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SHOWDOWN SERIESBest in West Square Off in KCUpdated 5:15pm ET Friday, February 15, 2002
By almostbasketball Staff The two best teams in the ABA meet for the sixth and seventh times this season when the Kansas City Knights host the Phoenix Eclipse in back-to-back games Friday and Saturday night at Kemper Arena. The Knights, who are either 13-5 or 14-5 depending on whether or not they are indeed credited with a forfeit win for Monday's game at Indiana that was never played, and the Eclipse, who are 11-5, are battling for first place in the division while trying to hold off the Southern California Surf (10-5). The Knights have taken three of their five meetings with the Eclipse thus far, including both at Kemper, where they are a perfect 10-0 overall.
Also this weekend, the Surf makes an Eastern swing, taking on the Dogs in Detroit on Saturday night and the Pro Cats in Kentucky on Sunday night. Indiana is at Kentucky Saturday night, and Las Vegas was scheduled to play Sunday at Detroit. There is some question as to whether that game will be played, as the ABA website has not released a revised ABA schedule, and a recent article only noted that the Slam would "open their season at home on Monday, February 18." The same article makes an announcement that will be a huge relief to ABA-starved fans in Las Vegas: "The Slam hope to be a success in Las Vegas."
In other news, ABA CEO Joe Newman broke a long silence and responded to almostbasketball queries about the recent postponement of games in Detroit and Indiana. "(The games in Detroit) were postponed because we knew we were making changes in the schedule to add a West Coast team and wanted time to make some travel adjustments and changes," said Newman via email. "Dropping a team and adding one is a very complicated process. There will probably be a few more changes before the season is over, but the games will be re-scheduled," vowed the ABA's head man. As for Indiana's postponement/forfeit of games last Sunday and Monday, Newman would only say, cryptically, "the reason will be announced (Friday) or Monday, but
we had reasons."
© almostbasketball
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