Sunday, October 13, 2013

Max's All Stars win Fall Hoops Showdown 2013 Championship in Mount Vernon, NY

Max's All Stars won the Fall Hoops Showdown 2013 Championship yesterday with 3 dominating victories at Hooperstown in Mount Vernon. The first one came against the defending champions, Blue Team, by a final score of 66-32. Then, after a long 2.5+ hour break, the team was in the semifinals against the Red Team - winning 53-40 to clinch a spot in the championship game against the Black Team. After a 3-point shooting contest, the championship game finally took place and Max's All Stars went on to defeat the Black Team by a final score of 47-26 to take home the title and $1,500 cash prize! Angel Gonzalez, Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Doug Herring (who was named Most Valuable Player), Kevin Pegram, Patrick James, Rob Thomas and Shaun Diaz worked together and played hard to finish the day 3-0. Also, Coach Carl Gibson was instrumental being vocal with the players and referees. It was a total team effort and a great day for Max's All Stars!
Fall Hoops Showdown 2013 Champions
Also, thank you to everyone who came out to support Max's All Stars and show love - Shayla Diaz, Shahna-Lee James, Kevin Major, Kevin Young, Kevin Johnson, Janina Martinez, Rich Fields, Agela Mack, all the players friends, family, etc - it is greatly appreciated!

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Max's All Stars fall in Watson semifinals

Max's All Stars lost in the Watson Classic semifinals against Man Up Inc by a final score of 95-81. However, the game was much closer than the final score indicates. Max's All Stars were tied at 81 all with about 5 minutes remaining before they ran out of gas, allowing Man Up Inc to close the game out on a 14-0 run. Down by as many as 16 points in the first half, Max's All Stars did not quit. They kept fighting and clawing to keep their season alive, but it was not meant to be. A combination of fatigue and poor officiating deflated the team down the stretch and led to a difficult loss. Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Doug Herring, Kevin Pegram, Rob Thomas and Stefan Bonneau battled all game long, but could not hang on. Max's All Stars finish the summer with a 3-5 record at Watson (9-8 overall).
Thanks to Carl Gibson, Patrick James, John Simmons, Kevin Young, Kevin Johnson, Shayla Diaz, Samy Molina and Kevin Jones for coming out to support the team today as well. You guys make Max's All Stars special. Thank you guys for everything!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Max's All Stars advance to Watson semifinals

Max's All Stars advanced to the Watson Classic semifinals today with an incredible win against Sean Bell by the final score of 89-78. Missing many key players, Max's All Stars had to call upon last minute fill-in players - DeParis Banks, Shaun Diaz and Travis Wright - to go along with Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Doug Herring and Rob Thomas against one of the best teams in NYC. However, Max's All Stars were undaunted by the defending champions. Down by 11 points in the 2nd quarter, Max's All Stars battled back to tie the score at halftime, 41-41. Down by six points in the fourth quarter, Max's All Stars kept fighting, taking a double-digit lead late and never looking back to secure the huge victory! Shout out to Kevin Young and Carl Gibson for their help on the sidelines. Also, many thanks to our supporters - Shayla Diaz, Janina Martinez and Rich Fields. Thank you guys for coming out today and showing love!

Friday, August 16, 2013

Max's Lady All Stars win Summer 2013 Lightning in the Bronx Championship

Congratulations to the Max's All Stars Lady's Team - Chelsea Williams, Jalicia (JC) Connell, Janina Martinez, Jasmine Davis, Kenyatta (KiKi) Sears, Kia Wright (MVP), Rich Fields (Head Coach), Shahna-Lee James, Shayla Diaz (Captain), Talia Beaulieu - on winning the Summer 2013 Lightning in the Bronx Championship! The team clinched the #2 seed in the playoffs, finished with a 6-2 record and took home the title!
Summer 2013 Lightning in the Bronx Women's Basketball League Champions

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Max's All Stars eliminated at West 4th Street

