2016 FBA Season/16.01.07/HWI@TXS/Capsule
The Hawaii Kahunas came to Austin to start a four-game road trip, riding a tidal wave of a 13-and-1 record, led by the efforts of Scoonie Barrett (Otter, F/C). The home team Texas Lone Stars meanwhile continued to struggle with a less-than-stellar 4-and-10 showing under the captainship of Marcus Knight (River Otter, G).
It’s otter versus otter! Rat versus rabbit! French dog versus imitation French dog! Former Texas franchise versus current Texas franchise! As if to drive that last point home, on this throwback night the Kahunas wore the jerseys of their former identity as the Galveston Sand Dollars, while the Lone Stars bore the livery of the old Kansas City Clefs.
The lutrine showdown started right off the opening tip with a layup by Knight, and was just as quickly answered by a near-identical shot from Barrett. This tit-for-tat continued throughout nearly the entire game. Despite sharing a genus, and both entering the league in 2013, the two otters could hardly be more different. One was drafted 7th overall, the other was not drafted at all. One is an orphaned former gangbanger, the other is the half-Vietnamese son of an Army veteran. One just purchased a sprawling mansion bachelor pad, the other is happily married with a pair of young twin pups. One is scarred, the other is heavily tattooed… And those pairings probably don’t line up the way you’d think. The one commonality they share is that they are both fan favorites in their respective home arenas – that, and the absolutely adorable plushies available in team shops. Wow, those are cute.
Commentators have made no effort to hide their skepticism at Texas awarding the Lone Stars captainship to Knight, but on Thursday the Chicago-born transplant truly looked like he deserved the honor. Knight sunk shot after shot, allowing the Texas team to jump to an early lead over the visitors. The otter may have stolen the show, but the supporting cast couldn’t be ignored either. Rookie François Martineau (Golden Retriever, G) put up an impressive 14 points, and sophomore Ahti Nereus (White Sturgeon, C) hauled in 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, in the first 36 minutes the Kahunas looked sluggish in comparison, possibly jetlagged after their long flight. By the end of the third quarter, the Lone Stars had a stunning 8-point lead.
Things truly became interesting in the fourth quarter. The Kahunas erupted for a volcanic 30 points in the quarter. Barrett appeared to have renewed strength, as did Teo Masalia (Black Panther, G) and Zack Tate (Zorilla, C), as the game’s momentum swung at last to their favor. Former number one draft pick Aurora Goldshine (Yellow Cobra, G), despite coming off the bench, put up a cosmic 14 points – one better than her piscine boyfriend, Texas’s starting center Nereus – including a last minute two that tied the game at an even 100 apiece. Knight missed a last ditch half-court heave as the buzzer sounded, failing to prevent the overtime, but no one in the stands seemed to mind much. After all, who doesn’t love getting more basketball than you paid for?
A significant blemish on the night also occurred in the fourth quarter, when five-time all-star and longtime face of the league Mitchell Redding (Rabbit, G) had to be helped off the court with a knee injury. Trainers later revealed the rabbit may miss up to a month while he recovers. The lack of uproar over this pronouncement only serves to illustrate how far the league’s once-greatest star has faded. Even before the injury, there have been calls from commentators that it is high time for Redding to consider retirement.
With Redding out, longtime journeyfur guard Stripes Quinn (Tiger, G) stepped up to the front lines in overtime. After five teams in his first five seasons, the tiger seems to have finally found his niche in Texas. Though the Kahunas started the bonus session with a three from Julian Cross-Kiraly (Saluki, G), it was Quinn who sunk the next two baskets. The intense back-and-forth play continued until the very last minute, neither team having a clear advantage. It was everything a fan could ask for in a game. As the seconds ticked down, the Lone Stars were up by 1. In a shot that might haunt Kahunas’ fans for months, Barrett put the ball off the rim, the rebound going directly to Nereus, who made a sturgically-precise pass to Knight. The Texas otter closed the game with a dunk that was nothing but pure showboating, ending the game in Texas’s favor by a final score of 113-110.
Marcus Knight walked off the court with his first Player of the Game honor of the season, basking in the Texas-sized applause.
The Kahunas look to return to their winning ways as they continue their road trip Saturday against the San Jose Thrust, while the Lone Stars hope to build on their victory when the Arizona Whips come to Austin.
-S. St. James