepaway as long as he could, and before he was grabbed, he passed to the underused Blythe Nacht he put up the final shot from behind the arc-- and sank it, sealing a 4-point overtime victory for the Thrust.

The crowd wailed as the Thrust teammates piled on top of Nacht and cheered. With the series going to Game 6, the match returns to Rabbit Valley Pavilion. Maggie Seton took questions after the game, and after she confirmed that she found Redding's stroking of Melbourn's tail tasteless but effective at keeping the team in the game, she addressed one reporter's concerns about the Thrust having not yet won a game at home this series.

"I have faith," she said, sounding confident in the microphone. "My coach back at the convent always told me, 'If you want to win, you have to give every ounce of yourself to your training, to your playbook, to your team to be the very best you can make of what you are. God takes care of the rest.'"

Game 6

July 29 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F Firestorm 28 21 26 27 102 Thrust 28 26 28 25 107 Boxscore     Arena: Rabbit Valley Pavilion - Modesto, CA

Series tied 3-3

I've been reporting on this league long enough that few things surprise me. Even Aisha Melbourne's (Mink, PF) emotional tirade after Game 5 and Mitchell Redding's (Rabbit, PG) unapologetic response didn't really fall out of expectation much for me.

But when I found my seat in the lower bowl of Rabbit Valley Pavilion was right next to the owner of the Stanislaus Thrust, I was surprised.

Anjij Qimmiq (Dog) is not your average FBA team owner. Most team owners are business interests or investors with too much money, looking carefully over the financial numbers while ignoring the player stats. As an incredibly rich socialite, Anjij Qimmiq fits part of the bill, but she breaks away in her devotion and interest to her team. The Thrust aren't just a profit-generating investment to her. They're a living part of her growing corporate empire, a reflection of her public mission for more prestige and recognition. Like everything else she owns.

You have to know her backstory. Anjij Qimmiq first broke into the scene in 1985 when she handily won the Furry National Dog Show. The 19-year old American Eskimo from San Francisco, CA dazzled the judges in the biggest and longest-running beauty contest for furries in the United States. Easily taking the prize for Best in Show, she skyrocketed to even more fame when she won it again in 1986, becoming the first ever to win back-to-back Best in Show prizes. (For those-- like me-- unfamiliar with some of the traditions of domestics, the FNDS hands out prizes separately for males and females with the Best in Show award given exclusively to the winner in all categories. The contest is open only to domestic dogs since its inception until 2003, when they added a Best Feral category for other canines. Ferals are still not allowed to compete for the Best in Show prize, making the FNDS a target for species equality activists.)

With her trophies and her cash prizes, Anjij Qimmiq began to market herself, beginning a lucrative modeling career. Old furs like myself have no trouble remembering the late 80's when it seemed like every perfume or clothing ad featured the same graceful dog with silky white fur, flowing hair, and a champion smile that just made you want whatever she had. At her peak, reports were that she made over $35 million a year appearing in advertising all over the world, and she continued to command big money for photo shoots well into the 90s.

But time has a way of taking things away from us, and as the consumers grew tired of seeing her face and age crept up on the eskie, it was clear her modeling career was into its twilight. But that's when the world was truly introduced to Anjij Qimmiq. Up to then, she seemed to be everything the world expected-- a naïve bombshell getting by with a minimum of education and an overabundance of physical beauty. Boy, were we wrong. As it turned out, Anjij Qimmiq had studied hard between photo shoots, using her time to learn the world's markets and corporate culture. Instead of blowing her cash on fast cars and fancy summer homes, she had invested her fortune cleverly in overseas markets. When she finally did announce her retirement from the modeling world, the smiling, cheerful, fluffy white girl that had taught us all to buy Chanine brand perfume was a corporate-savvy multi-billionaire. And she was ready to get started with her new business.

She purchased a number of well-established furry corporations, in many cases buying outright with cash. Some purchases were expected-- several modeling agencies and marketing firms, a Hollywood studio, a furry records label-- but some were not so expected. She turned heads when she purchased FoxWolf, the second largest manufacturer of weapons and military hardware in the furry world. She also made huge land purchases, most notably taking ownership of a handful of Caribbean islands. Rumors even spread of her bribing the state officials of the islands to relinquish their claim of sovereignty. As the 21st century arrived, Anjij Qimmiq's activities became more and more mysterious, as the eskie grew quieter and more private, lost in her massive empire of holdings.