Max's All Stars lost in the West 4th Street playoffs against Diamond by a final score of 109-99. The team got off to a slow start - struggling to score, turning the ball over and allowing too many easy layups. The officiating didn't help much either. Down by as many as 20 points at times, Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Dave Seagers, Doug Herring, Marvin Billups Jr, Patrick James and Rob Thomas battled through injuries and kept fighting. Unfortunately, it was too little too late and Max's All Stars were eliminated, finishing with a 6-3 record at West 4th.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Max's All Stars get 2nd win at Watson Classic

Max's All Stars finally got over the hump and finished off an important win at Watson Classic today against Man Up Inc by a final score of 88-84. Playing indoors at the rain site, it seems as though the change of venue helped reinvigorate the team. It was a back and forth battle all game long, but Max's All Stars stayed the course and kept fighting. Anthony Nieves, BJ Warrington, Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Doug Herring, Marvin Billups Jr, Rob Thomas and Stefan Bonneau all worked hard and contributed to the important victory.

Max's All Stars suffer another heartbreaking defeat at Watson Basketball Classic

Max's All Stars suffered another heartbreaking loss at Watson Classic, this time against G.T.M. by a final score of 85-84. The team got off to a good start, but struggled in the second quarter. With about 5:00 remaining in the fourth, it looked like Max's All Stars had control of the game after taking a five-point lead, but it was not meant to be. Anthony Nieves, BJ Warrington, Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Dave Seagers, Patrick James, Rob Thomas, Stefan Bonneau and Winston Graham all played hard, but fell short in the end. The loss drops Max's All Stars to 1-4 with one regular season game remaining.

Max's All Stars drop OT against Sean Bell at West 4th Street

Max's All Stars finally played the 3-minute overtime against Sean Bell at West 4th Street almost a month after regulation ended tied 94-94. Sean Bell won the OT 10-8 with seven of their points coming on FTs. The loss drops Max's All Stars to 6-2 with one regular season game remaining.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Max's All Stars drop third straight game at Watson

Max's All Stars suffered a devastating overtime loss against Team Scumbag Life at Watson Classic by a final score of 72-71. Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Doug Herring, Kevin Pegram, Marvin Billups Jr and Rob Thomas all played hard throughout the game, but Team Scumbag Life outworked and outplayed Max's All Stars. Sloppy defense, turnovers and lack of rebounding killed Max's All Stars, but despite that it was still a very close game. Down 67-64, Marvin Billups hit a clutch game-tying 3-pointer with 1.0 remaining in regulation to force overtime. It seemed as though the momentum was with Max's All Stars going into overtime, but it was not meant to be. The loss drops Max's All Stars to 1-3 at Watson with only two games remaining.

Max's All Stars finally finish off Pick & Roll, improve to 6-1 at West 4th

Max's All Stars improved to 6-1 at West 4th Street after completing their game against Pick & Roll. Picking up where they left off last Saturday in the first quarter with 2:15 remaining and up 19-16, Max's All Stars proceeded to build a big third quarter lead of 18 points. However, Max's All Stars would not make it easy for themselves - allowing Pick & Roll to come back, tie the game and eventually take the lead late in the fourth. It wasn't pretty, but Branden Gibson, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Dave Seagers, Kiwan Smith, Patrick James, Rob Thomas, Sebastian Pessoa and Winston Graham all kept fighting and won the game by a final score of 99-95.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Meet Max's Lady All Stars

Max's Lady All Stars are competing in the Summer 2013 Lightning in the Bronx Women's Basketball League. Led by captain, Shayla Diaz and head coach, Rich Fields - the team is off to a 2-1 start. After a rough first game, Max's Lady All Stars won two games last week with an average margin of victory of 25 points! Here is a team photo after one of their victories last week. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the summer!

