Costa Mesa Condors 54-33 (2-2)

Minnesota Muskies 68-14 (2-2)

Score (click for boxscore)	Game MVP	Hi Points	Hi Rebounds	Hi Assists
1. Muskies 108, Condors 103	Charles Barkley	38 Charles Barkley	13 Akeem Olajuwon	13 Isiah Thomas
2. Condors 93, Muskies 91	Akeem Olajuwon	35 Charles Barkley	12 Akeem Olajuwon	7 Isiah Thomas
3. Condors 116, Muskies 99	Rolando Blackman	29 R.Blackman/K.Vandeweghe	17 Akeem Olajuwon	8 Rolando Blackman
4. Muskies 117, Condors 94	Larry Bird	33 Larry Bird	13 Akeem Olajuwon	7 Darnell Valentin
5. Muskies 98, Condors 93	Charles Barkley	38 Charles Barkley	13 Robert Parish	11 Isiah Thomas
6. Condors 118, Muskies 92	Rolando Blackman	27 Rolando Blackman	11 Akeem Olajuwon	11 Isiah Thomas
7. Muskies 109, Condors 96	Robert Parish	32 Rolando Blackman	10 Larry Bird	15 Isiah Thomas

Game 1 – ​The Barn was rockin’, the stakes were sky-high, and these two Western Conference heavyweights delivered another playoff thriller! Meeting for the sixth consecutive season, Costa Mesa and Minnesota battled like heavyweight champions, with the Muskies finally swimming away with a 108–103 victory. The Condors came out flying, taking a 30–24 first-quarter lead, but Minnesota answered with a 30-point second quarter to grab a 54–50 halftime advantage. Then came the third-quarter fireworks, as the Muskies stretched the lead to 87–77 behind the spectacular shooting of Larry Bird and the bruising brilliance of Sir Charles Barkley. But don’t count those Condors out! Akeem Olajuwon was simply magnificent, pouring in 35 points on 15-of-24 shooting, while the Condors stormed all the way back to tie it at 99 with just 2:34 remaining. Then came the big plays, as Robert Parish scored twice in the final two minutes before Barkley slammed home the clinching dunk with 41.7 seconds left. Barkley was the big cheese for Minnesota, exploding for 38 points, while Bird added 29 points and 10 rebounds in a sensational 40-minute performance. This was another chapter in a remarkable playoff rivalry—Costa Mesa had won the first four meetings, including the 1985-86 championship season, but Minnesota swept the Condors last year on its way to the VBA crown. And now, with the Muskies holding the first punch in this latest showdown, the Condors have another mountain to climb!

Game 2 – The Costa Mesa Condors have done it again—another playoff battle with the Minnesota Muskies, and another game that came down to the final heartbeat! Minnesota came out roaring at The Barn, building a 14-point advantage and taking a 72-60 lead into the fourth quarter. But the Condors refused to fold, and led by a sensational 30-point, 12-rebound, 5-assist performance from Akeem Olajuwon, Costa Mesa began clawing its way back. Rolando Blackman caught fire when it mattered most, scoring 20 points, including a three-pointer that helped bring the Condors within striking distance. Then came Kevin McHale, who calmly drove to the basket with 38.6 seconds left to tie this one at 91! Charles Barkley was magnificent for Minnesota, pouring in 35 points, but the Muskies couldn’t deliver the knockout punch. With the clock winding down, Costa Mesa had the ball, and Blackman rose for the shot—nothing but net as the horn sounded! Ninety-three to ninety-one, the Condors win it at the buzzer, steal Game 2 on the road, and head home with this Western Conference semifinal series all even at one game apiece. What a finish, what a comeback, and what a way to win a basketball game!

