Recap: Week 11

Inter-Conference Games
5-4, Sour Snails vs Human Amoebas
5-4, Rhythm Drive vs Funk Coalition
5-4, Squirtle Squad vs Chunky Monkeys
5-4, Fat Jubas vs MoRRie's Pogiboys
8-1, Poobic Heirs vs Buffy
7-2, Pooh Bears vs Phanatics

Conference Games
none
(statistics)

5-4, Sour Snails vs Human Amoebas
This is NOT a misprint, the Snails have won! Cue the party music, reserve the championship banner, get that parade started. It might have taken eleven weeks to reach their first win but the Snails did it in high style by knocking off a top team -- with four less games played no less, and Wally World in the lineup but injured. Everyone on the Snails roster rattled in at least three 3PT en route to 44 3PT on the week, and Steve Nash dropped 13.3 dimes per game in order to almost single-handedly win AST. Goooaaallllll!

In the duel of Canada versus Germany, Dirk Nowitski put up the gaudy all-around numbers (32.5 PTS, 8.5 REB, 1.5 3PT, 53.8 FG%) but in the end, it was the weak shooting of Marvin Williams (27.8 FG%) that did the Amoeba Goliath in. Zach Randolph's 1-12 shooting day on Sunday probably didn't help either, as he shot an uncustomarily poor 40.9% for the week.

5-4, Fat Jubas vs MoRRie's Pogiboys
We seem to say this every week but the Pogiboys are getting closer. This week, they lost by 5 REB; in past weeks, they've lost by close margins in other categories. Taking out a full strength Jubas team (well, Zaza went down) would have been a nice feather in MoRRie's cap. In the end, despite a poor shooting week, Al Jefferson managed to snag 13.7 REB in each of three games to power the Jubas to a win.

The Pogiboys were working short handed too, with team leader Chauncey Billups on the bench -- but in the lineup. His likely replacement, Channing Frye, would have gotten that REB win. That's how close it is each week. One decision can make or break you. Mount Mutombo did his damnest (15.75 REB, 2.5 BLK) to push the Pogiboys over the hill, but alas, it wasn't quite enough.

5-4, Squirtle Squad vs Chunky Monkeys
The Monkeys are hurting, or rather, the menagerie that is the Monkeys is hurting; Fellow Bucks Mo Williams and Charlie Villanueva are down, as is Hawk Josh Smith. Raptor Jorge Garbajosa might as well be extinct for the way he played (4.5 PTS, 2 REB). Only Bobcat Emeka Okafor managed to put up a career high 10 BLK in one game, but that all of that wasn't nearly enough to douse the fiery shooting of Squirtle Squad.

After a few weeks of off-kilter shooting, Ray Allen is en fuego again (36 PTS, 4.7 3PT) -- with a 54 point game on Friday night. Allen also had the support of Carlos Boozer (30 PTS, 11 REB, 2 STL avg) and as always, the Big Ticket, Kevin Garnett. There's some underperforming players at the end of this lineup -- David Lee and Damien Wilkins -- but who cares? The turtles are number one! Cowabunga!

And yes, I know the picture does not depict a Squirtle, it's a Wartortle, the evolved version. Next evolution is Blastoise, duh.

5-4, Rhythm Drive vs Funk Coalition
Reno's team takes over the mantle of the league's hottest team by edging out Jon in the waning moments of the week. With his win, Reno moves up to second place in the East; strangely, with his loss, Jon moves up to second place in the West. On Sunday, the game came down to Chris Bosh versus TJ Ford for PTS and TO. Bosh upchucked 6 TO but also scored 24 PTS, allowing Rhythm Drive to win PTS by 9.

Neither team had a great week but with Mike Miller's continued hot shooting (20 PTS, 2 3PT), Rhythm Drive had enough to knock off an inter-conference foe and establish themselves as a team to beat. The Funk probably shouldn't get too comfortable atop the standings, as Michael Redd is slated to miss 4-6 weeks.

8-1, Poobic Heirs vs Buffy
Ouch. Buffy is usually on the "kick" part of the "kick ass" equation; this week they were the "ass." What're you going to do though when you're the team hardest hit by injuries? The news gets worse for Buffy as breakout player Tony Allen tears an ACL going for a dunk. The return of JR Smith will hardly alleviate that pain. Also, everyone is wondering: what's up with Joe Johnson? What happened to the triple-double threat of earlier in the season? Oh well, at least the boy can still shoot -- (19 PTS, 3 REB/AST, 2.3 3PT).

The Heirs had an outstanding week with contributions from nearly everyone on the roster and it's hard to pinpoint anyone who had a spectacular week in such blow out. Oh wait, there's been a Samuel Dalembert sighting! Big Sam shot amazing, rebounded well, and swatted shots with aplomb (15 PTS, 12 REB, 3.5 BLK, 55.6 FG%, 83.3 FT%). If Sam keeps getting almost forty minutes a night, he might be able to keep up those numbers -- keep in mind though, Dalembert's done this before and faded fast.

7-2, Pooh Bears vs Phanatics
Making his own case for the team hardest hit by injuries, the Phanatics were on the receiving end of a beat down themselves. Paul Pierce and Lamar Odom are still not showing any signs of returning (although David West is practicing) and even worse, the rest of the team isn't picking up the slack. The only bright spot here? Mighty Earl Watson (36 AST over three games), but his minutes have reduced Phanatic teammate Luke Ridnour's effectiveness (7.7 PTS, 1.3 AST). It's a time share, and not a good one for the Phanatics. Hang on tight Ping, the cavalry's coming...eventually.

For the Pooh Bears, it's the Ruben Patterson show! With averages of 19.7 PTS, 6.3 REB, and 4.7 AST, Ruben is taking over as the number one everything for the injury ravaged Bucks. Actually, to be honest, it's the Ben Gordon show. Little Ben averaged 24 PTS and 4 3PT on 56.4 FG% this week and with numbers like that, he's proving to be the new-age Microwave. And he doesn't just shoot either with 3.5 REB/AST; fine, he mainly just shoots but man is he good at it.