Friday, July 19, 2013

Max's All Stars improve to 5-1 at West 4th

Max's All Stars improved to 5-1 at West 4th Street with a sloppy 96-92 win over Money, Inc. It was a back and forth affair with neither team taking a lead of more than nine points. Despite struggling at times and poor officiating, Max's All Stars managed to perform well in the 3rd quarter before Money, Inc. tied it in the 4th. Up 93-92 inside the final minute, Rob Thomas put the game away with three clutch FTs. Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Dave Seagers, Doug Herring, Kiwan Smith, Patrick James, Rob Thomas, Troy Whittington and Winston Graham all played hard and contributed to the big win.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Max's All Stars drop to 1-2 at Watson

This past Sunday, Max's All Stars lost in the Watson Classic against M.O.E. by a final score of 73-70. Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Dave Seagers, Marvin Billups Jr, Patrick James, Rob Thomas and Winston Graham all played hard, but midway through the 3rd quarter things started to fall apart. The team struggled to score and rebound late in the game as M.O.E. rallied for the win. The loss drops Max's All Stars record to 1-2.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Rain hampers Max's All Stars at West 4th

Max's All Stars got off to a good start against Pick & Roll at West 4th Street today, going up 13-5 before the first rain delay midway through the first quarter. After a brief delay, the game started up again, but the rain started coming down and the game was called with 2:15 remaining in the first quarter and Max's All Stars leading, 19-16. Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Dave Seagers, Kiwan Smith, Rob Thomas started the game and played well. Patrick James and Winston Graham did not have an opportunity to get into the game. The remainder of the game will be rescheduled, but it is still to be determined when.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Max's All Stars fall to 1-1 at Watson

Max's All Stars dropped a tough one yesterday at Watson Classic, losing to Sean Bell All Stars by a final score of 69-62. Max's All Stars got off to a sluggish start in the oppressive heat, going down by 16 at halftime. It was a sloppy game marred by turnovers, lack of rebounding and poor defensive effort at times. However, Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Dave Seagers, Doug Herring, Patrick James, Rob Thomas and Stefan Bonneau kept fighting and battled back to narrow the deficit to just three points late in the fourth quarter - but it wasn't enough. Max's All Stars record now stands at 1-1.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Max's All Stars win Watson debut

Max's All Stars won their debut at Watson Classic against Team O.T.R. by a final score of 69-63. Early on, Kevin Briggs was blocking shot after shot as Max's All Stars raced out to an 8-0 start. The team played their best defensive game of the summer (so far). Anthony Nieves, Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Doug Herring, Kevin Briggs, Kevin Pegram and Stefan Bonneau all played hard. Everyone worked together and contributed to help Max's All Stars secure the victory.

Max's All Stars play to a tie at West 4th

Max's All Stars played to a tie at West 4th Street against the defending champions, Sean Bell All Stars. The final score was 94-94. It was a back and forth battle the whole game. Max's All Stars led by 10 points in the fourth quarter, but Sean Bell came back to force overtime. The officiating was horrendous - they assessed three very questionable technical fouls to Max's All Stars, one to Dave Seagers and two to Darryl "Truck" Bryant (who was ejected). Towards the very end of the fourth quarter, rain drops started coming down and when regulation ended it got a little stronger - causing the court to get slippery. Thus, the overtime period was postponed and the game ended in a tie (for now). Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Dave Seagers, Doug Herring, Kiwan Smith, Michael Anderson, Patrick James, Reed Morgan, Rob Thomas and Troy Whittington all played hard throughout the game. Max's All Stars record now stands at 4-1-1.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Max's All Stars improve to 4-1 at West 4th

Max's All Stars returned to West 4th Street for the second straight day, defeating the previously unbeaten NJ Blazers by a final score of 101-95. Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Kevin Johnson and Patrick James held it down in the first quarter - keeping the team in the game until Kiwan Smith, Marvin Billups Jr and Rob Thomas showed up. It was a back and forth battle until the third quarter when NJ Blazers built a 13-point lead and frustration started to set in for Max's All Stars. However, the boys turned it up in the fourth quarter (as usual), coming back and outscoring their opponent 32-13 in the final 10 minutes. Everyone worked together and contributed to help Max's All Stars secure the victory and improve to 4-1.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Max's All Stars bounce back at West 4th

