FINAL FOUR SHOWDOWN - Bryant Picone

TONIGHT!

[8:00PM] - Royal Flush vs. Bomb Squad

[9:00PM] - DB Isonation vs. Strong Island

The Final Four

The time is now…. Bracketologists rejoice! After countless hours spent watching highlights, breaking down game tape and studying the match-ups, the moment has finally arrived!! The Overtime Basketball Final Four is set, and it looks like we’ll be in for some epic contests. So, break out your Korg Polysix keyboards, cue the vintage Europe albums, and call Joey Tempest because this is the FINAL COUNTDOWN!

Game 1 – Royal Flush v Bomb Squad:

The first game features two of the premier offensive threats in the league, as Mark Lee’s Royal Flush face off against James Choi’s Bomb Squad. The co-Jesus Shuttlesworth Award winners will do battle in a game that is sure to be full of offensive fireworks.

Mark= Tommy Lee Jones,  James =Jeff Bridges

For Royal Flush, Mark Lee sets the table and eats. Mark averaged 21.5 ppg over the course of the season and led the league with a gaudy 6.9 apg. Royal Flush also features the undersized, big man Bada “Ooooocean” Hong and Mike “Bird” Song. What Bada lacks in height, he makes up for in his ability to dominate the glass and work the middle of the paint with his sweet midrange touch. “Bird” Song, who has always been more Hulk than Bruce Banner, really let his inner monster show this season, as he was a complete beast under the basket - you touch him, you get hurt. These two should provide an intimidating inside presence as Royal Flush looks to explode all over the Bomb Squad.

For Bomb Squad, James “Chump” Choi is the long-range bomber who is never afraid to let a deep 3 fly. And luckily for his teammates, “Chump” rarely misses. At 20 ppg and 3.25 3ptm per game, Chump is a certified gunner. Unfortunately for Bomb Squad, Royal Flush has another three-point specialist in the form of the unflappable Kwon Lim. Best known for finishing the fast break with his patented pull-up 3 pointer, Kwon is a fan favorite for his quiet, unassuming nature and trademark smile. Along with Kwon and James, John Lim provides that third option that will surely keep Royal Flush on their toes. John’s game has been described as “herky-jerky” at times, but there is no doubting the man’s effectiveness. Call him “Faciliattato.” With these masterful technicians leading the way, Bomb Squad will look to dismantle Royal Flush early and avoid any late-game explosions by the dangerous Mark Lee.

If Mark and Chump don’t bring the fireworks, Katy Perry sure will!!

Prediction:

This one is sure to be an instant classic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if each of these teams breaks the 70-point mark. That being said, I’m going to give the slight edge to Bomb Squad. Unsure of which wire to cut, “Chump” Choi fires a last second, desperation three and defuses Royal Flush at the last possible moment.

Final score: BS 73 – RF 71

Game 2 – DB Isonation v Strong Island:

While the first game is sure to be an offensive extravaganza, the second game looks like it will be an old-fashioned slugfest. Chris “SLAM” Youn and DB Iso will bring their hard-hitting tactics to deliver a knockout blow to a Strong Island squad headlined by the consummate professional, David Ri. Youn has taken a page from Amare Stoudemire and boasted that, “Strong Island doesn’t want to see ME!” I’ve heard from sources that Youn has already started planning his post-game celebration at Circle. No response yet from David Ri, but insiders in the Strong Island camp predict that Ri believes he will be the one poppin’ bottles and mackin’ fly hunnies… Who’s right?

Nuggets Melo? VS. DB Iso's Melo

For DB Iso, Chris “Slam” Youn is a dynamic two-way threat, who led DB Iso with season averages of 17 ppg and 9.7 rpg. Equipped with a stocky frame and nifty footwork, Youn does ample damage by slicing hard to the rack, absorbing contact and finishing strong. Defensively, he will use his supple posterior to box out and grab any rebound in his immediate vicinity. DB Iso is also gifted with the presences of Moon Yun and Dan Kim. Moon Yun, like Youn, is a double-double machine that lives by the motto “Go Big or Go Home.” Needless to say, Yun hasn’t been home in years. Dan Kim is the fiery veteran leader of DB Iso whose passionate play and inspired half-time speeches have always willed DB Iso to victory. Kim also provides an outside threat and he has been known to waive off screens in favor of his ankle-breaking, “AI-like” crossovers. For DB Iso, it will be important for “SLAM” and Moon to establish themselves down low and let Dan Kim work the outside.

On the other side of the ball, Strong Island fields the league-leading scorer, David Ri, and pairs him with the deadly quick guard, Rich Tung, and the rebounding wunderkind, Raymond Lee. David Ri has adopted an aggressive, scoring mentality this season and he led Strong Island with 21.7 ppg. Growing up on a farm and being a cowhand at a young age, David Ri learned at an early age how to fill up the bucket. In a recent interview with TrueHoops.com, David related his scoring prowess to his time spent on his family’s ranch, “I’ve milked many a cow in my day, but when I wasn’t milking Betsy or Daisy, I would shoot hoops for hours on the peach basket attached to the barn. That’s where I perfected my signature form.” Accompanying David Ri, Rich Tung brings blazing speed to SI’s attack. After the first half of Rich Tung zipping back and forth, the gym often has to be aired out due to the overwhelming odor of burnt rubber. Expect more of the same in this match-up, as “Flash” Tung attempts his patented blow-by against veteran Dan Kim. In the middle for Strong Island is “Big Baby” aka “Dennis Raymond” aka “Lil’ Kevin Love” - Raymond Lee. Raymond has been a revelation this season, and Strong Island will need him to show up big in this one as he will be forced to shut down the inside presence of “SLAM” Youn. Ray led the league with 14 rpg this season and he’ll need to lead Strong Island’s rebounding efforts in this one.

Mr. True Grit (aka “Old Man” aka D Kim)

Prediction:

Whereas Game 1 will be a modern classic for each team’s dynamic offensive output, Game 2 will be an old-school classic with each team attempting to outlast the other through sheer grit and determination. Moon and Ray “Baby” Lee will battle inside, Kim and Tung will drive and dish and “SLAM” Youn and David Ri will try to prove who wants it more. As difficult as it is to pick against the hot hand of Ri and the “Round Mound of Rebound” Ray Lee, I think Youn’s grit and D Kim’s feisty leadership will lead DB Isonation to a slight victory

Final score: DB – 59 SI – 54



Written by Bryant "007" Picone
Overtime Editor-in-chief