Costa Mesa Condors 50-32 (2-4)

Buffalo Blizzard 52-30 (4-2)

Score (click for boxscore)	Game MVP	Hi Points	Hi Rebounds	Hi Assists
1. Condors 108, Blizzard 94	Kevin McHale	28 Kevin McHale	11 Karl Malone	8 Magic Johnson
2. Condors 99, Blizzard 92	Akeem Olajuwon	22 Kevin McHale	14 Akeem Olajuwon	8 Magic Johnson
3. Blizzard 115, Condors 108	Clyde Drexler	31 Clyde Drexler	15 Akeem Olajuwon	16 Magic Johnson
4. Condors 130, Blizzard 107	Isiah Thomas	30 Isiah Thomas	14 Akeem Olajuwon	9 M.Johnson/I.Thomas
5. Condors 119, Blizzard 102	Akeem Olajuwon	27 A.Olajuwon/K.McHale	14 Akeem Olajuwon	14 Isiah Thomas

Game 1 – The playoffs open with two familiar Chamberlain Division rivals facing off in the first round rather than the division championship. The Buffalo Blizzard hosts the Costa Mesa Condors. Isiah Thomas is nursing a bad ankle and will miss Games 1 and 2, so the other guards will need to step up. The first quarter was a seesaw battle, ending with Costa Mesa holding a 4-point lead, 27-23. Rolando Blackman led the Condors with 7 points, while Magic paced the Blizzard with 7 points as well. In the second quarter, the Condors erupted with a 24-5 run, fueled by Kevin McHale and Akeem Olajuwon, who each scored 8 points. Costa Mesa’s defense held the Blizzard to just 37% shooting from the field. At halftime, the Condors led 57-41 in what was an unusually low-scoring game for two such high-powered offenses. A strong pep talk at halftime helped the Blizzard win the third quarter 31-27. Karl Malone scored 10 points in the period as Buffalo shot 61% from the field, but the Condors matched their intensity. McHale poured in another 10 points, and Costa Mesa shot 59% for the quarter. The score stood at 84-72 heading into the fourth. The Blizzard opened the final quarter with an 8-4 mini-run but couldn’t sustain it as their starters began to run out of gas. The Condors closed the quarter with a 14-7 edge to seal a 108-94 victory. Game MVP Kevin McHale posted a dominant line of 28 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals, going 14-of-21 from the field. Blackman added 21 points on efficient 9-of-12 shooting. As a team, the Condors shot 58% from the field while holding the Blizzard to 48%. One unusual stat: Costa Mesa did not attempt their first free throw until late in the third quarter and finished just 4-for-4 from the line. Meanwhile, the Blizzard stayed competitive by going 19-of-22 from the stripe. Magic led the home team with 17 points and 8 assists, while Malone contributed 22 points and 11 rebounds. Game 2 will also be in Buffalo. The Condors will look to keep the hot shooting going and melt the Blizzard once again.

Game 2 – The two powerhouse teams were back at it after a day of rest. Buffalo jumped out to a 27-16 lead in the first quarter, holding the Condors to one of their lowest-scoring quarters of the season. Karl Malone led the way with 11 points. Early in the second quarter, the Condors began pressing in hopes of closing the scoring gap. The strategy succeeded as Costa Mesa pulled within five points at halftime, trailing 50-45. The Condors shot 61% from the field and held the Blizzard to just 40% shooting in the second quarter. Costa Mesa turned up the pressure in the third quarter, holding Buffalo to 33% shooting while winning the period 30-21 to take a 75-71 lead into the fourth. Both teams employed balanced scoring, setting up a tight finish in Game 2. The teams traded baskets to start the quarter, but Buffalo’s frustration boiled over with 8:48 remaining. After a pass to Kevin McHale in the low post, he pump-faked twice, and Danny Schayes bit on the fake and came down a bit too hard, resulting in a Flagrant 1 foul. McHale sank both free throws, but the Condors could not convert after receiving the ensuing inbound possession. At the time of the foul, the score was 84-75. The flagrant foul seemed to cement Costa Mesa’s resolve to beat the home team. Buffalo’s fatigue, combined with the Condors’ extra motivation to shut down the Blizzard, culminated in a 99-92 victory for the visitors. Magic and Malone combined for only four points in the fourth quarter, sealing the home squad’s fate. Game MVP Akeem Olajuwon posted a stat line of 16 points, 14 rebounds, 5 steals, and 3 blocks, while McHale chipped in 22 points. The Blizzard were led by Clyde Drexler’s 19-point, 5-assist, 5-steal performance, with Malone adding 17 points and 13 rebounds. The Costa Mesa squad is undoubtedly happy to head home with a 2-0 series lead. However, the Condors and their fan base know better than to get too comfortable, as the Blizzard remain a very dangerous team.