Max's All Stars bounced back at West 4th Street with a 115-112 win over X-Men. After back and forth start in the first quarter, Max's All Stars built an 8-10 point lead towards halftime. In the second half, the lead went up to as many as 16 points midway through the 4th quarter - but X-Men would not go quietly, rallying to within one point late in the game. Max's All Stars held on and prevailed thanks to the efforts of Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Dave Seagers, Doug Herring, Kiwan Smith and Rob Thomas. The Wonder Twins were dominant, as Kiwan dropped 14 points with 12 assists and 26 rebounds while Rob was unstoppable with 40 points and 12 rebounds. Everyone worked together and contributed to help Max's All Stars secure the victory and improve to 3-1.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Max's All Stars let one slip away at West 4th

Max's All Stars let one slip away today at West 4th Street against Team Gabriel by a final score of 111-103. Up by 12 midway through the first half, the team struggled down the stretch. Poor defense and too many turnovers led to Max's All Stars going down by nine points late in the game (the officiating did not help either). Despite that, the boys made a comeback bid - narrowing the deficit to just two points inside the final minute, but everything fell apart after that and Max's All Stars lost. Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Craig Davis, Doug Herring, Patrick James, Prince Jackson, Rob Thomas and Troy Whittington all tried there best, but could not get it done today. Max's All Stars record now stands at 2-1.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Max's All Stars improve to 2-0 at West Fourth

Max's All Stars improved to 2-0 at Kenny Graham's West Fourth Street with a 95-77 win over Green Dream. Patrick James and Derrick Stanton held things down with three random fill-in players for the first few minutes of the first quarter before Kiwan Smith and Rob Thomas came through. At halftime, Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Doug Herring, Troy Whittington showed up and Max's All Stars overcame a seven-point deficit, building a 20-point lead and never looking back. During the last couple of possessions, PJ started throwing lobs to Troy who threw down a ferocious dunk and soon after, the game was called with about 1:00 remaining as Max's All Stars secured the big win!

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Max's All Stars 13-game winning streak comes to an end in Harlem4Life Championship Game

Max's All Stars lost the Harlem4Life Championship Game against KYDA by a final score of 72-66. The team was shorthanded as only 6 players suited up - Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Dave Seagers, Kiwan Smith, Patrick James and Rob Thomas all played hard in this game and throughout the season. Also, shout out to Aaron "Problem" Williams, Anthony "Africa" Pimble and Marvin Billups Jr who couldn't make it, but helped get Max's All Stars to the final game. There were definitely some miscues and missed opportunities for Max's All Stars in the game, but they were right there down the stretch. Unfortunately, the referees made some very questionable calls and missed a crucial intentional foul late in the game. Down six points, but rallying, Dave Seagers stole the ball from a KYDA player. Seagers was then blatantly fouled as the KYDA player grabbed his jersey causing him to fall and lose control of the ball, but the referee (who was right in front of the play) did not blow the whistle and play continued. KYDA regained possession, one of their players immediately drew a foul, went to the line and sank two free throws. Thus, this was easily a four or five-point swing - but c'est la vie! This is a valuable learning experience and motivation for the summer. Harlem4Life provided Max's All Stars with the necessary exposure and experience for Summer 2013. On to the next one.
With the loss, Max's All Stars 13-game overall winning streak comes to an end and they finish the Spring 2013 Harlem4Life League with a 7-2 record.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Max's All Stars win West 4th Street debut

Max's All Stars weren't done after winning the Showcase NYC Spring Showdown Championship on Saturday, June 1st. Immediately afterwards, the boys went over to West 4th Street and opened the Summer 2013 campaign with a 100-89 win over Stony Brooklyn. Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Dave Seagers, Derrick Stanton, Kiwan Smith and Patrick James contributed as much as they could in short spurts, but they were tired and cramped up after winning three straight games earlier in the day. Luckily, some fresh bodies came through - Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Kevin Pegram, Michael Anderson, Rob Thomas and Shaun Diaz - and they performed well, leading Max's All Stars to victory, overcoming a 12-point second half deficit and winning by eleven. It was a great day for the team that was capped off with a very important win.

