On paper, the Matrices were no match to City.

Being a 3-time champion of HKMBL, City did not lose a single game in their previous three seasons. They still looked that dominant this year as they were 6-0, with an averaged winning margin of 29 points, before heading into this game. On the other hand, the Matrices had lost three games already and had not beat a team with winning record.

Nobody, probably including the Matrices players themselves, would have thought the Matrices could beat City before the game. However, the hot shooting Kenneth Siu got the team right on track and his teammates responded with solid team spirit and a never-seen-before defense intensity.

Kenneth, who came off a 16 points (7/9 FG) effort in game 9, pulled off an even more spectacular performance, making 5/7 three pointers enroute to 21 points and allowing the Matrices to win their biggest game in team history, beating City 37-35 in game 10 of HKMBL 2004.

"Honestly, I had no confidence whatsoever before the game, " said Kenneth. "Once I hit my first two three pointers, I just told myself that there's no way I would allow losing this game."

Kenneth came out firing in the first quarter, swishing his first two three point attempts. He added another fastbreak layup to help build a 10:5 lead over City. City, displaying their champion posture, calmy took the lead at 10:12 with a 7-0 run, capped by a three pointer. Just when things began to go City's way, they went ice cold all of a sudden and failed to score again in the first quarter. The Matrices held the lead, 15:12 after the first quarter. Kenneth had 10 points in this period.

Seeing Kenneth feeling it from downtown and taking advantage of this sudden slump of City, the Matrices kept feeding the ball to Kenneth, who did not let his teammates down, hitting a long range jumper and his third three pointer of the night. Kong then hit 1/2 from the line to give the Matrices their biggest lead of the game, 21:12. City finally scored a basket in the paint after going scoreless for more than 10 minutes. They then hit another three to pull within 4, with the score at 21:17. This was when Gabriel, who had 3 blocks and 3 steals in the game, turned up his defensive intensity.

"I haven't been shooting the ball well these few games, " said Gabriel, who was 7/23 in the recent two games. " so I decided to make it up by playing defense."

After Gabriel missed a layup, City got the defensive rebound and threw a long pass to the front court immediately. Just when everybody thought it would be a wide open fastbreak basket, Gabriel chased down the opponent and blocked the layup attempt out of bound. Later on, Gabriel blocked the same player again just when he thought he was wide open underneath the basket. Both team then traded misses in the next few possessions and the first half ended with the Matrices leading 21:17.

"Still holding the lead after the first half showed everybody that we were here for real, " Tung said. "I told my teammates that we should believe. We came here to win tonight."

The 3-time champion City did not make things easy for the Matrices in the second half. City opened the second half with a 6-0 to take the lead at 21:23. The Matrices could not score a point until late in the third quarter, with Tung hitting 2/2 free throws, tying the game at 23:23. Gabriel carried on his great defensive play with a steal and a fastbreak layup. He added two more free throws to put his team up 27:23. City connected 1/2 from the line and the score was 27:24 with one quarter left.

"The tension began to build up at this point, " said Gabriel. "Our bench was excited. The crowd was excited. I was excited. We said to ourselves that we had fought hard for three quarters to have a 4 point lead with one quarter left. We just couldn't let this game slip out of our hands and go home with another loss. We said to ourselves, "Let's go out, take this win, and make history!!" and we did."

It was a dramatic fourth quarter.The Matrices stepped up big time on defense. Kong stole the ball twice from the opponent and went coast to coast for a layup to put them ahead further 29:24. Gabriel again intercepted a careless pass, his third steal of the game. City's big men were able to have success on the offensive glass and scored a put back to cut the deficit to 29:26. The Matrices somehow raised their defensive intensity even higher. Wong Ching Hei blocked a shot attempt from the paint and Gabriel found Kenneth for another three on the other end, extending the lead to 32:26. However, City was not about to give up this easily.

"We have been used to winning," said Tung. "Of course we didn't expect them to just fall apart."

