The second week of the PGBL tipped off with a pair of teams looking to avoid falling in an early 0-2 hole to start the season. No team has ever recovered from a 0-2 start to make it to the championship game, so a lot was on the line between the Mavericks and Terps.
It was hard fought battle the entire first half and a few minutes into the second half where the game was tied at 29. From that point on, the youth and energy of the Terps took over by creating a lot of turnovers and easy baskets on their way to 69-54 victory over the Mavericks. Fresh off a GOYA championship, Niko Balis showed us his is for real and will be a big star in this league. His 32 points are the most by any player so far this year, and he will continue to help the Terps as the season goes on. The Mavericks will look to avoid going 0-3 as they face the Warriors next Thursday while the Terps have the Grizzlies on October 21st.
The spotlight game featured the top two teams in the power rankings. Both teams coming off wins to start the season were hungry to show who will be the early favorite for a deep run in the playoffs. The Sixers made a huge statement by dominating the game from start to finish. The Warriors made a run at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half by cutting the Sixers lead to a single point at 22-21. The Sixers weathered the storm and opened up a double-digit lead which they kept the rest of the way in route to a 61-48. The Warriors just didn’t look themselves last night. A very young talented team did not play nearly to their potential, and I expect them to bounce back in a big way. For the second consecutive game, Tony Grammenos and Jim Armenakis combined for 50 points making them the most potent 1-2 punch in the league so far. Next up for the Sixers is a battle with the Spurs next Thursday. The Warriors also play next Thursday against the Mavericks.
What matters most is a win, but sometimes it can come in the ugliest of fashions. A game which on paper was expected to be a one-sided affair turned out to be the closest game of the night. The Kings last night played their worst game but were fortunate enough to come out on top. It was an embarrassing performance, and they will put this game behind them quickly. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, showed a lot of promise and never gave up even after being down by as much as 17 in the second half. This is a performance they can build off to win a few games this season. Their next game is against the Terps on October 21st, and the Kings also play that night against the Sixers.
Next Thursday Cosmos Philly will be covering the following games:
Spurs vs. Sixers @ 7 PM
Arseniko vs Revolution @ 8PM
Warriors vs. Mavericks @ 9 PM
Written by Fotis Giannopoulos