She crashed onto the scene again in the summer of 2006 when she suddenly bought the Stanislaus Thrust. With cash. Her timing could have been better. The Thrust had been a poor team with a tiny fanbase tucked away in the rural Central Valley with just the arrogant Justin Destrier (Stallion, C, SAS) to draw in crowds to the old, rundown Bull Palace. But when Mitchell Redding joined the team and quickly became their franchise player, the club took off in value, selling out crowds well into the playoffs. Still, Anjij Qimmiq paid the bill and took ownership of the team from a local farm equipment company. And when she did, she quickly made it clear why she wanted the club. She liked Mitchell. And she wanted to market him.

It was the season of 2006-2007 that Redding went from star to superstar. Anjij Qimmiq flooded the Valley with advertising for her team, using her marketing connections to saturate the furry sports fans of Northern California. Redding went from being the best player on the team to the team's figurehead, his purple #7 jersey synonymous with the team. The advertising grated on head coach Rick Loughery (Dolphin) who just wanted to run a strong team, and there were times when it was clear Redding wasn't entirely happy with being sold as heavily as he was. Still, the bunny went along with the new boss' plan-- even as rumors slowly began to spread that the bunny was more than just a marketable athlete to her. Some looked to Anjij Qimmiq's penchant for surrounding herself in muscled, handsome young male dogs and thought about the pair's relationship.

Those rumors quickly vanished when Redding was ripped open by Alonzo Murillo (Black Panther, C/F, HNT, suspended) in a 2007 FBA Playoffs match. With her prize athlete damaged, reports came out that Anjij Qimmiq went wild trying to fix the damage. Some wondered what was going on when Redding vanished shortly after being released from the hospital, apparently flown out to Anjij Qimmiq's private islands for more recuperation. And when the bunny hit the court again at the start of the 2007-2008 season without missing a single game, some found it suspicious. Sure, everyone in the FBA had said he was a very healthy rabbit with a tough body and that he was very disciplined in his recovery process, and that's why he was fit to play in just a few months time. But it was impossible not to notice the bigger muscles and the more physical playing style. And how quickly Anjij Qimmiq slipped back into the shadows afterwards.

So to see her sitting right next to me was incredible. It certainly wasn't her first appearance-- she had made a showing in the 2009 off-season when Rabbit Valley Pavilion (Alpo Arena at the time) opened. The massive state-of-the-art facility was built after Anjij Qimmiq failed to get the FBA to approve her petition to relocate the team to the Bay Area. And she had been spotted in her private room at the arena in the first two games of the playoffs. Now she was sitting in the lower bowl, right there with the fans, right next to this fat, poorly-dressed, sports nerd coyote. Slumming, I suppose, but she clearly meant to be there.

It was striking when she put her sparkling blue eyes on me and flashed her smile, still every bit as radiant. I was even more surprised when she recognized me and even complimented my work. That made it harder to do my job-- since I couldn't pass up an opportunity like this. I had to ask her about Redding's press conference.

After Aisha Melbourne all but verbally gutted a room full of reporters about Redding's dirty move on her to tie up regulation and eventually win Game 5 to force this match in Modesto, everyone-- including myself-- couldn't wait to start questioning Redding. Before he arrived, we had all talked about what he would do, just how politically correct his statements would be, how many references to "I am not a role model" he would make before the humans started calling him our own personal Charles Barkley.

Boy, were we wrong.

"Check it out, this ain't some playground game," the bunny snapped back at the first reporter to ask if he felt remorse over what he did. "This is professional ball! I'm not out there shooting hoops with my buddies and watching the clock to make sure none of us are late for dinner. We get paid to win. Now I did not push off Aisha, I did not force her motion, I did not impede her path anywhere on the court. She had every chance to keep her arms up and shove me back if she wanted. And as for touch her tail, dammit, you guys, before Pritchard joined the team, I got my ass grabbed every game! None of you ever gave a rip over that!"

That got a laugh from the crowd. But for some of us, it was a nervous laugh as we could see where Redding was going. "This is a physical game, and if you play it, not all the contact you're going to feel is what you want. And you ask me, I think it's ridiculous for her to be howling about how I abused her when I'm the one sitting here with three scars in my side. She want to threaten me? Go ahead, girl! I've already taken more than you can dish out! When that clock is running, I've got a job to do, we all got a job to do, and that's play that game and do what we got to to win. Look, if I touch your butt when the clock ain't running, fine-- I'm a dick and I deserve what's coming to me. Which would be my girlfriend serving me up with barbecue sauce. But if you're going to call me a rapist for doing my job and convincing you to stop with this crazy infatuation and get your head in the game, I've got two words for you! 'You're welcome!'"