Game 3 – Buffalo’s surprisingly underwhelming season was fittingly on the verge of extinction when the Blizzard traveled to Costa Mesa down 0-2. A letdown of a regular season brought Buffalo to this point, as it was only able to claim the fourth playoff seed in the Western Conference, that due to a strong finish. The Blizzard entered the Honda Center after dropping two games in Buffalo against a competitively matched Condors team capable of making a deep playoff run, if not winning another title altogether. A loss here in Game 3 would almost certainly translate into one of the Blizzard’s earliest season exits in years (there’s nothing to indicate this squad could overcome that deficit).  With pressure mounting, Costa Mesa opened with the sharper edge as they sought a likely insurmountable series advantage. Kevin McHale scored in transition to start it, Hakeem Olajuwon added early touches, and Kenny Battle helped the Condors build a 10-4 lead. Buffalo answered in pieces — Clyde Drexler attacked the lane, Karl Malone finished inside, and Jay Humphries gave the Blizzard a lift off the bench — but the Condors closed the quarter with enough control to lead 27-19.The second quarter pushed Buffalo close to the brink. Costa Mesa stretched the margin behind Rolando Blackman, McHale, Olajuwon and Scott Brooks, using a 12-4 stretch to turn a 29-23 lead into a 41-27 cushion. When Battle free throws made it 47-33 with 5:14 left in the half, and Buffalo called time out, the game and season was in danger of slipping away.That was when Buffalo found its first real answer. Magic Johnson started getting downhill and to the line, Malone kept finishing around the rim, and Drexler’s late dunk capped a strong closing push. The Blizzard closed the half on an 18-6 run, trimming Costa Mesa’s lead to 53-51 and changing the feel of the game before intermission.The third quarter became Buffalo’s best stretch of the . After the Condors briefly pushed back to 57-52, the Blizzard answered with an 8-2 burst to take the lead. The quarter stayed tight until Buffalo put together another key surge: after Olajuwon tied it at 68, Drexler, Malone, Tom Chambers, Humphries and Mark Aguirre powered a 10-2 run that made it 78-70. Drexler later added consecutive scores, and Buffalo carried an 88-78 lead into the fourth after outscoring Costa Mesa 37-25 in the period.Still, in this back and forth affair the Condors responded. Isiah Thomas opened the fourth with seven points during a 9-0 Costa Mesa run, cutting the margin to 88-87. The game then became a possession-by-possession exchange. Blackman’s three made it 94-93, Brooks’ fastbreak basket put the Condors up 95-94, and Battle later gave Costa Mesa a 97-96 lead.Buffalo answered yet again. Drexler scored to make it 100-99, then added a three-point play for a 103-99 edge. Thomas tied it at 103, and after Malone free throws briefly restored Buffalo’s lead, Thomas tied it again at 105 with 2:40 remaining. But Malone hit two free throws with 2:25 left, putting the Blizzard back in front 107-105. Drexler followed with a fastbreak basket, Humphries added a jumper, and Chambers’ dunk with 59.1 seconds left pushed the margin to 113-106. Late foul shots by Magic (a 90 percent free throw shooter) sealed it. In a game with 11 lead changes, Buffalo rallied from a 14-point deficit and escaped with the 115-108 win to keep its hopes alive.Buffalo shot 54.8% from the field, went 23-for-25 at the line and had 29 assists despite attempting only two 3-pointers. Costa Mesa owned the offensive glass, finishing with 28 offensive rebounds and a 16-6 edge in second-chance points, but the Condors shot just 40.9% overall and 1-for-6 from deep. Drexler, the Game MVP among many candidates, scored 31 points on 14-for-21 shooting. Malone added 26 points and hit seven straight shots at one point in the second half to spark the comeback. Johnson had 22 points and 16 assists, and Humphries scored 10 off the bench. For Costa Mesa, McHale led with 22 points and 12 rebounds, Blackman scored 20, Thomas had 19 and seven assists, and Olajuwon finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and four blocks.