Max's All Stars win Showcase NYC Spring Showdown Championship, finish 5-0

Max's All Stars won the Showcase NYC Spring Showdown 2013 Championship, finishing with a perfect 5-0 record! After winning the first two games on May 18th, Max's All Stars returned to Hamilton Fish Park on June 1st to finish things off and take the trophy! In the first game, they beat Dyckman by a final score of 62-55. Then in the semifinals they beat La Familia by a final score of 72-62 to advance to the championship game where they defeated Ballers Elite (again), this time by the score of 58-52, to win the title. Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Craig Davis, Dave Seagers (Tournament MVP), Derrick Stanton, Kiwan Smith (who missed the first two games, but showed up just in time for the chip), Mike Viola and Patrick James all contributed and did a great job, earning the $1000 cash prize!
Also, shout out to Carl Gibson and Kevin Young for coming out to support the team and take part in this championship!

Max's All Stars advance to Harlem4Life Championship Game

Max's All Stars advanced to the Spring 2013 Harlem4Life championship game with a 68-57 semifinal win over the house team. In the first half, Max's All Stars did not look good at all, falling behind by 13 points early. However, they responded with a 14-2 run to cut the deficit to a single point at halftime. In the second half, Max's All Stars again fell behind - this time by seven points, but they rallied one more time and took the lead for good. Anthony "Africa" Pimble, Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Dave Seagers, Kiwan Smith, Marvin Billups Jr, Patrick James and Rob Thomas all contributed to the win.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Max's All Stars advance in Harlem4Life playoffs

Max's All Stars advanced to the Spring 2013 Harlem4Life semifinals with a 70-69 first round playoff win over Fear No One. The score is closer than the actual game was. Max's All Stars went on a little run towards the end of the first half, leading by as much as 11. In the second half, Fear No One chipped away and tied the game midway through, but they never led as Max's All Stars turned it up and took the lead for good. In the final minute and a half, Max's All Stars led by six points, but got sloppy - allowing Fear No One to narrow the margin down to a single point, but it was too late for them. Max's All Stars prevailed thanks to the efforts of Anthony "Africa" Pimble, Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Dave Seagers, Kiwan Smith, Marvin Billups Jr, Patrick James and Rob Thomas. Everyone contributed in all phases of the game to secure the crucial playoff win.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Max's All Stars finish Harlem4Life regular season with 5-1 record

Max's All Stars improved to 5-1 in the Spring 2013 Harlem4Life League with a forfeit win over Team Flight. This concludes the regular season; playoffs start next week.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Max's All Stars win first two games of Showcase NYC Spring Showdown 2013

Max's All Stars opened the Showcase NYC Spring Showdown 2013 with two wins yesterday before it started to rain and the rest of the tournament was postponed.
In the first game, Max's All Stars defeated Young Humble Talented by a final score of 69-64. In the second game, Max's All Stars defeated Ballers Elite by a final score of 57-55. Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Craig Davis, Dave Seagers, Kiwan Smith, Mike Viola, Patrick James and Rob Thomas (who was an absolute monster in the paint all day and scored underneath the basket with 0:03 left to secure the win in the second game) all played hard throughout the day to help Max's All Stars get off to a good start in the tournament. The tournament is expected to resume on Saturday, June 1st.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Max's All Stars get 4th straight win in Harlem4Life

Max's All Stars improved to 4-1 in the Spring 2013 Harlem4Life League with a relatively easy 68-61 win over L.E.S. The team led throughout the game, going up by 12 points at halftime. In the second half, L.E.S came out hot and cut the lead to two points, but Max's All Stars turned it up and closed things out. It was sloppy at times as Max's All Stars tried to show off their flashy athletic abilities, but the outcome was never in doubt. When the game is on the line, these guys have stepped up all season (so far) and did so again last night. Anthony Africa Pimble, Corey Orgias, Dave Seagers, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Kiwan Smith, Marvin Billups Jr, Patrick James and Rob Thomas all played hard to secure the win.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Max's All Stars improve to 3-1 in Harlem4Life

