There's usually a point in every season that defines a team.

The fortunes of the Xplosion made a U-turn in early December when general manager Freddie Lewis shook up the roster. The changes paid immediate dividends, transforming the Xplosion from a 5-7 team headed nowhere to an 18-11 team that will play host to the Bellingham Slam (19-14) in the second round of the American Basketball Association playoffs at 7 p.m. today at Petersen Events Center.

The Xplosion received a bye in the first round as the sixth-ranked team among the 24 in the playoffs.

Bellingham (Wash.) advanced with a 134-116 victory against the Tacoma Navigators as guard Caleb Gervin, the nephew of NBA legend George Gervin, scored a career-high 45 points.

The winner of the game between the Xplosion and Slam will move into the quarterfinals Wednesday in Rochester, N.Y.

A big reason for the Xplosion's resurgence was the arrival of 6-foot-6 Janerio Spurlock, who has averaged 20 points per game and provided another offensive threat to complement 6-9 Armon Gilliam (23.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg) and 6-5 Coleco Buie (21 ppg, 4 apg).

"I wasn't sure what to expect," said Spurlock, who spent the past three years playing in recreation leagues in his hometown of Cincinnati and is in his first season as a professional basketball player. "What can be better than getting paid to do something you love? I want to do this as long as I can."

Gilliam, a native of Bethel Park who starred at UNLV and spent 13 productive seasons in the NBA, has been the big man in the middle for the Xplosion.

"I played forward in the NBA, but now I'm a post-up center," said Gilliam, 41, who plans to play road games in the playoffs after playing just at home in the regular season. "I want to help bring a pro basketball championship to Pittsburgh."

Gilliam and Buie are candidates for ABA player of the year.

Coach Tom Thacker has molded the Xplosion into a contender for the title in the team's inaugural season in the ABA. The Xplosion, which finished in second place in the Freddie Lewis Division behind the Indiana AlleyCats, averages 119 points per game. The Xplosion lost five games against the AlleyCats, whose 27-4 record is best in the league.

The Xplosion will have to win four games in the single-elimination playoffs to become the champion.