Or, as it was the case with Thursday’s originally scheduled title tiff, NOT happen.

At any rate, for what seemed like an eternity and a half, there was no Black Wall Street. Their ire was perfectly justified, of course, as Terror Squad this time around not only had finished-his-community-service Ron Artest warming up on the asphalt but also enlisted maybe-out-of-retirement Jerome Williams as well. “I’m stepping out,” the Junk Yard Dog smiled as only he can. “A Knicks comeback? Who knows?”

Of course, after an hour or so of repeat torture for the 2000-plus fan-atics in attendance, Black Wall Street did finally appear. You don’t win 18 in a row by not showing up. And “you don’t win a championship by not showing up either,” said BWS star Rashaun ”Crabby” Young.

But could Black Wall Street, and its unmatched grit, defensive determination, and team-first ‘tude, win while facing this type of NBA pedigree? There was little doubt that on Thursday, sans Artest and JYD, Terror Squad would have stood scant chance against these unmatched chemical engineers of the street. But Artest, a NBA Defensive Player of the Year who is not called ”The Ultimate Warrior” without reason, is in a whole other stratosphere. Then, once you add the Dawg into the equation, BWS had to be the barking-est of underdogs this evening.

Even worse, they didn’t have “the bench”. Terror Squad always gets the Eighth Avenue-side pine in the park, allowing them to shoot at the better basket during the second half. “This court has a slight incline,” explains Cardozo High School Coach and EBC maven Ron Naclerio. “You think it makes a difference shooting while going up-hill? You just watch.”

In the tensest possible atmosphere -- the first 20 seconds took 10 minutes to play with all the fouls, arguments, and what-not -- game is finally on. JYD, looking stunningly chipper, and Artest shoot Terror Squad out to a 10-4 lead but Junie “General Electric” Sanders is absolutely uncanny in posting up, and shooting impossible bankers, over Artest (!) time after unbelievable time. Six-nine onetime Providence forward Garnett Thompson also triggers an amazing 14-2 run, giving BWS an 18-12 lead.

Terror Squad mentor Mousey, who obviously received his coaching certificate at the Siegmund Freud Academy of Hoops, goes predictably bat-nuts. He gets T-d up. Owner Fat Joe tries sarcasm. “Here we go with the referees again,” he smiles, kind of. “The refs. Every time. Again.”

Terror Squad comes back. Again. Kareem “Best Kept Secret” Reid springs free for a couple of bankers then the Dawg pounces. 22-19 Squad. BWS re-rises with an 8-2 run led by John “Mookie” Thomas and James “Stix” Williams. Terror Squad’s Darren “DP” Phillip dunks to cut the BWS lead to 27-25 at the half.

Fat Joe: “Come on guys, let’s take over this game!” But how? Naclerio counsels DP: “You’ve got to quicken the pace. With the game this slow, they are doing a great job neutralizing “Secret”.

Still, Garnett and Crabby open big in the second half, stretching the lead to 38-32. Reid, indeed nonexistent in face of switching, double-teaming defenses, now takes off, tying the game at 41. Artest suffers a major gash in his right hand – then comes back and asserts his class. Consecutive jumpers by the NBA star put Terror Squad up six (51-45), a huge lead with just six minutes to go in such a defensive game. Indeed, it proves crucial. The lead is eight (61-53) with 1:25 to go but a sizzling Mookie keeps things in doubt with some raining parking lot three-s. Still, eventually, the flawless free throw shooting of DP prevails. The game MVP sinks eight in a row. Terror Squad wins 70-59.

“We are the greatest EBC team of ALL TIME,” shouts Fat Joe. “This should be five titles in a row! Last year they jerked us! They robbed us! But they can’t stop us! Here we are!”

The night’s first game was EBC America opener Seattle v. Boston, with Seattle featuring New York Knicks Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson as well as the Portland Trail Blazers lottery rookie Brandon Roy. In addition, 7-foot Spencer Hawes, an incoming freshman at the University of Washington who rejected scholarship offers from Duke and North Carolina, played center. Boston, obviously having a exceedingly bad week in sports, could only counter with Will Blaylock (last pick in the second round by the Pistons in the recent draft) and onetime UConn forward Scott Hazelton.

Still, Beantown led 15-8 early before Robinson and Crawford started to percolate. Little Nate’s game, of course, is MADE for the park and he didn’t disappoint, performing some invisible ball-tricks and flying alley-oops that brought unending cries of “Little Man” from the crowd. “That kid has TNT in his shorts,” one aficionado decided following a particularly explosive move.

The slashing Roy was also outrageous, the crowd basically handing him the Rookie of the Year trophy after an exceptional first half. And the fundamentally oh-so-sound Hawes has a NBA future, no doubt.

After the 87-73 win, Nate said: “This was fantastic fun, doing all this park-stuff out here for these great fans. But don’t worry, Isiah (Thomas), I can always adjust my game. I’m ready!”

Added Crawford: “Was this great or what? I’m here to give back and to hang with my peeps. Also, to show everyone that the Seattle area has a lot of talent!”

Seattle faces defending champion Los Angeles (with Baron Davis and Antoine Walker) in Tuesday’s semifinals, with New York and D. C. hooking up in the other game. The Championship Finals are Wednesday evening at six.