Arlington, TX – The Fort Worth F.I.R.M. have been on a mission for 2 years. The 2021 PBA Champion went undefeated in 2022 and proved their value once again when it counted most in the Final 4. New Mexico having come off an impressive victory over Georgia came into the game riding their explosive 2-man game with Lamar Morinia and Devon Williams. The F.I.R.M. countered with veteran leader Wolf Rabb, shooters in Jelon Hornbeak and Chasten King, and pick and pop big man JR Duffy along with the high flying, shot blocking, big man Damontrae McFarland. Rabb just seemed to be able to control the game from the onset. At 6’5 and 225lbs he’s a little bit of a mismatch for most point guards and he’s savvy with it. He just knows how to use his body and create angles, and get into a pick and roll game with the post in an elbow series that the F.I.R.M. runs really effectively. He was effective getting into the paint against smaller guards that are a second late on the ball screen action or backing out and creating space for a switch mismatch, or finding the perfect timing for the pocket pass that was allowing his bigs to finish high percentage shots right at the goal. It’s not that the Bluetails couldn’t score. Sure they started off slowly but they always do. It was the percentage from the field they were allowing that really seemed to doom their chances for a second half comeback. Inevitably the F.I.R.M. did what the F.I.R.M. do defeating New Mexico 102-88 and earning the PBA Championship in the process. Wolf Rabb was named Final 4 MVP.
