Air Force 1 63, Terminator 40

As I noted in the preview, the victor of this game would be determined by which Air Force 1 team shows up. If they had only four or five guys and had to battle through fatigue all evening, they wouldn't stand a chance. But an Air Force 1 squad with seven guys and all their studs, now we're talking. And that's what we got tonight.

But to start the game, it was all Terminator. Leading 10-4 at the 15-minute mark, Omar Grant was only padding his resume for Rookie of the Year. After making a three to extend the lead to 15-7 in Terminator's favor, it appeared that even a full Air Force 1 roster couldn't hang with the NRF's surprise team of the year. Grant's star power was in full shine mode, as his defense helped set the tempo for Terminator's D in general.

After a couple unsuccessful trips down the floor, I wrote down that Air Force 1 needed to get Chris Dowling involved - and that exactly what they did. Following a deep three, Dowling took it to the rack and got fouled. As the X-factor for this team, making sure that he's involved is crucial for their future success.

Interestingly enough, Air Force 1's game was very dichotomous: they either give to their bigs or they shoot the three. That's it. And with Paul Rivera running the show, he sets everything in motion. After a buzzer-beating three from Grant to end the half, Terminator went into the break with a 27-24 lead.

At this point, I don't know what happened. The battle between Grant and Rivera was heating up, and all of a sudden it was as if we were up at Rucker Park. After a 13-3 run to start the half, Air Force 1 led 37-30 at the 15-minute mark and never looked back. Grant continued to miss shots, and Rivera continued to make them. Also, Jason Burke was beasting people in the paint on both sides. By the end, Rivera was literally snarling on the court. And once that happens, game over.

Final score: Air Force 1 wins, 63-42.

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