Game 3 – The defending champion Minnesota Muskies came into Game 3 looking to seize control of the Western Conference semifinal, but the Costa Mesa Condors had other plans—and they came flying out of the gate. With Isiah Thomas sidelined by injury, the Condors showed they had plenty of firepower without their star guard, turning a 28-25 first-quarter lead into a 70-47 halftime avalanche. Rolando Blackman was the headliner, pouring in 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting while adding eight assists, two steals and six rebounds in a brilliant all-around performance. Costa Mesa’s second quarter was the difference, as the Condors ripped off 42 points while Minnesota could manage only 22. ​Akeem Olajuwon controlled the paint with 19 points, 17 rebounds and a staggering six blocked shots, while Kevin McHale added 18 points and 11 boards to give the Condors a crushing interior presence. The Condors also turned defense into offense, racing for 29 fast-break points and repeatedly turning Muskies mistakes into easy baskets. Minnesota got a magnificent 29 points from Kiki Vandeweghe and 22 from Charles Barkley, but even Larry Bird’s 17 points, seven assists and five blocks couldn’t keep the defending champions from falling behind by as many as 29. Costa Mesa never let the champs get close enough to make it interesting, shooting 50.5 percent for the game and finishing with a commanding 62-36 advantage in points in the paint. The Condors’ bench chipped in 36 points, and ​I​siah’s replacement, ​S​cott Brooks, added 14 points and seven assists while​ Brad Lohaus knocked down two threes. When the dust finally settled, Costa Mesa had a 116-99 victory, a 2-1 series advantage, and perhaps the biggest statement of the night: the defending champions were suddenly staring up at the Condors. With Blackman running the show, Olajuwon patrolling the paint and McHale cleaning up inside, Costa Mesa wasn’t merely making a move in the series—it was making a whole lot of noise in the Western Conference.

Game 4 – ​The defending VBA champions have drawn even with the Costa Mesa Condors, and they did it with a sledgehammer, as the Minnesota Muskies blasted Costa Mesa 117-94 in Game 4 to tie the Western Conference semifinal at two games apiece. Larry Bird was the maestro of this basketball symphony, pouring in 33 points on 10-of-18 shooting, including two triples, while knocking down all 11 of his free throws to earn Game MVP honors. Minnesota came out like a runaway train, racing to a 36-17 first-quarter lead and stretching the advantage to 64-38 by halftime. Charles Barkley chipped in 25 points, Robert Parish added 16 on a sizzling 7-of-8 shooting, and the Muskies shot 53.1 percent while making Costa Mesa chase shadows all night long. The Condors showed some fight in the third quarter, but Akeem Olajuwon and his 23 points and 13 rebounds couldn’t pull Costa Mesa out of the 26-point halftime hole. Kiki Vandeweghe came off the Minnesota bench to score 19, while the Muskies’ reserves outscored Costa Mesa’s bench 35-25 and Minnesota forced 24 Costa Mesa turnovers. The defending champions led by as many as 30 points before Costa Mesa finally trimmed the margin late, but by then the damage had been done. So put away that 2-1 Costa Mesa advantage, because the champs have stormed right back into this series, and now we’ve got ourselves a best-of-three with the defending champions looking like they’re ready to defend their crown!

Game 5 – ​The Barn was rocking Wednesday night, and the defending champion Minnesota Muskies came out of Game 5 with a 98-93 victory over Costa Mesa to grab a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals! Charles Barkley was an absolute runaway freight train, pouring in 38 points and grabbing six rebounds while repeatedly marching to the foul line and making Costa Mesa pay for every whistle. The Condors had plenty of fight, leading by five after the first quarter and battling Minnesota through seven ties and three lead changes, but the Muskies exploded for 31 points in the third period to take control. Larry Bird added 19 points, Robert Parish was a powerhouse inside with 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Minnesota’s championship experience started showing when the pressure dial got turned all the way up. Costa Mesa refused to disappear, with Kevin McHale scoring 17, Akeem Olajuwon adding 16 points and nine rebounds, and Isiah Thomas dishing out 11 assists while keeping the Condors within striking distance. The Condors got as close as 93-90 late in the fourth, but Minnesota answered with a fast-break basket and then calmly salted the game away at the free-throw line.​ McHale’s three-pointer with 11 seconds left made it 97-93 and gave Costa Mesa one last gasp, but Minnesota’s Valentine knocked down the final free throw to put the lid on a wild one.​ Now, ladies and gentlemen, the defending champions are one win away from another trip to the Western Conference Finals, while the Condors head into Game 6 knowing their season is hanging right there on the rim!​

