THE FRONT ROW with Jason Elliott June 6, 2012

Basketball is a funny sport sometimes.

No matter just what many think the outcome will be, that doesn't always happen.

I HAVE seen a bunch of all-star games in my time as a sports writer, but nothing like the one that unfolded on Monday night at University High in Spokane.

Members of the Region team, featuring some of the best players in North Idaho's Inland Empire League and some Washington schools, took on the Metro team, comprised of players in the Greater Spokane League in the 19th annual Jack Blair Memorial Girls All-Star Basketball Classic.

The Metro team had chances to put the game away early, but that didn't happen as the Region made a 19-4 run to tie the game at halftime.

Different half, same story as the Metro jumped out to a big lead before the Region evened the score again late in the second half.

With the momentum almost back to the Region, a foul in the final five seconds gave it back for good as the Metro team won for the 18th time in 19 meetings.

In a game that could have gone either way, you'd think the game was decided in the final seconds, but it really wasn't.

Whether it was a missed layup or the jumper that didn't fall in the final seconds, the chances were there long before the final buzzer.

The Metro team has been pretty good in this series since its start, but Region is getting closer.

Monday night, they were just one play behind.

MEANWHILE THE Oklahoma City Thunder - you know, that team that used to call Seattle home - has suddenly made the Western Conference finals series with San Antonio interesting.

San Antonio won the first two games of the series before the Thunder stormed back to win the next three games, with the Thunder beating the Spurs in San Antonio on Monday night.

Should the Thunder get past the Spurs - I'd expect to hear some grumbling from fans that just won't let it go.

It has been almost four years since the Sonics left town, and now the city is in the midst of battling to get another team to call its own.

Meanwhile, games in Oklahoma are sold out to the point where celebrities can't even get a ticket.

Don't blame the team for leaving - that should be on the hands of those fans that weren't there when the team wasn't playing as well.

WHETHER IT is a high school or professional game, chances are that things will change eventually.

A time will come when the Region will win the Jack Blair game again, much like a team in the NBA that didn't make the playoffs contending again.

Right now, some teams are getting all the right bounces.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected].