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).