Seasons
1997-98
Record: 38-18, first in National Conference of a nine-team league.
Playoffs: Swept La Crosse in three games in best-of-five opener, but then needed to win a decisive fifth game at home in the conference final with Rockford. They won a deciding seventh at home in an epic finals matchup with Sioux Falls to secure the second Thunder CBA championship.
Scoring leaders: Jimmy King 16.4, Jeff McInnis 14.9, Alvin Sims 13.6, Doug Smith 12.8, Willie Burton 11.6.
Rebounding leaders: Byron Houston 8.7, Smith 6.8, Barry Sumpter 5.0.
Assist leaders: McInnis 5.6, King 3.3.
Year in review: Six straight wins to start the season was portent of good things to come. And, beginning with a New Year’s Eve win, a 10-game streak kicked the year into high gear. ... King won MVP honors, McInnis was Newcomer of the Year, Sims became the Thunder’s first Rookie of the Year and Dan Panaggio won his second Coach of the Year award. ... The trophy parade was completed when Finals MVP Byron Houston double-doubled on a badly sprained ankle to key a 92-88 Thunder win over Sioux Falls in Game 7 of the championship series. That laid claim to the franchise’s second Jay Ramsdell championship trophy. ... The Game 7 victory at home was sweet, but the series actually turned on an epic 108-106 Game 4 win in which, with their team facing a 3-1 series deficit, McInnis scored 38 points and King keyed a comeback by scoring seven points in the last minute.