Friday, October 27, 2017

Max's All Stars win Fall 2017 East Harlem Hoops championship

Last night, Max's All Stars won the Fall 2017 East Harlem Hoops championship defeating the Orange Team by a final score of 63-62. This game was a dogfight. In the first half, Max's All Stars got off to a good start and led by as many as 10 points. However, the Orange Team fought back and led by two at halftime. The second half was a back and forth affair. Late in the second half, Max's All Stars led by five points. The Orange Team came back to tie and the final minute was pure insanity! Both teams hit big shots down the stretch and there were a few lead changes that led to a dramatic ending. Max's All Stars took possession of the ball with 12.5 seconds left down by two points. Spencer Smith drove to the basket and kicked it out to James Wang who knocked down a HUGE three-pointer that gave Max's All Stars the lead for good with 1.5 seconds remaining. It was executed to perfection - just like we drew it up! The Orange Team heaved a long desperation three, but it was nowhere near the mark and Max's All Stars prevailed! James Wang, John Simmons, Kaheem Davis, Nikola Djurdjevic, Patrick James, Spencer Smith and Troy Whittington all worked together and played hard to earn the W. James was on fire the past few weeks hitting a number of clutch shots. He's been absolute money. John made his presence felt all season, especially last night when he matched up against the bigs on the Orange Team. He also knocked down a major three along with a few important FTs. Kaheem was a tremendous addition down the stretch with his ability to attack the basket and also hit shots from the outside. Niko made some key contributions defensively and pulled down quite a few important boards as well. PJ did his thing defensively as always. He's the glue that keeps our team together. Spencer was incredible all season long. He did everything for us offensively - passing the ball, hitting big shots, attacking the basket with ease - and he dominated defensively as well. Troy was a monster - killing opponents with his offensive skill set in the paint and his perfectly timed shot blocking ability. It was an all-around complete team effort. Everyone stepped up and played a major role in winning this championship. Max's All Stars also got contributions this season from Branden Gibson, Damion Staple, David Seagers, Herman Billups, Jon Veloz, Kevin Major, Kevin Young, Marvin Billups Jr and TJ Curry. Thank you to all the players who took part in this incredible run! Max's All Stars won our twelfth championship in team history and finished this season with a 6-1 record.
Max's All Stars - Fall 2017 East Harlem Hoops Champions
James Wang, John Simmons, Kaheem Davis, Nikola Djurdjevic, Patrick James, Spencer Smith and Troy Whittington

Friday, October 20, 2017

Max's All Stars improve to 5-1 at East Harlem Hoops; advance to championship game

Last night, Max's All Stars won at East Harlem Hoops in the semifinals vs the Beige Team by a final score of 75-56. It was a bit of a back and forth affair in the first half. Max's All Stars would lead by 5 or 6 points, but the Beige Team would answer. At halftime, Max's All Stars only led by a single point (37-36). Early in the second half, it was much of the same but midway through Max's All Stars was able to put build some separation and cruise to victory. We outscored the Beige Team 38-20 in the second half. Our defensive intensity forced turnovers and created opportunities in transition. Also, our shooters were on fire last night - especially in the second half. James Wang, John Simmons, Kaheem Davis, Patrick James, Spencer Smith and Troy Whittington all worked together and played hard to earn the W and advance to the championship game.

Friday, October 6, 2017

Max's All Stars improve to 4-1 at East Harlem Hoops

Last night, Max's All Stars won at East Harlem Hoops vs the Beige Team by a final score of 62-55. Early in the first half, Max's All Stars got off to a bit of a slow start - but that did not last long as we eventually built a double-digit lead going into halftime. However, the Beige Team would not go away - cutting their deficit down to a single point, but they could not take the lead back from Max's All Stars. Our team kept fighting and answered with many clutch buckets of our own to emerge victorious. James Wang, John Simmons, Kaheem Davis, Nikola Djurdjevic, Patrick James and Spencer Smith all worked together and played hard to earn the W.