Recapping Our Dramatic Weekend!

Happy Monday! After a dramatic weekend, the Firebirds’ record sits at 3-1. Today, I’ll be breaking down Friday and Saturday’s games, as well as previewing what’s next. Let’s jump right in!

Table of Contents

• Firebirds Emerge Victorious on Friday, 101-97

• Firebirds Narrowly Lose on Saturday, 92-96

• What’s Next

Firebirds Emerge Victorious on Friday, 101-97

The first matchup between the Firebirds and Titans proved to be everything advertised. The show centered around Dreko Palmer of the Firebirds and Nasir Core of the Titans; however, many players on both teams impacted the game in large ways.

Palmer, Shaq Dance, and Julian Gamble all made big plays to give the Firebirds a bit of a cushion to start the game. Threes from DJ Thomas and Darius Paul pushed the lead to double digits, where it stayed for most of the first quarter. Then, with just a few minutes left in the 1st, Shaq Dance stole the ball and went coast to coast for a dunk. Multiple Firebirds buckets ensued, and the team led by 14 at the end of the 1st. 

Unfortunately, the Titans came back in the 2nd, bringing the Firebirds’ lead to just one point. However, four mid-range buckets from Daequon Antoine and an alley-oop from Dreko Palmer to Mason Harrell ignited the crowd and put the Firebirds back up 10. They maintained for the rest of the half, with the halftime score sitting at 59-48.

The Firebirds were playing very well, but then, a string of unfortunate events ensued. On nearly four concurrent possessions, the Firebirds turned the ball over, mostly due to bad passes. Once again, the Firebirds’ lead was cut to just one point, and once again, some highlight plays kept the crowd engaged and the game close. However, at the end of the 3rd, the Firebirds only led by three points.

The Titans continued playing good basketball and took their first lead of the game with 10 minutes left. Their lead kept growing, eventually reaching seven points. The Firebirds had no timeouts left at this point, and it seemed as though they may have choked the game away. However, DJ Thomas and Palmer checked in, which shifted the momentum. Some key buckets and defensive plays made it once again a one-possession game. Thomas was absolutely crucial for the Firebirds this weekend; as the team’s 6th man, he always brought a renewed sense of energy and purpose. He also gave 100% on every possession, locking up players despite his 5’10” stature and finishing some acrobatic plays.

A huge dunk from Mason Herald put the Firebirds up one, and an and-one layup from Palmer gave the Firebirds a three-point lead with 50 seconds left. From there, the Firebirds held on and made some free throws to seal the four-point win.

This game could’ve been won by a much larger margin; however, the turnovers and sloppy play throughout various stretches of the game made it a lot closer. Unfortunately, more of the same would happen on Saturday.

Firebirds Narrowly Lose on Saturday, 92-96

Friday night may have been the battle between Palmer and Core, but Saturday afternoon was the opposite. Core didn’t play for the Titans, while Palmer didn’t have much of an impact, not scoring at all.

The game was almost the complete opposite of the night before. Instead of the Firebirds jumping out to an early lead, it was the Titans who grabbed control of the game. The Firebirds had their worst quarter of basketball not only in the season but possibly in the franchise’s existence. It took multiple minutes before the team finally scored, and the team couldn’t seem to make anything from beyond the arc. Firebirds defenders kept getting blown by, and the Titans led by 14 at the end of the first quarter.

The majority of the second quarter was similar to the 1st, as the Titans maintained their double-digit lead. However, DJ Thomas had a beautiful crossover and layup with a few minutes left in the half that swung the momentum in the Firebirds’ direction. The Firebirds brought the Titans lead to just six points, although Tampa led by nine at the half due to a last-second three.

In the second half, the Firebirds played much better. The 3rd quarter started slow, but Thomas hit back-to-back threes, and a put-back dunk from Harrell made it a one-possession game. The two teams continued to battle back and forth into the 4th quarter. Ultimately, Tampa would get the last laugh, as the Firebirds missed a three down the stretch and were forced to foul the Titans, putting them on the free-throw line. A last-second shot from Antoine narrowed the Titans’ margin of victory from seven to four, but they won, 92-96. The Firebirds split the weekend series 1-1, with each team winning a game by four points and losing a game by four points.

With games this close and the back-and-forth being so dramatic, it’s looking like the Titans vs. Firebirds matchup could become one of the premier rivalries of the TBL! We play them next in Tampa on April 11th and 12th.

What’s Next

The Firebirds don’t play another home game for almost two weeks. But, we do play next weekend, and there’s still a way that you can help support the team!

Next Sunday, March 23rd, the Firebirds are going on the road to face the Savannah Buccaneers. We play them at 3 PM, and while it’s incredibly unrealistic to expect you to travel to Savannah to watch the team play, you can tune in via live stream!

To watch the Firebirds take on the Buccaneers, go to tbltv.tv/firebirds, and make an account. It’s a great way to support the Firebirds and organization and make sure you don’t miss a second of the action. We beat the Buccaneers by 20 in our home opener; let’s make sure they know it wasn’t a fluke!

Make sure to stay tuned for Wednesday’s edition! I’ll talk to you soon.

Until then,

-Tex