One year ago, the California Sea Lions won the final game of their season to sneak into the playoffs as a seven seed. This year, the Toronto Hogs did the same thing, clinching a matchup with the second-seeded Sea Lions. Of course, last year, California earned a huge upset over Texas, so they came out in Game 1 determined to set the tone, and did so, getting out to a quick 45-24 lead. Toronto did eventually find a rhythm, largely due to W/ZB Horace Yazzie taking over in the fourth and sixth innings, but the Sea Lions pulled away in the seventh to take a 1-0 series lead.

Things looked better for the Hogs in Game 2. They got out to a stronger start, and their defense would keep the game much closer as the night went on. Toronto would even take a 4-point lead into the 7th inning, but B/C Adamo Zorrilla led a mini 11-3 run to start the eighth, flipping the lead on its head and getting the California crowd into an uproar. The Lions wouldn’t look back, holding court at home and taking a 2-0 lead.

Game 3 would be a must-win for Toronto, and they came out playing like it. Their defense continued to improve, holding the Sea Lions to just 43 points in the first half and taking a 15-point lead into the break, causing a cacophony in the Canadian crowd. California would commence a comeback in the fifth, though, as F/ZB Michael Basch and W/ZB Isaiah Graves started pouring it on. The two combined to score 17 of their team’s 22 points in the inning, bringing the game within 6. When the squads switched, it was the Adamo Zorrilla show. Zorrilla himself scored 8 points in the frame, but it was the points he assisted on that really brought the attention. With his team down 4 late in the inning, Zorrilla found W/ZB Colton Harvey in the end zone for three points, and after the Sea Lions got a stop, Zorrilla would take the ball in 5-point range and once again look for Harvey. Harvey was defended well by B/ZB Jaki Fowler, but sometimes you just can’t stop a perfect throw. Within just 15 seconds, the Sea Lions had gone from down four to up four, and really, that was a wrap on the series. With all the momentum on their side, Cali would score 172 points over their final ten innings to cruise to a first-round sweep over Toronto.




The Palms thought they deserved better than the eight seed this year, and they probably would’ve finished much higher had they not struggled with sporadic injuries. With their team mostly healthy again, they were looking to make a point in this series. They started off pretty strong, getting out to an early lead and holding onto it all the way until the final minute of the fifth inning, when a kick from F/ZB Kevin Simmons tied the game. Unfortunately for Miami, the Lights did deserve their seed, and would win the last three quarters by a combined 14 points to take Game 1. Minnesota would keep that momentum going into Game 2, getting out to a 29-point lead at one point before easing off a bit, ultimately winning by 15.

As the series moved to South Florida, the Palms were in a sticky situation. They weren’t able to respond immediately, as the game would go back-and-forth for most of the first half, but with the final seconds ticking toward halftime, B/ZB Kyle Barb would knock down a bucket from just beyond half-court that grew the Miami lead from 2 to 7. With that huge boost, the Palms came out of halftime on fire, and for the first time, Minnesota’s defense didn’t seem to have an answer for them, Miami stretched their lead to 18 over the final two quarters and snagged a crucial Game 3 win.

The Lights would look to respond in Game 4, but the Palms seemed to have figured out their defense, as for the third game in a row, Miami scored more points than they had the previous game. Luckily for Lights fans, their offense woke up. Kevin Simmons scored 52 points, a career high in the regular season or playoffs, and of course, W/K Richard Singh joined in on the action too, scoring 26 and assisting on 24 more. The Palms tried their best to keep up, but they could only do so much. Minnesota would return home for Game 5, get out to a quick 8-2 lead, and things returned to normal - their defense held strong from there, and they would never give up that lead, holding off several Miami rallies as they advanced to their second consecutive semifinal.




This series started off with a bang, and not just because both teams scored on each of their first three possessions. Shortly thereafter, Chargers B/C Phil Carey would get in a verbal altercation with Fugitives B/ZB Jack Odom which ultimately ended with Carey shoving Odom to the ground. It seemed that Carey, who was injured in 2030 and was exiled to the Chargers’ bench until earlier this year, still held a bit of a grudge about the team that had knocked his team out of the playoffs in 2028 and 2029. Carey would admit after the game that he took it too far and apologized, and while there would be no incidents throughout the rest of the game, it set the tone for a very physical matchup. The scoring slowed down quickly, but the game would stay extremely tight - in fact, when W/ZB Isaaq Davis scored to put New York up 8 with a minute to go, it would be just the third time the lead had gone to two scores all game. Nashville would desperately need two scores and a stop in between. W/K Will Orleans would find F/ZB Eddie McDonald to bring the Fugitives back within 5, and W/ZB Tyler Blouse would successfully force a turnover on the other end. With 18 seconds left to earn five points, Nashville would have a chance to tie up the game, and with plenty of time to do it. Blouse would make use of that time by immediately heaving up a shot from well beyond half court, which of course missed and allowed New York to eat the last bit of clock.

Blouse’s blunder overshadowed everything else that had happened in that game, and it cooled the air quite a bit, meaning that Game 2 was essentially clean. Nashville would look to avoid going down 0-2 at home, and their veterans would lead the way. Will Orleans scored 30 and assisted on 13, while fellow veteran B/ZB Joel Moth had the best all-around day of the team, contributing 26 points to go along with 12 stops on defense. Nashville would pull ahead early and go on to win by 21. In Game 3, though, New York’s defense would return to form and the game would once again come down to the final quarter. The Chargers would lead by just 3 entering the break, but would never surrender that lead, going on to win by 9. Then, for good measure, the underdogs would grab their own 21-point victory in Game 4, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead.