Game 4 – Seeking to even the series, Buffalo entered the Honda Center for Game 4 of the West playoff hoping this game would follow suit with the rest of the series — neither team had secured a home victory in the first three games. The game started with fireworks as Isiah Thomas opened with an immediate three-pointer and Magic Johnson matched it for a 3-3 start. Similar to Game Three, where Buffalo ultimately rallied, the team found itself in an identical 15-6 hole as the Condors ripped off a subsequent 12-3 burst behind Thomas, Rolando Blackman and Hakeem Olajuwon. Buffalo did show some fight late in the first quarter. Clyde Drexler hit two threes and scored in transition, helping the Blizzard trim the deficit to 30-27. But the Condors closed the quarter with Thomas free throws, a Thomas fastbreak basket and a Kevin McHale fastbreak score, keeping control at 36-31 after one. The second quarter became a missed opportunity for Buffalo. Karl Malone scored inside early to cut it to 36-33, but Costa Mesa answered with a 17-8 run to stretch the lead to 53-41. Thomas, Blackman, McHale, Olajuwon, Scott Brooks, Kenny Battle and Jerome Lane all touched the scoring column during that stretch, showing the balance that would define the Condors’ night. Buffalo later cut the margin to 59-54, but Costa Mesa closed the half with six straight points before a late Malone basket made it 65-56 at the break. The third quarter kept the game from fully breaking open, but Buffalo could not get the stops it needed. Johnson, Drexler, Tom Chambers and Malone all found enough offense to keep the Blizzard within striking range, yet every mini-run was met by another Costa Mesa answer. Blackman scored repeatedly in the period, Thomas added a fastbreak basket, and Olajuwon continued to finish inside. By the end of three, Costa Mesa had extended the lead to 92-79. The fourth quarter removed the remaining suspense. Buffalo wa​s still within 102-87 after Drexler free throws, but the Condors delivered another separator — a 17-9 run that pushed the margin to 119-96. Thomas capped a perfect shooting night​ with late baskets, while Blackman, Olajuwon, Brooks, Battle, Vinnie Johnson and Brad Lohaus kept the pace high. The lead eventually grew to 25, and Costa Mesa finished with 38 fourth-quarter points, resulting in a 130-107 final—a victory that puts the Condors ahead in the series, 3-1, on the verge of advancing to the second round once again. After an early McHale basket broke that initial 3-3 tie, the Condors never trailed again as Buffalo, while coming close at times, chased the game all night. The Blizzard simply could not keep up with a Condors offense that missed incredibly few shots. Costa Mesa shot a scorching 63.2% on its home court, piled up 70 points in the paint and held a 36-12 edge in fastbreak points. While the visitors tried to get back on defense to limit the fastbreak points, they could not overcome 20 turnovers which led to easy Condor baskets in transition. The Condors also dominated the bench scoring 36-6 (a reversal from Game Three, which Buffalo won) and recorded 29 assists on 55 made baskets. Buffalo shot a respectable 48.0% and went 32-for-37 at the line, but the Blizzard had only 28 rebounds and could not slow Costa Mesa in transition or at the rim. Thomas, the Game MVP, delivered a flawless performance for the ages: 30 points on perfect 13-for-13 shooting (including the opening three-pointer) and nine assists; he was also 3-for-3 from the charity stripe to cap a night where he never missed. Blackman added 27 points, Olajuwon had 18 points, 14 rebounds and six steals, McHale scored 13, and Brooks added nine points and six assists off the bench. For Buffalo, Johnson and Drexler each scored 25, Malone added 24, and Chambers finished with 19.

Game 5 – Buffalo returned home with its backs against the wall, trailing the series 3-1 against a near full-strength Costa Mesa squad. Kenny Battle was sidelined with a sore ankle for this game, but he is expected to be ready for the remainder of the playoffs. The Condors battled injuries throughout the regular season, but they are finally close to full strength, creating major problems for a tough Blizzard team. After a closely contested opening four minutes, the tip-off quickly turned into a nightmare for Buffalo as the Condors jumped out to a 12-2 lead. The teams traded baskets over the next four minutes before Costa Mesa cranked up its run-and-gun attack. The Condors closed the quarter on a 21-7 run to take a commanding 41-20 lead. They scored on four fast breaks during the stretch and got Buffalo’s big men into foul trouble, converting nine free throws. Tom Chambers carried the Blizzard offense with a game-high 12 first-quarter points, but he received little help from his teammates. The second quarter featured more even play, with Buffalo edging Costa Mesa 25-24, but that was far from enough as the Blizzard still trailed 65-45 at halftime. The Condors continued to push the pace, adding six more fast-break baskets to finish the half with 20 fast-break points. Buffalo mounted a rally late in the third quarter, using a 22-12 run to trim the deficit to 84-73. Magic Johnson fueled the comeback with 13 points during the surge. However, Costa Mesa responded and rebuilt its advantage to 15 points by the end of the quarter behind 11 third-quarter points from Akeem Olajuwon. That set up a do-or-die fourth quarter for Buffalo, which needed to erase a 15-point deficit. The Blizzard could get no closer than 13 points as Costa Mesa closed out a convincing 119-102 victory to win the series. Magic Johnson finished with 22 points and 12 assists but also committed seven turnovers. ​Karl Malone added 22 points and seven rebounds, while Tom Chambers scored 20 points with four rebounds. For the victorious Condors, Game MVP Akeem Olajuwon dominated with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and three steals despite five turnovers. Isiah Thomas narrowly missed a triple-double—and Game MVP honors—with 19 points, 14 assists, and nine rebounds, while Kevin McHale contributed 27 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. The Condors once again proved they have the Blizzard’s number, advancing after another head-to-head playoff matchup. Congratulations to Buffalo on another outstanding regular season. Costa Mesa now advances to face the powerful Minnesota Muskies, another familiar postseason rival. It should be an outstanding series…stay tuned.