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So Cal Surf 68-26 (1-1)

Minnesota Muskies 76-19 (1-1)

Game 1 – The 1990–91 VBA Championship Series is underway, and what a nail-biter we had at The Barn on June 4, as the So Cal Surf slipped past the defending champion Minnesota Muskies, 88–87, to grab Game One! The Surf made several strong runs early, building a lead as large as 15 points, but Minnesota kept hanging around like a stubborn defender who refuses to leave the paint. Chris Mullin earned Game MVP honors with 18 points, while John Stockton chipped in 11 points and seven assists, and Danny Manning and Moses Malone each added 14. Malone was a force on the boards with 12 rebounds, and his timely buckets helped So Cal hold off the champs, even if his minus-22 plus-minus tells a different story. Minnesota had its chances, with Charles Barkley scoring 18 and Larry Bird adding 13, but neither superstar could find the shooting touch when it mattered most. The Muskies shot just 41.3 percent from the field and a frigid 1-for-10 from three-point range, while So Cal connected on four of seven from beyond the arc. Still, Minnesota owned the paint, 42–36, and got 30 points from its bench, proving this one was no runaway despite the Surf’s early cushion. Then came the final minute, with Barkley throwing down a dunk to pull Minnesota within one, only for Malone to calmly sink two free throws and restore a three-point edge. Bird’s inside basket cut it back to one with 22.5 seconds remaining, and Barkley got the last crack at glory—but his potential game-winner wouldn’t fall, leaving So Cal with an 88–87 thriller and a 1–0 lead in this best-of-seven showdown!  

Game 2 – ​The 1990–91 VBA Championship Series delivered another heart-stopper at The Barn on June 6, as the Minnesota Muskies clawed back from an early 18-point deficit to edge the So Cal Surf, 107–106, and even the series at one game apiece! So Cal came out firing, racing to a 29–16 first-quarter advantage and stretching the lead to 18, with Danny Manning throwing down dunks and Mitch Richmond attacking from every angle. But the defending champions weren’t about to roll over, outscoring the Surf 39–21 in a spectacular third quarter to turn a 57–46 halftime deficit into an 85–78 lead heading into the final period. Alvin Robertson was the spark that ignited Minnesota’s comeback, earning Game MVP honors with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, including the game-winning outside jumper with just 0.9 seconds left! Manning and Richmond each poured in 25 for So Cal, but even that wasn’t enough to keep the Surf ahead after Minnesota’s furious second-half surge. Minnesota’s bench came up huge, outscoring So Cal’s reserves 38–24, while Kevin McHale’s? (No—Kiki Vandeweghe and Danny Ainge) Vandeweghe scored 12 and Ainge added eight, including two three-pointers, to help fuel the turnaround. The Surf fought back in the fourth, and Richmond’s outside shot with 17.8 seconds remaining put So Cal ahead, 106–105, setting the stage for one last Minnesota possession. Robertson took the pass and buried the go-ahead jumper with nine-tenths of a second on the clock, leaving So Cal with almost no time to answer. Minnesota finished with 45.5 percent shooting and five three-pointers, while the Surf shot an impressive 50 percent from the field but made just one of five from beyond the arc. After two games decided by a combined two points, the defending champs have survived a wild Game Two, and this best-of-seven championship showdown is all square at 1–1!

Game 3 –

Game 4 –

Game 5 –

Game 6 –

Game 7 –

Series MVP – TBD
pts, rebs, asts, FG%