Slam can secure #1 playoff seed this weekend
Published on June 19, 2008 under International Basketball League (IBL)
Bellingham Slam News Release
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Bellingham Slam control their own destiny as they can clinch the top seed in the International Basketball League's Western Conference playoff tournament with a pair of wins this weekend. The Slam play a home-and-home series against the Tacoma Jazz beginning on Saturday at Whatcom Pavilion at 7:00 p.m. That game will be the Slam's final regular season home game before they head to Tacoma to close out their schedule on Sunday.
Bellingham (15-3) leads the second-place Vancouver Volcanoes (17-4) by one game in the IBL's West Division. The winner of the West Division is assured the top seed in the Western Conference as the Las Vegas Stars, the top team in the Southwest Division, have a 9-9 record.
The Slam can wrap up first place as early as Saturday if they defeat Tacoma at home and Vancouver, who is in Edmonton this weekend for two games, loses on Friday.
Bellingham leads the season series with the Jazz 2-0. In their most recent meeting in Tacoma on June 8, the Slam earned a hard-fought 117-107 win, the team's 12th consecutive win at the time.
Last weekend, the Slam lost a heartbreaker on Saturday to Vancouver, 134-131 in overtime, to snap their winning streak, before rebounding with a 148-137 victory in Portland the next day.
Tyler Amaya and Paul Hafford have been fueling the Slam's potent offense lately, with the pair averaging 31.5 and 23.5 points per game, respectively, in the their last two contests. Amaya poured in a career-high 40 points in last Sunday's win at Portland.
This weekend's games will set the stage for the IBL's Western Conference playoff tournament which begins June 27 in Monroe. The winner of the tournament will then face the winner of the Eastern Conference in the IBL Championship Game in July.
For more information, contact the Bellingham Slam at (360) 734-SLAM or visit their website at www.bellinghamslam.com.
International Basketball League Stories from June 19, 2008
- Slam can secure #1 playoff seed this weekend - Bellingham Slam
- Chill Filling Hole - Edmonton Chill
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