Week 5 - Game 1 - JR Spliffs vs Remy Boyz

The first contest of week 5 was a battle of two talented squads. Something had to give, with one looking to cement their place at the top of the league and the other seeking to avenge a close week 4 loss. The JR Spliffs came out firing with Michael Schwartz leading the way, scoring quick baskets, making heads up plays in transition, and finishing with a respectable 18 points. Dartis Willis had a huge block off the backboard before leaving the game with a minor ankle injury. Dominik Francks came in hot with a game high 22 points, to help the Spliffs pull away during the second half. Despite the great individual performances, the JR Spliffs continue to win games with their unselfish play and efficient ball movement. Each player knew their role and touched the ball on nearly every position, helping to spread the floor and give their play makers a chance to operate in the paint. 

All great teams look to respond from any loss, and the Remy Boyz were no different this week. With consistent 3 point shooting and second chance buckets from Peter Horn, the Boyz were in the game at the half, down just 6 points. Joel Villezar added a clutch 3 pointer and a few crucial offensive rebounds, and Tom Bodenheimer kept the defense stout with 2 big blocks down the stretch to keep the Remy Boyz relevant till midway through the second half. Ultimately, the Remy Boyz fell after a strong performance from their nucleus and can build on their strong inside presence and long-range shooting.

As the old saying goes, defense wins championships; but did anyone know defense also wins regular games too? The JR Spliffs came to play by making their defense their offense, getting out on the break and moving the ball to incorporate each teammate. 

Week 3 - Game 2 - JR Spliffs vs Mission Wildcats

The marquee matchup of week 3 pitted two undefeated teams against each other with a perfect record and outright first place on the line. These squads were loaded with scorers and facilitators who balled out and really left it all on the court. Each team struggled to find an early rhythm and picked up early team fouls. The Wildcats’ Brian Gulotta (10 pts) and Michael Fritz (8 pts) got it going with a few inside buckets and great ball movement. Matt Bissel was a force in the paint with crucial offensive rebounds and found himself at the line to knock down a couple clutch free-throws. The Wildcats were effective in the paint with constant slashing and cutting. If they can improve and utilize other aspects of their game, we could see a formidable Mission Wildcats playoff team.

The JR Spliffs were up to the challenge and played sound all-around basketball. Floor General aka Maxwell Hershfield was dropping dimes and buckets consistently throughout the night, finishing with a game-high 22 points and setting up scoring opportunities for his teammates. The defense wasn’t too shabby either, pressing the Wildcat guards and forcing turnovers. Michael Schwartz came in clutch with crucial free-throws and a huge 3-pointer down the stretch. JB Bakst added another 11 points as the JR Spliffs opened up their lead to 15 with under 2 minutes left. When push came to shove, the JR Spliffs came up with big stops and scored off the turnovers of the Wildcats as they improve to 3-0 and claim an outright lead atop the standings. 

Although each team found themselves in foul trouble, the JR Spliffs gave themselves room to breathe by capitalizing on multiple trips to the foul line. This may have been the difference in the game, as the Wildcats shot 64% from the foul line and the JR Spliffs shot 90%. Free-throws always make a difference! 

Week 2 – Game 3 – JR Spliffs vs Pinterest

Another game, another comeback for Pinterest. It was a tough start yet again for Pinterest, only mustering 14 first half points compared to JR Spliffs 33 points. However, for the second week in a row, they didn’t let an early deficit phase them. Stephen Carr made his ZBL debut for Pinterest and what a debut it was. Doing his best impression of James Harden (euro-steps included), Carr accounted for 26 points of Pinterest’s 47 total points! But it wasn’t a one man show, the Pinterest defense held the Spliffs to 17 second half points. It all came down to the last four seconds of the game when Pinterest PG Chris Gueits barely missed picking off the inbounds pass which would have given them a chance to tie the game with a trey. As the buzzer sounded, Pinterest’s comeback hopes had fallen just inches short.

The JR Spliffs capped off the slate of week 3 games as the 3rd ZBL team to start off the season 2-0. They were able to jump out to their big first half lead behind Kyler Blue and Maxwell Hershfield. They finished with 10 points and 11 points respectively. All that said, it was Peter Counts and Michael Schwartz who came up with huge buckets late in the game to help give the Spliffs the edge over Pinterest. This shows that it’s not the number of points your score, but when you score them that is truly important.

With yet another close loss, Pinterest will look to get their first win vs Trust the Process next week. While JR Spliffs will have their work cut out for them against another 2-0 team, the Mission Wildcats, which is the marquee week 3 matchup.

Week 2 – Game 2 – Remy Boyz vs Trust the Process

The second game of the night was a clash of offensive styles. On one side we had Remy Boyz, whose offense runs through their captain, Peter Horn. He led the team in scoring for the second week in the row, putting up 15 points. The lefty continued to show his ability to slash through the lane, finish through contact and feast at the line (6/7 at the free throw line). Horn wasn’t the only one who impressed, Sean Brennan followed up his 5 points in game one with 14 points in game two. Big man Joel Villezar went on his own 7-point run in the second half and immediately followed it up by signaling to the sideline for a sub. Quit while you’re ahead, I guess.

On the other side, Trust the Process had reinforcements show up this week to help them run! In the first half, they kept their legs fresh and put on the afterburners, scoring most of their points on the fast break. Phil Opamuratawongse aka “The Alphabet” went 8/10 from the free throw line and finished with 10 points to lead the team. Kevin Suh and Shane Wey also chipped in 8 points and 7 points respectively. On the same day that Joel “The Process” Embiid came up big and signed his $148M extension, Trust the Process came up a little short.

While each of these teams go into week three on opposite ends of the standings, it’s a long season and each team can put this week behind them and move ‘on to Cincinnati’ (Belichick voice) or in other words, their next opponent.

Week 1 – The Bricklayers vs JR Spliffs

The late night game was a matchup between two offensive juggernauts. The Bricklayers are coming into the season fresh off of a Summer Championship and hope to ride that momentum into the Fall season. They started off hot from 3-point land, lead by versatile big man Ian Halpern, who led the team with 13 points. Point guard Blake Flanders is making an early campaign for best court vision in the league, hitting a few teammates with absolute dimes throughout the game. He also finished with 8 points.

JR Spliffs came over from our ZogSports Sunday Men’s League to make a run at the very first ZBL Championship. Relatively unknown to the other teams, Kyler Blue showed everyone that he has to be guarded everywhere on the court. Finishing with 18 points, the largest guy on the court dropped four 3-pointers while still making his presence felt in the post. He was helped by combo guard, Dominick Francks, who made his 11 points look effortless out on the court.

Late into the 2nd half, the score was within single digits until Maxwell Hershfield put the Spliffs on his back and poured in 11 of his 16 points late to put the game out of reach for The Bricklayers. It was a tough break for the defending summer champs but it’s a long season and I expect them to come into week 2 motivated.