The interview wrapped up quickly after that, but there was little more that needed to be asked. Redding left without any apology at all, feeling justified in what he'd done. But I couldn't help but wonder how those words would fall on a woman whose meteoric rise to wealth and power must have included some feminist pride. Then again-- I should have remembered everything that made Anjij Qimmiq who she is.

"Look around, Matthew," she told me, lifting her chin behind her at the filling crowd. The massive arena was filled with fans, even at the nosebleeds. "Those seats way up there. They sold for $80 each. And I sold every one of them. So if you want to know what I think of Mitchell's opinion on the matter-- I agree with him. He did his job. And he did it very, very well."

That was a good quote. And it opened a good game.

The crowd erupted into deafening cheers when the Thrust came out. The light show put on was spectacular, as always, and the audience roared for their favorite players. They needed the energy boost-- with the series 2-3 and in their opponent's favor, everyone knew they could witness the end of the series here and see the Thrust lose their second Finals series. The tension was there despite the cheers, and from my seat I could see it on the players' faces. When the lights came back on, though, there was no tension at all in Anjij Qimmiq's face.

The game started out with a bang as the very thing everyone had expected to happen happened almost right away. After the Firestorm won the tip-off and scored off a hook shot from Erich Haber (Mink, C), Redding brought the ball up and used a screen from Doral (Gecko, XL) to rush inside. Without even an attempt to make it look legit, Aisha Melbourne quickly hard fouled the bunny as he went at the basket, catching him with her long arm and putting him on his back. That drew a whistle and a warning, but despite the booing from the crowd, it was clear Aisha didn't care. And nor did anyone else on her team.

Redding hit his free throws and play resumed. The first quarter was a barnburner as the Storm easily scored again and again. They controlled the skies with ease, hitting every shot off the long arms of Haber, Melbourne and Gerry Cross (Mink, SF), using that towering mink core to keep the ball above the heads and paws of the shorter Thrust front court. It was clear the Thrust had no way of stopping them, so they did what they could and just tried to keep up. Redding was brilliant in this as he slipped back easily into his point guard position and distributed the rock through his team. Perhaps inspired by the early hard foul, Redding ended up only making one basket in the first quarter, preferring to put the rock in his teammates' paws, which worked well. By moving the ball quickly and getting players into position, the Thrust worked around the mink defense. Everly was fantastic at the putback while Parker Davids (Cougar, PF) was nothing short of brilliant in finding open looks from inside. Carlos Syevens-Quiles (Calico Cat, SF) was quiet for the quarter, moving the ball around, but not going for the cup. But in the second, that changed.

While the Thrust managed to keep the score tied to end the first, the second opened up with a big run by the Firestorm. When they took a 10 point lead, the Thrust called a timeout to try to refocus. Emotions were still hot as Aisha kept glaring at Redding, the rest of the team driven to support their power forward. The Thrust needed a diversion to keep the Storm disorganized. And when I saw assistant coach Romaldo Gonzalez (Tabby cat) put his paw on Seyves-Quiles' shoulder and whisper to him before he got on the court, I knew what was coming.

Serhan Tevetoğlu (Turkish Angora Cat, C/F) replaced Cross after the TO. The Firestorm knew they were winning by keeping the ball high and they wanted to drive the score up as far as they could. After the inbound, Redding dribbled at the arc, keeping Bill Bent (Armadillo, PG) at arm's length as his eye contact went to Aisha. He then crossed up Bent and went inside toward Aisha, who turned to deliver another bruising block at the bunny. Redding hesitated at the last minute and bounce-passed to St. Peter who was wide open after Aisha left him to go at Redding. With a dangerous shooter suddenly wide open under the basket, Serhan ran to put his paw over Davids while Carlito back-pedaled. Davids faked, then passed around Serhan to Carlito who had a full head of steam as he went up at the cup. And just as Serhan turned to get back on the other cat, Syevens-Quiles delivered a bone-crushing dunk on the young Turk that earned the a fistpump of respect from the Gonzalezenjammer himself.

As it turned out, bone-crushing was literal. Tevetoğlu was thrown down hard on the floor by the force of Carlito's legs snapping forward after grabbing the rim. After a gasp of shock and a cheer of victory, the crowd went quiet as trainers rushed to the rookie. He was seen spitting out a tooth before he left the court on his own power, holding his face. It was reported that he fractured his jaw in the fall, which would prevent him from finishing the series.

