The Indiana Lyons are now the American Basketball Association (ABA) Champion Indiana Lyons. Co-champions, to be precise, in unique circumstances that have never occurred in the league.
The Lyons, as the 2022-23 ABA Midwest Region Champions, traveled to Hillsboro, Missouri in the St. Louis metropolitan area last week for the ABA Final Eight tournament, facing the ABA Southeast Region Champions, the Atlanta Aliens, in their first quarterfinal game on April 13.
The Aliens were 18-3 on the season and ranked No. 8 in the ABA, while the Lyons were 18-6 and ranked No. 11.
In a very physical game, the Lyons led for most of the way before eliminating the Aliens from the tournament, 121-107. This historic victory marked the furthest that the Lyons had ever advanced in the ABA playoffs in their five-year existence.
On April 14, the Lyons faced the No. 1 seed in the tournament, the Wyoming Valley Clutch out of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in their semifinal game. The ABA Mid-Atlantic Region Champions finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in the ABA and sported a gaudy 17-1 record.
Another extremely physical game ensued, and the Lyons trailed for most of the contest before mounting a 27-16 comeback in the fourth quarter to win in the waning seconds, 80-76.
This triumph set up the ABA Championship Game matchup between the Lyons and the ABA North Central Region Champions, the Burning River Buckets, out of Cleveland, Ohio, on April 15.
However, as both teams arrived at the gym to warm up, a heavy thunderstorm with high winds hit the area (later determined to be an EF-0 tornado that hit 3 miles south of the gym), driving everyone into the basement of the gym during a tornado warning. After the danger passed, it was discovered that the roof of the gym had sustained damage, and water was leaking onto the basketball floor.
League officials could not find a spot to relocate the game at that late of an hour on a Saturday, so after extensive discussion, they contacted the ABA Commissioner – who was not present for the championship game – for guidance. In a stunning decision, the Commissioner declared the game cancelled and the Lyons and the Buckets as co-champions of the ABA – the first time in the history of the league that there have been co-champions.
The immediate scene was one of shock and raw emotion by both teams, having had their opportunity to compete for a title stripped from them.
Many Lyons fans had traveled to St. Louis to watch the championship game in person. Many others had purchased the ABA’s pay-per-view package to watch the game from home. Months of hard work and sacrifice by both teams ended with no finality. The anguish in the gym was palpable.
The ABA did not publicly release its decision until the following day, so with minimal information about the circumstances available, backlash on social media against the decision by ABA fans and players across the country began immediately and continued for days.
The Lyons and Buckets organizations have both refrained from much comment, other than to repeatedly express support and respect for each other.
As reality set in, the Lyons players realized that they had done everything they could, and despite all of the adversity, they were bringing an ABA championship back to Indiana on the 50th anniversary of the last time it was done. The Indiana Pacers last won the ABA in 1973. And so the celebration began.
The Lyons plan to host a public celebration of their ABA championship at Bosstick Gym in Danville soon, with details to be announced on IndianaLyons.com and their Facebook and Instagram pages.
Quarterfinal 1 Results
Quarterfinal 2 Results
Quarterfinal 3 Results
Quarterfinal 4 Results
Semifinal 1 Results
Semifinal 2 Results
Unofficial Tournament Bracket
