Wow. How strange that 3 of the quarter finals had so much symmetry - the favourites starting strong, before their opponents put up massive scores down the stretch to jump in front on the last day today.

And they were our top 3 seeds that lost! Owen, Karlos and Heaver - you have all had really great seasons... And jasmine as well.   There were 5 teams that really set the pace all year, and now Micka is the only one left.

Ill jump straight into it this week - over the break are the reviews and previews as usual ::::

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Playoffs Week 1:

#8 <a title="Wade Machine (Daniel Laengst)" href="http://games.espn.go.com/fba/clubhouse?leagueId=23530&amp;teamId=15&amp;seasonId=2011" target="_top">Wade Machine[/url] 1400 v #1 <a title="Run TMC (Owen Beebe)" href="http://games.espn.go.com/fba/clubhouse?leagueId=23530&amp;teamId=19&amp;seasonId=2011" target="_top">Run TMC[/url] 1277

Most individual days in this one were tight, with only 3 days having margins greater than 25. Owen had a humongous day 3 with 485 points!!  (Ruddy does that beat your record? I cant remember, but I think it does). Dan only won 2 days all up, including his huge final day - scoring 390 which put him in front for the first time all week. Neither team used a single acquisition, and both had about the same games played - Dan with 3 more than Owen, but if scores are averaged by games played, he still had more fppg anyway. Both teams had 6 players score tons and one each with a double; however Dan had 4 players between 80 and 100, compared to Owen with just 3 in that range.

Owens best were Dorrell Wright (202 from 4), Blake Griffen (178 from 3), Al Jefferson (150 from 4), Andre Miller (131 from 3), Rajon Rondo (130 from 3) and Chris Kaman (114 from 3); and Best for Dan were Dwayne Wade (235 from 3!!), Al Horford (160 from 4), Tony Allen (143 from 4), Carlos Delfino (122 from 3), Dirk Nowitzki (118 from 3) and Mike Conley (114 from 4).

#5 <a title="Jasmines Mob (Jasmine Johnson)" href="http://games.espn.go.com/fba/clubhouse?leagueId=23530&amp;teamId=5&amp;seasonId=2011" target="_top">Jasmine’s Mob[/url] 699 v #4 <a title="Westside Hardcore (Michael Walters)" href="http://games.espn.go.com/fba/clubhouse?leagueId=23530&amp;teamId=6&amp;seasonId=2011" target="_top">Westside Hardcore[/url] 1122

One of the top 5 was always going to get through, but it wasnt in spectacular fashion - this game being the lowest scoring of the 4 quarter finals. In fact all 6 other finalists scored more than these two teams. Jasmine has been overseas for the last month and came back just in time for the playoffs - but found her, once mighty, team decimated by injury. Im surprised she didnt really make any attempt to fix it up though - only using 8 players throughout the week for a total of just 28 games played, without a single acquisition; whereas Micka used all 5 acquisitions and finished with 45 games played from his 17 players used. Jasmine scored 24.96 fppg, compared to Mickas 24.82 fppg - not much in it really, but interesting all the same. Unsurprisingly Micka won the first 6 days of this week, before Jasmine joined the other underdogs with her own big final day - but unfortunately it was just junk time in this one.

Jasmines best were Monta Ellis (224 from 4) and Andrew Bogut (152 from 3), with Sessions and McDyess both stranded in the 90s; whereas the best for Micka were Carmelo Anthony (189 from 4), Paul Millsap (145 from 4), Tony Parker (130 from 4), Elton Brand (117 from 3) and Greg Monroe (102 from 3).

#6 <a title="Fudges Sixers (Jim Tsilikas)" href="http://games.espn.go.com/fba/clubhouse?leagueId=23530&amp;teamId=16&amp;seasonId=2011" target="_top">Fudge’s Sixers[/url] 1138 v #3 <a title="Kings of Karlos (Sean Minetti)" href="http://games.espn.go.com/fba/clubhouse?leagueId=23530&amp;teamId=10&amp;seasonId=2011" target="_top">Kings of Karlos[/url] 1087

Fudge has kept his great form going with yet another win - his 9th in a row now. Karlos had to win to clinch the Dirk Diggler trophy, but now Fudge still has a chance to steal it of him. I spoke about the symmetry between a few of the games this week, but it was no more evident than what happened in this game and that of the aforementioned win of Wade machine. As in Dans win, Fudge had a massive final day to hit the lead for the first time all week! And Fudge had only won one other day as well - day 4 when Karlos didnt even score. Both teams dipped into the FA pool, but Fudge just twice, compared to Karlos using all 5 acquisitions - but only 1 game separated them in games played with Fudge slightly behind there.