But the job was done. The Firestorm were shaken at seeing their youngest player pulled out after such a ferocious play-- a play that happened because Melbourne left her player to get at Redding. That angry energy vanished when the team saw it had compromised their focus. And for the rest of the quarter, the Thrust controlled the game, closing up the deficit and taking the lead with crisp shots all around the floor. It would take halftime for the Firestorm to gather themselves. But not before the the Thrust got in one more ugly dig.

A reporter went up to Carlos Syevens-Quiles at the beginning of halftime, asking him about the play. When he was informed that trainers said Serhan's jaw was broken, the Honduran feline seemed unimpressed.

"Tell him to get back on the court when his bones are harder," he told the reporter flatly. "This is no place for kittens."

It was almost comical how much focus the Firestorm had coming back to the court. Clearly someone told them to quit worrying about Redding and get out there and play. Only trouble for the team-- Rick Loughery had beat them to that advice. The Thrust were outstanding in the last two quarters of play, showing off everything that'd made them the champions they are. Unselfish play, great teamwork, smart playcalling and terrific movement from every position. While even Doral was ineffective in defending shots raised up high on Haber's arms, she managed to flush down a personal Finals best 12 points in just two quarters with alley-oops and putback dunks as the crafty gecko slithered her body between the minks. Everly scored poorly on the night, as he has all series, but his huge body was fantastic for screening off Davids and Maggie Seton (Sheep, F) who both got double-digit scoring from the paint. Michael Porter (Mallard, F) usually never steps away from the corner, but caught the Storm off guard a couple times by charging inside and getting layups off the glass from weak-side passes.

And Redding set his own personal Finals record with a phenomenal 16 assists. With only 11 points on the night, he didn't seem at all the high-scoring, high-powered offensive point guard he's known to be, but rather he became the smart, collected floor general his team needed. Simply put, Redding did his job. And that's why the Thrust won Game 6 by 5 points.

The Storm left the court holding their heads as the crowd burst into cheers for their team, who had just tied up the series and forced a Game 7 right here at home. Lorain showed the frustration of having failed to put the series away despite being up 3-1, even though one more match would determine it all. And that meant one more sold out crowd.

When Anjij Qimmiq stood to leave, I stood up as well. "Not the best performance from Redding, huh?" I asked, trying to hide the fact I was really impressed by what he did tonight. I thought the question might get a good rise out of Anjij Qimmiq-- and hopefully a good quote.

She turned those sapphire blue eyes of hers to me and snorted. "You should know something about being successful, Matthew," she told me. "It's only the ones who lost who care how the winner got the job done."

As she left, a memory came to me. I couldn't shake it from my head. As soon as I got back to my computer, I went online and looked up pictures from the 1986 Furry National Dog Show. There's a photo of a young 20-year old Anjij Qimmiq, wearing the winning crown, holding a bouquet of flowers, and waving to the crowd as she looked to them with her dark, rich brown eyes.

Blue eyes are an immediate disqualification for American Eskimos.

Game 7

July 31 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F Firestorm 28 24 21 21 94 Thrust 26 26 26 26 104 Boxscore     Arena: Rabbit Valley Pavilion - Modesto, CA

Stanislaus wins series 4-3

Mitchell Redding (Rabbit, PG) had been here before.

It was the 2009 FBA Finals. The Thrust had home advantage over the Huntsville Mayors, yet couldn't stop the series from going 1-3. Despite the odds, they fought back to tie it up, forcing a final Game 7 in the last game ever played in the Bull Palace. I was there for that match. In a battle of titans, Redding and Jackson Nuez (Squirrel, G/F, HNT) tore up the court, going at each other with the kind of focus and ferocity that makes me fall in love with this sport all over again. In the closest Game 7 Finals in league history-- and the most cruel loss I've ever witnessed-- Zip-Nut hit the game winning buzzer beater in a midrange jumper right over Redding's paw.

I still have a photo of Redding after that play, kneeling on the floor with his head down, his hands on the back of his head, looking so small and defeated.

I couldn't help but wonder if I would see that again.