Max's All Stars won their third straight game in the Spring 2013 Harlem4Life League, defeating the house team by a final score of 85-82. Corey Orgias opened the scoring with a 3-pointer for the second consecutive week, getting Max's All Stars off to a hot start and allowing the team to play their best basketball in the first half. Up by 8 points as the first half wound down, Dave Seagers hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer right before halftime to give Max's All Stars a 41-30 lead. In the first half, Max's All Stars stayed aggressive defensively and forced turnovers that led to transition opportunities. However, in the second half the team took their foot off the gas pedal and just like that, the game was tied - turning into another seesaw affair. Fortunately, Max's All Stars stayed focused and closed the game out. Tied at 82 in the final 30 seconds, Darryl "Truck" Bryant scored on a layup, drew a foul and hit a free-throw to provide the winning margin. Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Dave King Seagers, Kevin Loiselle, Kiwan Smith, Marvin Billups Jr and Patrick James all played hard, showing physical and mental toughness to secure the important victory.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Max's All Stars make it two in a row in Harlem4Life

Max's All Stars won their second game in a row in the Spring 2013 Harlem4Life League by a final score of 75-72 over Fear No One. The team got off to a hot start with an 8-0 run to open things up (courtesy of Corey Orgias), but Fear No One (led by Anthony Gill) battled back and turned the game into a seesaw battle. In the second half, Fear No One made it rain 3s and took a seven-point lead that forced Max's All Stars to call timeout - allowing them to regroup, turn it up and finish things off. Aaron "Problem" Williams, Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Kiwan Smith, Marvin Billups Jr, Patrick James, Reed Morgan and Troy Marcus all played hard throughout the game, leading to an important victory for Max's All Stars.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Max's All Stars improve to 1-1 in Harlem4Life

Max's All Stars improved to 1-1 in the Spring 2013 Harlem4Life League with a hard fought 82-79 win against KYDA. Aaron "Problem" Williams, Corey Orgias, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Kiwan Smith, Marvin Billups Jr, Patrick James and Ronnie Worthen Jr all played hard - overcoming a 15-point deficit in the second half to comeback, take the lead and hold on late. After going into halftime down 45-33, Max's All Stars dominated the second half 49-34. It was a total team effort. The ball movement was solid and the defense tightened up in the second half - forcing turnovers and leading to opportunities in transition. After a slow start, Max's All Stars finally came alive and played one of their best games of the year (to this point).

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Max's All Stars lose Spring 2013 Harlem4Life season opener

Max's All Stars lost their Spring 2013 Harlem4Life season opener against the defending champions, Harlem Ballers, by a final score of 55-53. Aaron "Problem" Williams, Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Dave Seagers, Kevin Briggs, Kiwan Smith, Marvin Billups Jr and Patrick James all played hard throughout the game, maintaining a five-point lead in the final minute. However, horrible officiating all game long made it hard for Max's All Stars to finish things off and secure the W. Bad calls, missed calls, just awful refereeing contributed to the loss. It's a tough way to start the season, but a valuable learning experience moving forward. Max's All Stars will look to turn the page with two games next week on Wednesday, May 1st and Friday, May 3rd.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Max's All Stars fall short in Riverside Classic semis

