PCTI XII Game 3 - Sabin's Analysis

 Recap Game 3

Game 3 in the books.

Boxes win 61-43 and take a 2-1 series lead. Both teams really struggled to score the ball in the first 5 minutes of the game, but the Boxes began to get some traction when Dawson and Danny made a few shots. From there, the Boxes proceed to shoot a blistering 54% from the field while the Bullies shoot a paltry 28%. The Bullies flex their muscle on the offensive boards with 13 and it translates to 12 more shots than the Boxes. But the lid never came off the hoop for them. They score just 17 points in the second half. Meanwhile, the Boxes have 5 players score between 9 and 15 points. Dan and Juice hand out 7 assists each while Kyle and Spot finish at the rim. This must be what Juice had in mind when he drafted this team. Analysis incoming.

Analysis:

1) Simply put, this game came down to shooting. Boxes shoot 26-48 from the field for 54.2%, adding 6-18 from deep and 3-7 from the line. Bullies shoot 17-60 from the field for 28.3%, adding 5-19 from deep and 4-11 from the line. While it’s important to make 3s in this tournament, it’s more important to make layups. Boxes did while Bullies did not.

2) Bullies smash the Boxes on the offensive boards 13-3. This translated to 60 FGAs while the Boxes get just 48 attempts. They simply could not convert the extra chances. Abe flashed with 12 points and Biz added 11, but they could not sustain a rally.

3) Total team effort for the Boxes. Kyle scores 15 on 6-9 FGAs, while Dawson and Sabin combine for 23 points on 10-15 FGAs. Dan and Spot each contribute 9 points. For good measure, Dan grabs 10 boards and dishes 7 dimes. Juice adds 5 boards, 7 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. This is what Juice thought his team could and would be.

4) it should be noted that through 3 games, Kyle has not scored less than 15 points in any game, while TP has not recorded less than 9 boards in any game. Since we all know how hard it is to do this ONCE, these two heavyweights really stand out.

3 Stars of the Game:

1) Dan - This was the guy that was making plays when we got separation from the Bullies. 9 points on 4-6 FGAs and a triple. Adds 10 boards and 7 assists with 1 steal. Records huge Productivity score with 29. Led with energy and playmaking.

2) Kyle - 15 points and 9 boards, 3 offensive. 6-9 FGAs and 3-5 from the line. Adds 4 blocks. Huge Productivity score with 32. Continues to be the most productive and consistent player in PCTI history.

3) Dawson - 12 points on 5-6 FGAs with 2 triples. Continues to flex muscle as an elite shot maker. This was the game he got injured, but still made a few buckets after the injury.