Rabbit Valley Pavilion was completely off the hook. Every seat was packed and the fans were wild, cheering all the way to tipoff. I felt extremely lucky to have my seat comped by the FBA-- reports were that the cheapest seats sold for $100 that night. And down in the lower bowl, it was like a who's-who of fame. Hollywood actress Tanya Tanner (Pit Bull) was there with her boyfriend Franz Volker (Doberman, G, TAL). Other FBA players were there including Shane Rufus (Red Wolf, G, MON) who looked like he was already on his fourth beer as he chatted up the unlucky young border collie sitting next to him. 2011 FBA Rookie of the Year Paul Shepherd (German Shepherd, G, MON) was on the other side, looking considerably more sober. Redding had family support with tennis star Donna Redding (Rabbit) in the crowd, sadly without her tennis partner. But she was with Redding's brother Jack Redding (Rabbit), who plays as a goalie in the FHL.

The list continued, including Saul Tortuga (Otter, C, TEN) with his boyfriend, Moonshiners photographer Farallon (Otter); Dakota Bailey (Wolf), president of the Biloxi Mudpuppies fan club; Sam Gwosdz (Red Fox), general manager of the Williamsburg Minutemen; 2010 FBA Rookie of the Year JTigerclaw (Tiger, G, GAL); William Badd (Black Leopard, G, BGR) of the newly relocated Bangor Bantam; Kenny Henderson (Raccoon, F, DES) and Tazel Tawner (Vixen, G, DES) of the Des Moines Blanks; Steven Standard (Stoat, G, SPO); N'duk Hunter (Mongoose, G, SAS); Krystal Bunny (Bunny, G, IDA); Redding's old rival and best friend Cheeto Wolfote (Wolfote, G, PLY); general manger of the Spokane Rapids, Nightfire Kitsura (Squnx); and Carter Clausen (Grey Wolf), head coach and general manager of the Tallahassee Typhoons.

And, of course, I noticed Redding's girlfriend Valencia Zeraus (Lioness, G, NWK) sitting on the floor across from the Thrust bench. Seriously. Everyone was there.

Including a small group of Lorain fans who had taken over a chunk of the lower bowl seating. Just as I noticed them, the lights went dark save for a spotlight on-- to my surprise-- the visitor's entrance. Bagpipe music was pumped into the PA system while the crowd became confused save for those Lorain fans who cheered all the louder. And their team gave them something to cheer about as the Lorain Police Department came marching out in lockstep and full Scottish regalia, escorting the Firestorm with them to the court. With the bagpipe, fife and drum sounding out "Amazing Grace", the Firestorm players strode out in red and orange kilts, which certainly got a bit of laughter from the crowd. Still, it was striking to watch the team very seriously, very purposefully come out to the court with swords held to their sides that they drew and held out pointing across the court. And then the lights came up again with the crowd booing and confused-- as was I. But the Firestorm fans loved what they saw and cheered for it.

I honestly don't know why Rabbit Valley Pavilion management allowed for the visitors to celebrate like that. But I have to admit-- I'm glad they did. This was a series full of emotion and contention, and there was something refreshing about the reminder that all of this is for the fans-- even the ones who traveled all the way from Ohio to come see this game.

But then it was the Thrust's turn.

The lights went dark again, and lasers shone from the rafters. The Jumbotron lit up as the voice of FBA commissioner Bobby Carlton boomed (hah, yeah, I know...) through the speakers. "For the 1995-1996 season, the FBA extends its fifth and final expansion to Stanislaus County in California." A video montage showing the team's humble beginnings in the Bull Palace played, peppered with highlights from the team's earliest stars, including a season with FBA legend Emmanuel Shabani (Spotted Hyena, F, retired) and the returning Justin Destrier (Stallion, C, SAS). I could hear older fans cheering at seeing some of the old greats, but then when things got quiet and Davids' voice returned...

"With the 4th pick of the 2004 FBA Draft, the Stanislaus Thrust select Mitchell Redding of Lagomor University..."

The crowd went wild. Video from Redding's draft night and his earliest games, including his ankle breaker on Lui Cui (Lion, C, IDA) were shown. Then more modern highlights like The Shot, when he hit a 3-point buzzer beater to steal Game 5 of the 2009 FBA Finals... The Hop Back play when he beat the one-on-one fast break by hop stepping to the cup then jumping backwards for a wide open fade under the hoop... his jumper over the back of Svenia von Thomassen (Chakat Lioness, C, SFW) to hit the buzzer beater from behind the baseline-- and to my surprise, the steal off Aisha Melbourne (Mink, PF) that sent the game into OT and kept the Thrust alive in this series. After the team was introduced and the lights came back up, my eyes darted to Aisha to see if there would be a response. There was. She held on to her sword from her team's introduction and aimed it toward Redding, then lowered the tip the draw a line across the floor. Quiet-- but classy, I thought. Certainly classier than Ian Histon (Leopard, G) who bent over, hiked up his skirt and mooned toward the Thrust. That drew a lot of boos from the crowd-- and I figure a fine before tip-off.

