THE Kashif and Shanghai Kings marked their return to competitive basketball as they overcame senior National Club champions Wismar Pistons in a dominant 51-42 win as the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA)-organised Linden Town Week Open Super Eight knockout basketball championship, which began in April, was finally played on Saturday night at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court.
In the third place playoff game Victory Valley Royals coasted to a 71-42 win against Retrieve Raiders.
The final, which had been placed on hold due to the rainy weather pattern in Linden, was finally played off.
The game was tied 6-6 with less than six minutes gone in the first quarter, but the Pistons found their rhythm to make it a 12-6 score within a three-minute span, only to see the Kings rally to end the first quarter on even keel 14-14.
The second quarter saw the two finalists trying their best to set the stage for a championship run, but in the end the Kings were able to, on an Orin Rose shot from beyond the arc, heading into the third quarter leading 23-22.
This was facilitated by the Pistons failing to defend the known dangerous long range shooter in the second quarter.
At the same time the Kings were using their bench rotation well and key to their offence was the shooting of forward Neil Marks. He steadied their offensive play and they were able to keep abreast with the opponents going into the third quarter.
In this important third session the Pistons on a 3-point shot from guard forward Trevor Profitt were able to knot the scores at 27 with 5:45 left. Then when Profitt netted another basket his side were leading 29-27 with 4:00 remaining in the third quarter.
During the pivotal third quarter where the game could be determined, shooting guard Orin Rose sank another bomb from outside for the Kings who regained the lead within 90 seconds and big centre Jason Alonzo and Neil Marks added baskets as the Kings went on a 10-0 run to end the third quarter 34-29 in their favour. The Pistons had turned the ball over needlessly at times.
In the final stanza Alonzo was by then habitually swatting shots in the paint and he started the fourth segment with a block of forward Dwight Cooper. Then Pistons responded as forward Quincy Jones tried to recover after the Pistons had once again created an unforced turnover drive on a penetration to score on a fast break.
With less than five minutes left forward Omally Sampson got into the fray with another basket and Alonzo again rejected Jones’ shot in the paint with 4:22 to go. Alonzo was again there to block another shot from Jones with the scores still reading 39-33 for the Kings. By this stage the Kings’ starters Rose, Marvin Hartman, Alonzo, Marks and Sampson were back on court to ensure that they remained on course for this deserved win against a Pistons side, who certainly did not play as if they wanted to win.
The game was over bar the shouting as the Pistons never really challenged thereafter with over three minutes still on the game clock. The Kings dominated the rest of the game to walk away winners by a 51-42 scoreline.
Marks led them with 16 points as Sampson added 14 and Rose 11 for the Linden Town Week champions while Trevor Profitt was the best shoot for the Pistons with a game-high 19 points.
Earlier that night the Victory Valley Royals triumphed over the Retrieve Raiders 71-45 as they led throughout the segments 15-10, 23-18, 45-31 and 71-45.
Four players for the Royals were in double figures namely Harold Adams with 20 points, Orlando Glasgow 16, Marlon Pollydore 15 and Chris Williams 12.
The only player in the limelight for the Raiders was Odinga Hunte with 16 while Domain Allen contributed nine in the loss.
The presentation of the cash prizes won and other awards will be done at a later date according to an official of LABA.