Best for Karlos were Dwight Howard (207 from 3), Hedo Turkoglu (155 from 3), Lamar Odom (125 from 3), Kirk Hinrich (119 from 4) and Jose Calderon (109 from 4); and the best for Fudge were David Lee (214 from 4), Kevin Martin (109 from 2), DeMarcus Cousins (109 from 4) and Stephen Curry (105 from 4).

#7 <a title="Team anthak (Anthony Hack)" href="http://games.espn.go.com/fba/clubhouse?leagueId=23530&amp;teamId=1&amp;seasonId=2011" target="_top">Team anthak[/url] 1376 v #2 <a title="Team HEAVER! (David Tong)" href="http://games.espn.go.com/fba/clubhouse?leagueId=23530&amp;teamId=13&amp;seasonId=2011" target="_top">Team HEAVER![/url] 1221

Despite my tip last week, I wasnt seriously thinking I would beat Heaver...  I knew I could, but a few things were going to have to go my way - and that they did! Injuries really played a big part in this one. None bigger than -top 5 player- KLove missing the entire matchup for Heaver, which also had the double blow of Tolliver gaining minutes and stats for me. I also benefited from the injury to Devin Harris, because it meant Earl Watson started a couple of games and scored a 50 in there. Tyrus Thomas and Wilson Chandler also missed 3 games between them, while all of my players played every game possible! Despite all this, Heaver was winning for most of the week, and also held a slender lead going into the final day (and if it hadnt have been for Roses 95 on the penultimate day it would have been a bigger margin). I was 139 down with 2 days to go, and decided to pick up a couple of FAs... but it turns out I would have been better off keeping Tolliver and Blake than having 4 games combined from Smith, Pachulia and Maynor - mainly due to Tolliver scoring 64 fpts today in his first game after leaving my side. I used all 5 acquisitions, and Heaver used 3. I ended up with a whopping 9 more games played - and i needed them, as Heaver had a far superior fppg average with 30.4 to my 28.1.

Heavers best were Marc Gasol (179 from 4), Russell Westbrook (174 from 3), Beno udrih (162 from 4), Ty Lawson (142 from 3), Channing Frye (132 from 4) and Nicolas Batum (112 from 3). and my best were Derrick Rose (260 from 4), JaVale McGee (195 from 4), Josh Smith (174 from 4), Zach Randolph (160 from 4), Kevin Durant (138 from 3) and Spencer Hawes (102 from 3).

Semi Finals previews:

#8 <a href="http://games.espn.go.com/fba/clubhouse?teamId=15&amp;leagueId=23530">Wade Machine[/url] v #4 <a href="http://games.espn.go.com/fba/clubhouse?teamId=6&amp;leagueId=23530">Westside Hardcore[/url]

As Ive already mentioned a few times - Micka is the only one left of the big 5 that dominated all season; but I dont think that will hold up as a good enough reason for a win. Back in January, it was Westside Hardcore that prevailed with a 100+ point win, but Dan has had Wade Machine gearing up for the playoffs for months now, and they look the likely winners here.

#7 <a title="Team anthak (Anthony Hack)" href="http://games.espn.go.com/fba/clubhouse?leagueId=23530&amp;teamId=1&amp;seasonId=2011" target="_top">Team anthak[/url] v #6 <a href="http://games.espn.go.com/fba/clubhouse?teamId=16&amp;leagueId=23530">Fudges Sixers[/url]

I really dont know who to tip here...  Early in the season - whenever I tipped Fudge, he would lose (and vice versa), but I used that logic when we met late in the regular season and tipped him, only to see him beat me BY ONLY 8 POINTS! Anyway, stuff all that - Team anthak are out for revenge and will put a stop to Fudges run for the DD trophy (if he wins this he equals Kings of Karlos streak of 10 wins).

 Best of luck to everyone still in it! I sure have had my fair share this last week.