As the teams began to get into position, I noticed that Redding didn't have his armband on yet. He first drank his carrot juice, then made a show of putting it on, taking more time with it than I'd seen in the past. For those who don't know, he never wore the armband in college. He started wearing it at the beginning of his professional career when his beloved uncle died before his first FBA game. He's said in the past he would take it off when he won the Finals-- and along with the thousands of others watching, I wondered if we'd see it come off today.

The truth of the matter is, as a series gets more and more desperate, the opening minutes become more and more boring. Teams start to fall into conservative habits, knowing they can't mess up. It's good ball, just no one is willing to take any risks on a flashy play. And the game opened just that way. The 'Storm kept working their height advantage, keeping the ball high, using short, hopping passes from mink to mink to get the ball inside and make easy, unstoppable baskets. No flash at all, but highly dependable. The Thrust kept to their new playbook of heavy motion and quick shots off the pass. Redding again showed his determination to do what his team needed by being a pass-first point guard rather than the scoring machine he usually is. While the bunny was fantastic moving across the floor, showing off his outstanding handles, play after play he kicked out to open shooters or passed inside to well-positioned teammates. Nobody was better positioned than Parker Davids (Cougar, PF) who was electric in the first half. Despite his height disadvantage against the towering Melbourne, St. Peter used his tireless speed and energy to keep catching the mink with stutter steps and shot fakes. I was close enough to the floor that during a timeout, I could hear assistant coach Romaldo Gonzalez (Tabby cat) tell head coach Rick Loughery (Dolphin, C) "That's what Pedro did to me."

The second half was much like the first with the two teams swapping baskets with slow, conservative play. In all honesty, the game had been quite boring as halftime arrived. Both clubs were scoring efficiently, but with the score tied up, a part of me wondered if it would come down to a final buzzer beater-- just like the one that cruelly stole the win from Redding in 2009.

I don't normally mention halftime shows, but there was something that struck me in this one. Part of the show involved a band from San Francisco's Chinatown playing traditional instruments, and while the music itself did not terribly impress me, there was a simple message to the performance. A poster was raised reminding the crowd that this was the Chinese Year of the Rabbit and that this was Redding's seventh year in the FBA.

That resonated with me. And it must have with the Thrust as well.

When the third quarter started, the first minute seemed to roll into the same slow, conservative play of the first half. But just when I was about to declare this the most boring Game 7 I'd ever seen, something happened. Something happened big. Redding has been passing the ball so much, he only had 6 points going into the third-- something unheard of from one of the league's top scorers. It was almost as if Redding was scared to go inside-- which no doubt Erich Haber (Mink, C) and Melbourne were thinking as the game dragged. But then out of the blue, Redding got around Bill Bent (Armadillo, PG) and charged the paint. Expecting a kickout, Cross guarded the elbow giving Redding room to pass. When it suddenly came clear the bunny was going for the basket, Haber moved to block but got screened by Clyde Everly (Pig, C). That's when Melbourne was forced to stretch for the block, but the bunny got so much lift, he put a hand right on Aisha's muzzle, pushing her back and throwing the rock down hard over her arm.

The foul whistle stopped the clock as the crowd went from sleeping to an eruption of cheers. Melbourne protested the call with the official, but he let the blocking foul stand and a pumped up Redding walked right up to the seats-- and brought Val to her feet, giving her a kiss. He said something to her that I couldn't hear. That left me wondering what was spoken as Redding finished the 3-point play.

But now, the game was different. I saw the strategy clearly now-- the Thrust had lolled the Firestorm into an easy game. They had let Lorain keep using their indefensible tactic, getting them in a groove of depending on their height. But now Redding's team changed the rules as everyone on the club did a 180 and turned the game back to the physical flash they're known for. What would have previously been a Maggie Seton (Sheep, F) jumper from midrange suddenly became a shoulder-checked slam from Everly. What would have been a pick-and-roll to Davids became a pick-and-pop from Blythe Nacht (Red Fox [silver phase], G) who went white-hot in the third. The sharpshooting rookie drilled home 4 3-balls in the third quarter alone, totally stunning the Firestorm, who found it hard to get a 3-pointer groove going after depending on their height for all their buckets. What had been a tied back-and-forth match became a small lead for the Thrust, who went up by 5 going into the fourth.

