The International Basketball League, or IBL, is a fairly new league that's just a few years old. It features several rules that speed the game up. Teams get just one timeout per quarter, and inbounds are as immediate as possible. InsideHoops.com hasn't seen any IBL games but from what we understand the games are about on the same level as ABA games.

Los Angeles Lightning win 2009 IBL Championship
July 28, 2009

L.A. LIGHTNING 111 - OREGON WAVES 94: Lamond Murray scored 22 points and Fred Vinson added 20 points on Tuesday night, leading the Los Angeles Lightning to their first International Basketball League championship at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks California. Trayvon Lathan collected 18 points and eight rebounds and Toby Bailey had 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists on a night when all five Lightning starters reached double-figure scoring. The Lightning (now 18-5) won the series 2-1.

"This was the final game, we wanted to win so bad," said Vinson, who shot 5-13 on 3-pointers. "We made some adjustments defensively and everybody came with a focus. We played a smart game."

Murray scored eight points in the first eight minutes as L.A. built a 22-7 lead. The Lightning led 54-40 at the half and 82-64 after three quarters. David Lucas paced the Waves (16-9) with 30 points and nine rebounds. Robert Day, who scored a game high 33 points in Oregon's 108-107 Game 2 win, managed just four points and went 0-11 on three pointers. Center Adam Parada added 15 points and 9 boards for the Lightning, who outshot the visitors 50 to 40 percent and outrebounded them 59-45. Point guard Darrick Martin contributed 10 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists.

The Waves cut a 23-point deficit to 13 in the final quarter when J.S. Nash (15 points) scored five straight. The Lightning regained control, however, with an 11-2 run, capped by a triple by Vinson that made it 100-78 with 6:15 to play.


International Basketball League News

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