Max's All Stars fell short in the Winter 2013 Riverside Classic Unlimited League semifinals, losing to Team Flipstar by a final score of 49-37. It was an ugly game from start to finish, lots of turnovers, missed opportunities - just downright sloppy basketball. In the early going, Max's All Stars matched Team Flipstar basket for basket, but then things stalled offensively and the deficit went to as many as 11 in the first half. By halftime, Max's All Stars narrowed it down to single digits, but in the second half Team Flipstar again kept pushing the lead up to around 10-12 points. But Max's All Stars would not go gently into that good night, tying the game on a huge Anthony Gill 3-pointer with less than 5 minutes to play. Unfortunately, Team Flipstar went on a 13-1 run to close the game out and advance to the championship. Dave Seagers played a great game, hitting two big 3-pointers during the second half comeback attempt. Patrick James was terrific also, playing aggressive defense while pushing the pace, getting out in transition and drawing fouls. Branden Gibson, Mike Orock and Troy Marcus also played hard. Marvin Jr Billups showed up late in the second half and tried to save the day, but it was not meant to be.
Despite the loss, Max's All Stars have a lot to be proud of. After struggling in the regular season this team came together, won two playoff games and advanced to the Final Four despite a constantly evolving roster. Every game someone new would step up and play well. It is a true testament to the character of each man who represented Max's All Stars.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Max's All Stars knock off #1 seed, advance to Riverside Classic semifinals

Max's All Stars advance to the Winter 2013 Riverside Classic Unlimited League semifinals by knocking off the #1 seed, Cru Thik, in the quarters by a final score of 68-58. Anthony Gill led the scoring again with 23 points. Dave Seagers hit a number of clutch shots and FTs, finishing with 19. Marvin Billups Jr played great, chipping in 15 of his own. Patrick James continued to dominate defensively and scored 2 points while Troy Marcus (7 points) controlled the boards. Despite being shorthanded, Max's All Stars played hard and kept the intensity up from start to finish. Leading by 10 points at halftime, Max's All Stars let Cru Thik back into the game when they went on an 11-0 run to take a one point lead. But Max's All Stars responded and finished things off. It was a total team effort that led to a big win for Max's All Stars!

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Max's All Stars reach 14th Annual Full Court Charity Challenge Corporate Division Semifinals

On the weekend of March 16th, Max's All Stars traveled to Boston and competed in the 14th Annual Full Court Charity Challenge, reaching the Corporate Division semifinals and finishing with a 4-1 record. The team won their pool easily with three double-digit wins against Cross Insurance (46-36), Summit Partners (45-35) and Ernst & Young (33-11). In the quarterfinals, Max's All Stars had to fight for a win against Instinet. Down three points in the final minute, Derrick Stanton hit a clutch game-tying trey to send the game to overtime, but that wasn't enough and a second OT was needed. Due to time constraints, the second overtime was sudden death and Dave Seagers won the game by forcing a turnover and taking it in for the winning bucket. Final score: 42-40. In the semifinals, Max's All Stars fell against the defending Corporate Division champions, Shire (who featured two members of the Villanova Wildcats 2009 Final Four team - Frank Tchuisi and Shane Clark) by a final score of 33-19. Despite falling short of the championship, Beijon Séduisant Warrington, Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Super Dave, Derrick, Patrick James, Reed Morgan and Troy Whittington all played hard and represented Max's All Stars well, continuing a tradition started by Hofstra Club Basketball in 2009. They deserve a lot of credit for their efforts.
It should be noted that all funds went to the Nashoba Learning Group and The Lurie Center for Autism, charitable organizations which provide education, therapy and other services to individuals afflicted with autism. Max's All Stars is proud to contribute in some way to such an important cause.
Also, shout out to Kevin Young and Kevin Johnson for making the trip and supporting the team!

Monday, March 11, 2013

Max's All Stars win Riverside Classic first round playoff game, advance to the quarterfinals

Max's All Stars advance to the Winter 2013 Riverside Classic Unlimited League quarterfinals with a first round playoff win against Hells Bells by a final score of 77-61. Despite being shorthanded, Max's All Stars kept the intensity up all game long - leading from start to finish. Anthony Gill put in a monster effort - scoring 37 points! He was all over the place, doing the little things and scoring at will. Dave Seagers played hard and was the second leading scorer with 15 points. Patrick James matched his jersey number with 6 points while playing suffocating defense. Troy Whittington showed up midway through the first half and chipped in 11 points. Corey Orgias (5 points) and Mike Orock (3 points) contributed as well, controlling the boards and dominating defensively. It was total team effort that led to a big win for Max's All Stars!