Lorain had to regroup and get their mojo back. Now with the pace of the game changed, the shots weren't going down. As it turned out, Haber's, Melbourne's, and Cross' arms were tired from holding the ball so high, and without Serhan Tevetoğlu (Turkish Angora Cat, F+) the team didn't have any more towering options left. Melbourne looked especially upset, not just on having been dunked on, but with her team falling behind. As the fourth got underway, Redding's instructions to his team was clear. Keep up the pressure. Keep hitting hard. Don't be afraid to make fouls.

The fourth quarter was the kind of play everyone had been waiting for. Needing a new scoring outlet, the Firestorm turned to their underused guards. Bent moved the ball around, getting it to Leonardo De Hugo's (Lion, SG) paws, but with Doral (Gecko, SG) in the 2 guard spot and having under exerted hirself in the first half, the lizard had bounding energy and locked up the shots. She got three mid-air tongue blocks including a tail steal from Ian Histon, who managed a brief scoring one hitting 3 shots in a row, but failed to connect on all his other attempts. Nacht kept firing off daggers, including one phenomenal highlight when Carlos Syevens-Quiles (Calico Cat, SF) jumped from behind the free-throw for a dunk. When Haber and Melbourne stepped in to block, the feline reached around Haber's body to pass behind the skinny mink's back to Nacht at the shoulder-- who then snapped silk from the woods.

When the Thrust broke into a 14 point lead, the Firestorm panicked. During a time out, Melbourne was seen shaking and yelling to her teammates, looking terrified of what could be a huge loss. When she got back onto the court, she demonstrated that determination by colliding with Michael Porter (Mallard, F) on a play, bowling over the duck as she finished a slam dunk with the foul. She may have been too tense, though, as she missed the free throw bad. The rebound came into Redding's paws who raced up court for the fast break. Cross was there to follow him for the one-on-one and to the delight of the crowd, Redding performed once again his Hop Back play, jumping toward the basket, then bouncing backwards off his feet. Cross was so thrown by the redirection, he tripped on his own feet and slammed into the pads as Redding banked the fade off the glass.

As Redding jogged up court, he was pushed by Melbourne. While she didn't get a technical (she should have) Redding stumbled and ignored hir, jogging into position-- though he couldn't hide the little smirk I could see on his face. The bunny knew he was messing with them-- and as he always has, he was enjoying it.

He kept messing with them into the last minutes of the game as the situation grew more and more desperate for the Firestorm. Flashed of hope appeared when Ian Histon drilled home a 3-ball just before the shot clock buzzed, giving the Storm critical points they needed to stay alive. But then Blythe Nacht put one down from the woods himself to even the score back up. Bill Bent managed to strip Douglas Smith (Coyote, G), but the armadillo lost control of the ball as he tried to rush up court, giving Smith a chance to take it back, move it back the other way, and set up Doral for an alley-oop dunk with the Lorain D totally caught off guard. Through it all, Melbourne got more and more furious, snapping at the officials, yelling at her teammates, going at the cup harder. She ran inside and bowled over David Hodge (Maned Wolf, C) on one vicious dunk-- but the points were waived when a charging call was made. That made Melbourne scream and was only spared a technical because Haber quickly pulled her away.

There's a moment in basketball games when the winner is known. The game isn't over, the timer's not done, but there's no chance for the victory to go any other way. With the timer just past the last minute of the game and the Thrust up by 10, that moment happened. The crowd rose to their feet and cheered their ears off, knowing this was it. The Stanislaus Thrust was going to have their first ever championship. Redding brought the ball up and held it, dribbling away as Ian Histon faced him, but did not go after him, holding back, letting the bunny dribble. Melbourne looked to be in tears as she begged with her teammates and coach to keep playing, which just made head coach Delenna Dresden (Ferret) call a timeout at the start of their last possession to sit down the sobbing mink. Monty Silverthorn (Pine Marten, G) tired another 3 pointer-- missed, the ball went back to the Thrust, and with less then 24 seconds left on the clock, the shot clock was turned off.