Game 6 – ​The defending champion Minnesota Muskies came into Game 6 needing just one more win to close out Costa Mesa, but what they got instead was a full-blown Condor explosion at The Aerie, a 118-92 shellacking that sent this Western Conference Semifinal right down to the wire! Costa Mesa never trailed after the opening minutes, and after building a 33-26 first-quarter lead, the Condors kept pouring it on until the defending champs were looking up at a 96-68 mountain after three quarters. Rolando Blackman was absolutely on fire, baby, earning Game MVP honors with 27 points on a dazzling 13-for-18 shooting performance while running the floor and burying Minnesota at every turn. Akeem Olajuwon was a monster inside with 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Kevin McHale added 17 points and Isiah Thomas handed out 11 assists as the Condors sliced up the Minnesota defense. Costa Mesa shot a sizzling 57 percent from the floor, scored 70 points in the paint, and turned the fast break into a runway with 22 points in transition. Charles Barkley did everything he could to keep Minnesota breathing, scoring 25 points, but Larry Bird had a miserable shooting night at 4-for-19 and the Muskies simply couldn’t find enough offense to keep pace. Kiki Vandeweghe came off the Minnesota bench with 20 points, but by the time he got rolling, the Condors had already turned the game into a coast-to-coast cruise. The most remarkable part of this one was that Minnesota had absolutely no answer for Costa Mesa’s balanced attack, with five Condors scoring in double figures and the home crowd getting louder with every basket. So now, ladies and gentlemen, the series is tied at three games apiece, the defending champions have been knocked flat on their backs, and everything comes down to one glorious, nerve-rattling Game 7! And if Game 6 was any indication, you’d better buckle up tight, because these Condors have suddenly got wings—and they’re flying straight into Minnesota looking to finish the job!

Game 7 – The Barn was rocking for Game 7, and the defending champion Minnesota Muskies answered the biggest question of the series with a 109-96 victory over the Costa Mesa Condors, surviving one whale of a Western Conference Semifinal! Costa Mesa came into the deciding game already facing a mountain of trouble, forced to play without injured center Akeem Olajuwon, but the shorthanded Condors still came out swinging and took a thrilling 54-53 lead into halftime. Kevin McHale was magnificent in the first half with 15 points, while Rolando Blackman poured in 16, giving Costa Mesa a powerful one-two punch that had the Minnesota crowd wondering if the champions were in real trouble. Minnesota had its own big guns firing at intermission, as Robert Parish scored 13 points and Larry Bird added 12, keeping the Muskies within striking distance despite Costa Mesa’s spirited effort. But then, oh baby, the second half belonged to Minnesota, as the defending champs exploded for 29 points in the third quarter while holding the Condors to just 20 and finally taking control of the game. Parish went on to earn Game MVP honors with 25 points on 10-for-13 shooting and nine rebounds, repeatedly coming up with the big basket whenever Minnesota needed one. Charles Barkley added 23 points, Bird finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and the Muskies’ championship experience began showing up when the pressure reached its highest point. Blackman finished with a sensational 32 points and McHale added 24, but without Olajuwon’s dominant presence in the middle, Costa Mesa eventually ran out of answers against Minnesota’s powerful frontcourt. The Muskies shot 54.3 percent from the floor, won the rebounding battle 49-40, and scored 54 points in the paint, taking advantage of the opening created by the absence of the injured Condor center. So the defending champions survive a seven-game war, Costa Mesa heads home after giving Minnesota everything it had, and the Muskies march into the Western Conference Finals with their title hopes still alive, kicking, and ready for another wild ride!