Throughout the first half of the season the Flatbush Falcons appeared to be one of the premier teams in the Eastern Conference. Going into the midseason break, one concern the Falcons had was their ability to consistently beat the top tiered teams in the league, but with five remaining games all against tremendous competition the Falcons were determined to change that up.
Their success started in a highly anticipated showcase at the Barclays Center against the HAFTR Hawks. The Falcons jumped out to a great start, holding a strong lead at the half with a 16 point advantage. As the second half started, the Hawks were determined to complete a comeback and slowly but surely they fought back. With the deficit narrowed down to two points and 10 seconds remaining, the Hawks were determined to complete a feat that Kyrie Irving has been unable to do this season: win at the Barclays Center. On the opposing end, the Falcons were determined to control their lead and lock down defensively one last possession to give them this crucial win. With five seconds left the Falcons forced a clutch turnover and as the buzzer sounded the Falcons were victorious.
Two nights later the Falcons hosted the Magen David Warriors in a truly thrilling matchup. The story of the first half was a series of runs sparked by the Warriors 7-0 run to start the game. The Falcons were determined to get the win on their homecourt which spurted a run of their own. For the next few minutes, leading into the later half of the second quarter, the Falcons went on a 17-1 run to provide themselves with a comfortable lead going into the break.
The Warriors came out the half on a defensive rampage not allowing Flatbush to score a field goal for the first six minutes of the quarter. This thundering defense led to easy offensive opportunities for the Warriors as they held a four point lead going into the final frame. The fourth quarter was the story of two senior leaders, Allie Dweck and Morris Chaayah, as they would trade buckets until the final possession. A last second shot by the Warriors would not fall, forcing overtime which is when the real excitement started.
The overtime period started with the Falcons going on a four point run, but Dweck wasn’t done yet as he hit a put back followed by a clutch steal and lay in to tie the game. With seconds remaining on the clock, the Falcons knew who to give the ball to and all eyes turned to watch Chaaya. He took his time and ultimately found an opening on the wing where he put up a shot at the buzzer which banked in for the win.
There is nothing more enjoyable than hitting a buzzer beater for the win. With the momentum on their side the Falcons will look to close out the season on high note. Stay tuned for updates on their future matchups!
Ikey Gutlove has been a long time contributor to the sports section of The Jewish link and is currently The Jewish Link of New Jersey sports intern. He can be reached at [email protected].