The crowd screamed all around. Everyone watched as the clock ticked down to destiny and as Redding calmly dribbled the ball up court and stood just past the halfcourt line, standing on the team logo. Histon stayed back, hands on his hips, head down and frowning waiting for the buzzer to call. The rest of the team stood around, relaxed, moving slowly, allowing the clock to expire. But my attention was at the middle of the court as Redding and Histon looked at each other. It struck me that the two had both lost family members in their first years, Mitchell before he started, Ian during his rookie season. Only one of them could win tonight, and it was going to be Mitchell. Though I did think to myself, Mitchell had been waiting longer.

When the buzzer sounds to end the game, often the last ballhandler will throw the ball straight up in celebration. But Mitchell did something different.

He stopped dribbling before the timer went out and tucked the ball under his arm. With his eyes big and wet, tears starting to well up, he reaches across his body to his other arm and began to pull the band from around his bicep. He watched the clock above the basket as he did it and when that buzzer finally did sound followed by the deafening cheers of the fans, Redding gave gave the ball to the official, stepped up to Histon and hugged his opponent. He then gave Ian the armband.

As the balloons and streamers fell from the ceiling, a stage was wheeled onto the floor. FBA Commissioner Bobby Carlton came out to present the Halley Summers Trophy and announced that Mitchell Redding was declared 2011 FBA Finals MVP. As the Stanislaus Thrust team crowded onto the stage,jumping and cheering, pumping their fists into the streamer-filled air, Redding took the trophy from Davids and held it up for everyone to see.

As part of the media, I was allowed to come onto the stage and speak with the team. I congratulated assistant coach Romaldo Gonzalez for winning his first ring, something well deserved after his 23 years as a player. He smiled to me and showed me his paw, in which he held two rings.

"Why do you have two?" I yelled, trying to be heard over the cheering.

"The conejo gave me his!" he yelled back. I know that I looked stunned by that, not expecting that kind of generosity from Redding. Gonzalez smiled knowingly, reading my face like a book. "He'll probably ask for it back in the morning!"

That made sense. It was clear Redding wasn't thinking about the ring just then as I saw him holding the trophy. He was hugging it, resting his head against it, tears down his face. I could see he was saying something, but I couldn't hear in the noise, but I held out my recorder to try to pick it up.

It wasn't until I got back to my studio that I played it back. And it made my eyes well up, too, listening to Redding say over and over, "We did it, uncle. We did it. We did it." After everything in his career-- betrayed by his teammate, clawed open on the court, losing everything by a single bucket, after all the pain, the suffering, the controversy and tragedy-- finally Redding had won it all. In his seventh year. In the Year of the Rabbit. And the thing on his lips was a message to his uncle.

"We did it, uncle. You can rest now."

Rosters

Stanislaus Thrust Roster

Starters
Point Guard		Shooting Guard		Small Forward		Power Forward		Center
File:PID 479.jpg
4	Ned Pritchard (Bullfrog, G)	16	Mitchell Redding (Rabbit, G)	69	Doral (Gecko, G/F)	28	Parker Davids (Cougar, F)	84	Clyde Everly (Pig, C)
Bench
Guard		Guard		Forward		Bigfur		Center
48	Douglas Smith (Coyote, G)	22	Blythe Nacht (Red Fox, G)	17	Carlos Syevens-Quiles (Calico Cat, F)	23	Michael Porter (Mallard, F/C)	46	David Hodge (Maned Wolf, C)
Reserves				Inactives
Guard		Forward		Forward		Bigfur		'
50	Admiral May (Maine Coon Cat, G)	24	Ray Rhodes (Gecko, F)	77	Maggie Seton (Sheep, F)	6	Susan Kruegar (Raccoon, F/C)	--	---

Lorain Firestorm Roster

Starters
Point Guard		Shooting Guard		Small Forward		Power Forward		Center
9	Bill Bent (Armadillo, G)	3	Leonardo De Hugo (Lion, G)	10	Gerry Cross (Mink, F/C)	26	Aisha Melbourne (Mink, F/C)	12	Erich Haber (Mink, C)
Bench
Guard		Guard		Bigfur		Forward		Center
31	Ian Histon (Leopard, G)	0	Monty Silverthorn (Pine Marten, G)	6	Serhan Tevetoğlu (Turkish Angora Cat, F/C)	22	Renard Antouille (Boar, F)	00	Barry Aldran (Rhinoceros, C)
Reserves				Inactives
Guard		Forward		'		Forward		'
77	Joey Juloni (Leopard, G)	14	Moki Ixtlahuac (Buck, F)	--	---	32	Quentin Ramsey Jr. (Raccoon, F)	--	---

Links

A post-Finals article entitled Ian Two Deep can be found on Ian Histon's page.