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Max's All Stars drop to 2-3 in Riverside Classic

Max's All Stars fell to 2-3 in the Winter 2013 Riverside Classic Unlimited League, losing to Cru Thik by a final score of 50-40. Down by 10 points at halftime, Max's All Stars battled back and cut the deficit to 2 points midway through the second half. Unfortunately, despite playing better in the second half, Max's All Stars dug themselves too deep a hole in the first half and could not complete the comeback. Turnovers, missed free throws and struggles on defense contributed to the loss. Anthony Gill, Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Marvin Jr Billups and Patrick James were joined by two fill-ins, Troy Marcus and his cousin, Jerome Alexander (shoutout to Kevin Young for recruiting Marcus and supporting the team) - they all battled hard, but fell short in the end. The loss drops Max's All Stars record to 2-3 with the playoffs starting next week.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Max's All Stars improve to 2-2 in Riverside Classic

Max's All Stars improve to 2-2 in the Winter 2013 Riverside Classic Unlimited League with a forfeit win over Team Flipstar. One more regular season game remains next week before the playoffs begin.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Max's All Stars fall to 1-2 in the Riverside Classic

Max's All Stars lost last night in the Winter 2013 Riverside Classic Unlimited League against Da Brotherhood by the final score of 43-40. It was a sloppy game all around. Max's All Stars struggled in all phases. Offensively, the ball movement and shot selection was poor. Despite holding the opposition to just 43 points, Max's All Stars made too many defensive miscues. Despite having a lot of talent on the court last night - Anthony Gill, Alexus "Flex" Foyle, Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Mike Orock, Patrick James and Troy Whittington - the guys are still adjusting and learning to play together. The loss drops Max's All Stars to 1-2 on the season.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

The Story of Max's All Stars

This is the story of Max's All Stars (so far).

Max's All Stars began playing at the Hofstra University Recreation Center in Fall 2006 under the name of Max's Auerbachers (in honor of the late, great Arnold "Red" Auerbach) and evolved to become Hofstra Club Basketball in 2008. Now known as Max's All Stars, the team plays in various competitive New York City adult basketball leagues all year round. Max Margulis is the founder, head coach and general manager of his All Stars.

Watch how this team has made the transition from intramural basketball to an organized traveling club to a competitive streetball squad - establishing themselves as championship contenders on each and every level. Max's All Stars is on the verge of becoming a brand name, having earned respect among the NYC basketball community.

Special thanks to the 92Y Adult Basketball League for providing most of the game footage.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gPE05bZmfo&feature=youtu.be

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Max's All Stars fall to 1-1 at Riverside Classic

Max's All Stars fell to 1-1 in the Winter 2013 Riverside Classic Unlimited League, losing to Ooh Way by a final score of 79-70. Adrian Walton, Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, David Seagers, Giovanni Mclean, Patrick James, Troy Whittington and Tyshawn Valentine all played hard, but struggled at times - especially on defense. Offensively, Max's All Stars turned the ball over too much and missed a couple of opportunities. However, there is still a lot of good to build on going forward.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Max's All Stars win first game at Riverside Classic

Max's All Stars won their Winter 2013 Riverside Classic Unlimited League debut last night against Hells Bells by a final score of 55-45. Returning stars - Branden Gibson, Corey Orgias, Dave Seagers and Patrick James - were joined by well known NYC streetballers Adrian Walton (a.k.a. "A-Butta"), Giovanni Mclean (a.k.a. "Batteries Not Included") and Tyshawn Valentine (a.k.a. "Body Wine"). Also, Troy Whittington finally returned to Max's All Stars, playing his first game since Summer 2011. The team played well for the most part, leading by as many as 25 points while going through the motions, adjusting and getting familiar with each other. It was a good team effort and a solid win!