In fact, the New York Knicks practiced at the Island Garden during the NBA lockout of 1998. It's a nice place to play.
Last night at The Garden, my "Jumpshooters Only" franchise clinched its first Island Garden championship with a 64-51 victory over the tough, veteran squad known simply as "Franklin Square."
While starting SG Conrad Stewart (aka "The Franchise") and C Keith Goodluck ("Cousins") were stuck in traffic, the Jumpshooters sprung out to a surprising early lead thanks to the rebounding of G Joe Furman and defense of back-up C Andrew Meyer ("The Accountant").
Meyer, who suffered a season-ending leg injury in last year's opener, has been limited to 6-to-12 minutes a night as he eases back to health. However, that didn't stop him from picking up a couple of early steals and blocks.
I hit a couple of threes before F Steven Summer ("Van Horn") drilled a back-breaker that forced Franklin Square into a timeout they did not want to take in the early going.
When Stewart and Goodluck finally arrived, they entered the game for me and Meyer, respectively. Goodluck and Stewart arrived in rhythm, as the former immediately assisted the latter for an easy lay-up.
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| A live-action shot from the championship game. |
As the late-arriving duo continued to try to settle into the flow of the game, Jumpshooters veteran and team leader SG/SF Sam Ytuarte ("Anger Management") took command. Ytuarte -- the lefty swingman who has drawn comparisons to Chris Mullin, Manu Ginobili, Troy Murphy and even Andris Biedrins at times -- showcased his versatility as he put together a few buckets from different angles.
The Jumpshooters went into the half with a six-point lead, but Franklin Square did not intend to go quietly. They never do.
Led by their combo guard who relentlessly attacks a la Allen Iverson, and a monstrous big man who is commonly likened to Ronny Turiaf, Franklin Square stormed back...all the way back, and then some.
Franklin Square was leading by four, a few minutes into the second half. The Jumpshooters were bickering with each other after a few defensive lapses and miscommunications, but the wheels never truly came off.
After some internal fighting, the Jumpshooters were energized by Furman and his ferocious drives through the heart of Franklin Square's defense. With the score tied, Stewart took over.
Stewart knocked down a couple of triples to put "J-Sho" up six, and they never looked back. Goodluck gained control of the paint, and Summer made it rain from the perimeter.
Summer was Matt Bonner down the stretch, burying three bombs in the final seven minutes of the championship.
After shooting well from the foul line in the last three minutes, the Jumpshooters celebrated their first Long Island championship by the final of 64-51 (in a 32-minute game).
The Jumpshooters franchise has two previous championship victories, but both came at the University of Connecticut thanks to football stars with basketball skills: G Darius Butler and F Danny Lansanah. Butler has played very well for the Indianapolis Colts, and Lansanah started for the Tampa Bay Bucs.
The Jumpshooters franchise has two previous championship victories, but both came at the University of Connecticut thanks to football stars with basketball skills: G Darius Butler and F Danny Lansanah. Butler has played very well for the Indianapolis Colts, and Lansanah started for the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Shout out to G/F Mark Antoniewicz for his contributions to the three-on-three title as well.
Last but not least, the Jumpshooters would like to thank Gianna Rey, Amy Madmon, Ferdinand Chan and Chris Pearsall for attending last night's win. Best fans in the world!
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