The Fugitives would need to handle business at home to extend their season. It looked pretty dicey through the first half, as they led by just 2, but a 13-3 run in the sixth inning pulled them ahead for good, forcing a Game 6 back in Manhattan. Unlike Game 1, it would start off very slow, with a 2-point goal by F/ZB Tyler Charles being the lone score through the first 3:38, but the remainder of the game would be very similar, with the defenses controlling play and the score staying incredibly close throughout. With 44 seconds left, Isaaq Davis would once again make a clutch late-game play, finding Charles for a 3-point pass to put New York up by four. When B/ZB Brandon Walter knocked the ball away from F/ZB Glenn Johnson on the ensuing possession, the Fugitives would once again need a stop and a five-point play in short order. They would once again get the stop, as Chargers B/C David Reinink put a bit too much air on a pass, allowing W/ZB Arthur Julian to intercept it. Julian would look up court and find who else but Tyler Blouse, who was fouled by Reinink on his way back, giving Blouse a clean look at a game-winning 40-footer. With just 4.3 seconds on the clock, the season on the line, and a chance at redemption, Blouse’s jump shot would hit the back iron, hit the front iron, and plop harmlessly into the arms of Phil Carey, who, along with his team, finally got his revenge.




Both of these teams came into this series looking to prove a point. Texas, of course, had been upset in the first round last year by California. Though they wouldn’t know it at the start of this series, they’d be playing for the right to earn their revenge against the Sea Lions, but more importantly, they’d be looking to prove that they were still the Texas Redbacks that everyone knew and hated. Los Angeles, meanwhile, was carrying the weight of three postseasons in one: they were swept by the Redbacks in 2031, missed the playoffs in 2032 despite being eight games over .500, and now, in 2033, had the chance to prove themselves and avenge their demons in one fell swoop.

The Tooths’ grand plans would face a major setback in Game 1, though, as breakout star W/ZB Christian Casey suffered a separated shoulder that was expected to keep him out for the next 2-3 weeks, meaning in all likelihood, he would be out for the remainder of the series. Because it happened late in the sixth inning with the Redbacks already up 10, it probably didn’t directly cause Texas to win that night, but they did double their lead once he was gone, raising big questions for the remainder of the series. In Game 2, though, Casey’s injury would matter even less, as Texas looked sloppy all game long and LA put themselves in position to capitalize. Their defense would hold the Redbacks to just 89 points, and while their offense wasn’t spectacular without Casey, they still won by 25 - the Tooths’ first playoff win since all the way back in 2019. In fact, were it not for a few spectacular saves by Los Angeles W/K Reggie Daniel, the score would’ve been 114-94 LA - a perfect mirror of the score from Game 1.

With home court advantage now on their side, the Tooths would look to take control of the series in Southern California. Unfortunately, Texas was able to collect themselves and the game remained fairly tight until the Redbacks pulled away in the fourth, ultimately pushing the lead to 11. Game 4 would be even worse for LA, as the Redbacks pulled away in the first half, leading by 19 at the break. The Tooths would try to battle back, but could only get the score down to single digits for a few possessions in garbage time as Texas would go on to win by 11. After stealing home court in Game 2, the Sabertooths had not only lost it, but had dropped both of their home games, as the Redbacks took a commanding 3-1 series lead.

LA would have to survive a Game 5 on the road to even extend their season. The first half would be a battle, with no fewer than 18 lead changes in just 32 minutes, and at the end of it, Texas would lead by one. However, everything would change in the fifth inning. First, F/ZB Dakota Valdez would land awkwardly while catching a pass in the end zone, causing him to sprain his ankle and miss several weeks. F/ZB Evan Leroy would fill in and plug the gap reasonably well, but later in the same inning, B/ZB William Yoder would tear his Achilles, forcing the Redbacks to bring in 20-year-old B/ZB Jackson Meyer, whom Texas had called up from Fort Worth to compete for a starting role in their admittedly weak B/ZB core. Meyer was clearly thrown off a bit by the bright lights of Hollywood, and the Tooths were quick to capitalize, targeting Meyer on an outsized share of their plays. It wouldn’t be a decisive win, but LA outscored Texas 56-44 in the second half, and now had something to build upon going forward.

Indeed, Game 6 would pick up right where Game 5 left off. The Redbacks would make a defensive adjustment, and would also speed up the pace of the game, hoping that their offense would be able to keep up over the long run. It seemed like no matter where they tried to adjust, though, the Sabertooths would find the hole in the defense, and while Texas was able to keep it close for the most part, an ultra-rare bicycle kick performed by LA W/ZB Christopher Strine late in the game would add insult to injury, putting the Tooths ahead by three scores. LA had come back to force a Game 7, and in it, they left little doubt. B/ZB Roy Lalanne posted 16 points and a whopping 48 points assisted, and the Tooths nearly led wire-to-wire. For the second year in a row, the Texas Redbacks had been upset in the first round by a division rival.

Redbacks blew a 3-1 lead? 😂 😆. Oh you love to see it. Miami losing? Also love too see it. (Will NEVER forgive them for leaving PHX) Nice to see the Chargers get an upset too. Should be a fun round 2. Okay to hop on the Tooths bandwagon?

Good lord, could it be?

Alright, a Minny-Cali final is just what the doctor ordered. I'd be happy with either team winning but I definitely want the Lights more.

Damn, LA lost. Go Minnesota, beat those damn Sea Lions