‘It’s been a little unorthodox’

It didn’t take Xavier Moon long to notice something was wrong.

And it took even less time for him to conclude that Game 1 of the Canadian Elite Basketball League Finals wouldn’t last long.

On Friday, the Winnipeg Sea Bears star guard revisited Wednesday night’s contest in Brampton, Ont., which lasted less than two minutes before being cancelled due to the court being unsafe for competition.

Moon said the game shouldn’t have lasted as long as it did.

“As soon as I walked out. Obviously, we walked in, and they were wiping the floor off, but I mean, that’s pretty standard. But once I walked on the court, I’m like, ‘There’s no way,’” Moon said, noting how slippery the court inside the CAA Centre felt.

“We shouldn’t have played that minute and 46 seconds, to be honest. I knew it was a safety issue, man, and I mean they tried to do what they could to make sure the floor was playable, but I knew it was no way that we were gonna be able to play that game.”

Trey McGowens, who credited the league for cancelling the game when it did, said the floor was fine during the Sea Bears’ morning shootarounds, about seven hours before the game, but that things were different once he touched the court for warmups. When the game began, there was trepidation among all players as they moved around the court.

“Everybody was just trying to get through without trying to get hurt, it felt like,” McGowens said.

“We were just frustrated because we were the away team coming in, and it’s like we didn’t get to play, and it’s like we gotta hit the road and travel back. But I mean, just to see how amped up the guys were and ready to play, whether it was during the shootaround or even during pregame warmups. Until we felt the court was slippery, it was just super exciting. So, get on the court tomorrow with the guys again one last time.”

The league axed its plans for a three-game series shortly after the contest and changed the championship to a single-game affair between the Sea Bears and Brampton Honey Badgers, which will go Saturday at Canada Life Centre (2:30 p.m.).

Moon said he actually prefers a one-game championship, and that it’s made all the better knowing over 10,000 tickets had been purchased as of Friday morning.

“Kind of a reset, man. We had to take a step back,” Moon said of the preparation for Saturday. “Obviously, we didn’t get to play, and then preparing for that game. It’s the same as us being here, though. But now, like I told (the team), the margin for error is even smaller because it’s only one game and it’s not a series, so we got to change my mindset a little bit, but the goal is still the same.”

Head coach Mike Raimbault said the team reviewed the few possessions that were played and was able to confirm that the playing surface was “not ideal,” which also made it tough to take anything away from the film that could be applied to Saturday’s final.

As far as his players are concerned, Raimbault has been pleased with the way his group has responded since returning home.

“It’s been a little unorthodox, but I think the group has done a tremendous job of staying organized and together, and not allowing circumstances to create a level of unfocusedness,” he said.

“We got home, we got some rest, we had a pretty good practice, we reviewed the material, and we’re excited for tomorrow.”

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