ACN Takes Game One in a Finals Thriller, 9-5

Beef Negative Strikes First in the Best-of-5 Championship Series

The NBL Finals are officially underway and if Game One is any indication, we might be in for one of the most intense finals in league history. ACN and Lil Nee went blow-for-blow in a game that had everything: kickoff goals, highlight-reel wall bounces, and a controversial own-goal that swung momentum.

First Half: Back-and-Forth Battle

Fans packed into the stream expecting fireworks, and the first half didn’t disappoint.

• ACN struck first with a clean one-pointer to get Beef Negative on the board.

• Lil Nee immediately answered with a kickoff goal using a ramp to perfection, a vintage Lil Nee move that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

• Lil Nee then got a easy open 1 pointer to take the lead 3-2.

• At 3-2, it looked like Lil Nee might hold the lead into halftime until disaster struck. On a last-second defensive play, Lil Nee accidentally own-goaled, tying the score 3-3 going into halftime and handing ACN momentum on a silver platter.

Second Half: ACN Flips the Script

Coming out of the half, ACN wasted no time, scoring a quick one-pointer to retake the lead 4-3. The middle stretch was a defensive clinic both players racking up blocks and saves before Lil Nee broke through with the highlight of the night: a wall-bounce beach ball 2-pointer that brought Frost Falcons fans back to life and gave him the lead 5-4. But ACN refused to fold. He answered instantly with a kickoff goal, swinging momentum once again and putting Beef Negative ahead 6-5. On the next kickoff, Lil Nee nearly tied it but the ball stopped on the goal line. ACN looking to clear the ball used a big bumpers and used it to perfection sending the ball flying across the field for a devastating 3-pointer that broke the game open. When the final whistle blew, the score read Beef Negative 9, Frost Falcons 5.

What This Means for the Series

With Game One in the books, Beef Negative now leads the Best-of-5 series 1-0, and ACN is halfway to winning his first-ever NBL Championship. But if history tells us anything, it’s that Lil Nee isn’t out yet. He’s been here before last season, he also dropped Game One in the semifinals before storming back to win the series and eventually the title. This Finals matchup is quickly shaping up to be one for the ages the two greatest players in NBL history trading haymakers with a championship on the line.