City did just that and launched their final comeback. Famous for their terrific passing and offense rotation, they scored three straight baskets, a tough runner off the baseline, a nice feed into the paint, and an easy layup to tie the game one last time at 32:32.

Kenneth, being known as the Matrices' Reggie Miller, delivered his own heroic by hitting his fifth three pointer of the night.

"I was very comfortable behind the arc, " said Kenneth. " I had a feeling that everything I put up would definitely go in."

It was a dagger to City as the Matrices led 35:32 with only a minute something left in the clock. Neither team was able to make a basket until the end of the game. City were able to make two free throws to make it 35:34. Gabriel turned the ball over by stepping on the line and one of City's sharp shooters was fouled on a shot. City was looking to regain the lead but surprisingly they mised both free throws. The Matrices failed to widen the lead as Gabriel was called for traveling but City could not score either as they turned the ball over too.

The Matrices had the possession with 40 seconds left. City called for a full court press and were looking to foul Gabriel, who was a 35% free throw shooter. The plan was successful as Gabriel made only 1/2 from the line, making it a 2 point game at 36:34. City got the defensive rebound and immediately drew foul by attacking the basket. The shooter made the first free throw to cut it to 36:35 but missed the second. Senne came up with a big defensive rebound with 20 seconds left and passed it to Kenneth, who was fouled on his way and was sent to the line for two. Unfortunately, he missed both.

"I somehow felt it's easier to make three pointers than free throws, " joked Kenneth, who made 5/7 3PT but 0/2 FT.

City had one last chance to go for the win but Kong made the biggest and most important defensive stop. After getting the rebound off Kenneth's missed free throw, City pushed the ball quickly down the lane and went for a layup. Kong, jumped over Senne and Wong Ching Hei, blocked the attempt in the air and Gabriel picked up the ball. City could do nothing but fouled Gabriel hard with only 3 seconds left. The referee called for a flagrant foul and the Matrices' bench immediately went ecstatic. Gabriel again split the pair of free throw but the Matrices still had the possession with 3 seconds remaining and a 2-point lead.

The Matrices had one last scare before the final buzzer. Kong inbounced the ball but Senne had the ball slipped off his hand. A City player immediately picked up the ball and went for a shot from half court. The ball hit the side of the rim and the buzzer sounded. THE MATRICES BEAT CITY 37:35.

"We did it! We really beat City," said an overly joyful Gabriel." I don't know what to say. Kenneth was the man obviously. Kong was the man too for that last block! It was a team effort. We came together as a team and now we have made history."

"It's so touching," said Wolfkam, secretary of the team. " I had tears coming out."

"This is a game that I will never, ever forget for the rest of my life. I'm sure this is true for my teammates as well, " said Kenneth.

 

 

 

Box Score

NAME	FGM	FGA	%	3PM	3PA	%	FTM	FTA	%	O Reb	D Reb	Reb	AST	STL	BLK	TO	Foul	PT
Gabriel Kwong	2	7	28.57%	0	1	0.00%	5	9	55.56%	2	2	4	2	3	3	4	2	9
Kenneth Siu	8	15	53.33%	5	7	71.43%	0	2	0.00%		2	2					4	21
Senne Sung											2	2	1			1	2	0
Anson Ho	0	2	0.00%	0	1	0.00%				1		1				1	2	0
Kong	1	7	14.29%	0	2	0.00%	1	2	50.00%		6	6		4	1	2	2	3
Daniel Chan	1	1	100.00%							1	1	2	2			1	1	2
Anthony Shiu																		0
Wong Ching Hei	0	1	0.00%								4	4	1		1	2	2	0
Tung	0	1	0.00%				2	2	100.00%				1	1		1	1	2
	12	34	35.29%	5	11	45.45%	8	15	53.33%	4	17	21	7	8	5	12	16	37

Points in Paint: 2

Fast Break Point: 8

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
Matrices	15	6	6	10	37
City	12	5	7	11	35