Title: House Basketball Playoff Preview

Reed Barthold

            Last night marked the beginning of the ever-so-popular House Basketball playoff run. Both grades 9/10 and 11/12 had games last night and the top four teams from each league had byes. Below you will find the overview of each game from last night, and a look into the upcoming matches.

            In the 7-8pm slot the Bucks played the Knicks while the ‘Cats attempted to grasp a win from the Raptors in the neighboring gym. The Bucks rose up over the Knicks for their third win of the season and first win in the playoffs. The Bucks play the Wizards next weekend (2/25-26) which should be a good game as the Bucks have fallen just short of the Wizards in two previous games. As predicted in the previous power rankings, the ‘Cats lost their last two games leading up to the playoffs and suffered under the skill of Dylan Carruthers and the rest of the Raptors last night. The Bobcats will get their first glimpse of the loser’s bracket next weekend.

            Two other games took place after the 7-8pm slot. The Bulls took a shot at defeating the Celtics while the Heat burned down the Sixers. The Celtics’ win over the Bulls was somewhat of an upset because of the better record the Bulls possess. The Celtics’ performance was on-par with their regular season games; it was just a matter of the Bulls not making shots. The Bulls should excel in the losers’ bracket as their loss was more or less a fluke. The Heat soared over the Sixers last night with a win by over 12 points. The Heat has really been the underdog all season. Most critics doubt their skill and they often fall just short of a win. Last night the Heat put that common assumption to rest with a win and a Winners’ bracket playoff berth. Watch out for the Heat, they are on fire. Pun intended.

            Last night was more of a playoff placement tournament than a playoff round. The YMCA needed to see which teams would rise to play the top four monsters next week. The Bucks’ win over the Knicks was a lucky one as the Skolds twins were not present but the Bucks also have been lacking superstar Brian Davey all year. The ‘Cats either play the Bulls or Sixers next week and both teams have beaten the Bobcats in the regular season. Next weekend’s games should be fun and close so be sure to stop by Middlesex or the High School if you are not on vacation to catch a game or two.