Wizards are champions again!

by **Phil89** on Mon Feb 10, 2014 2:29 pm

17/4/15

Miami Heat [25-56] vs Washington Wizards [72-9]

Wizards make history in Miami

MIA - 21 31 19 25 96
WAS - 31 24 31 24 110

Player of the Game: John Wall
(21pts, 4reb, 12ast)
(9-15 FG, 1-1 3PT, 2-2 FT)

Top Scorers
Manu Ginobili - 28
Dwyane Wade - 23
John Wall - 21
Andrew Wiggins - 19
Bradley Beal - 14
DeMarcus Cousins - 12
Greivis Vasquez - 12
Chris Bosh - 11
Aaron Brooks - 11
Nerlens Noel - 11
Michael Beasley - 10

Rebounds
DeMarcus Cousins - 9
Nerlens Noel - 7
Grant Jerrett - 7
Michael Beasley - 6
Andrew Wiggins - 6
Chris Bosh - 5
Kyle Anderson - 5

Assists
John Wall - 12
Aaron Brooks - 6
Mario Chalmers - 5

Steals
Chris Bosh - 3
Greivis Vasquez - 3
Bradley Beal - 2
DeMarcus Cousins - 2
Manu Ginobili - 2
Dwyane Wade - 2
Michael Beasley - 2

Blocks
Nerlens Noel - 2

Ginobili highlights

Wall highlights

Manu was 6-9 from downtown and really gave Miami no chance. He will be key for me in the playoffs

by **Phil89** on Mon Feb 10, 2014 2:53 pm

18/4/15

2014-15 Regular Season Review

The Wizards won sixty-one games last season behind the MVP play of explosive young guard John Wall. They cruised past Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs and looked on their way to finally giving Wizards fans a long craved championship. Unfortunately they ran into the brick wall known as the Miami Heat in the conference semi finals and were taught a basketball lesson by their more experienced opponents. In game one at the Verizon Center LeBron James seemed to be on mission to show the MVP judges that they had made a mistake by giving the award to John Wall. LeBron had an amazing 36 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, 6 steals and 1 block on 15/20 shooting. Miami ran out winners by 22 points despite Bradley Beal valiantly dropping 44 points of his own. Washington bounced back in game two and won by ten thanks to 15 points, 5 rebounds and 16 assists from John Wall and headed to Miami with the series tied 1-1. Game three was a repeat of the opening game though as the Heat ran out winners by nineteen points. There was some good news out of the game though for the Wizards as big man Chris Bosh injured his knee and was ruled out for the rest of the post-season. Sadly though they couldn't get their noses in front in either of games four or five, losing both by only four points and crashing out of the playoffs to the eventual champions.

General manager Steve Kerr had one objective during the off-season following that disappointment, acquire someone who could match-up favourably with LeBron so that next time the two teams met it would be a much closer series. Kerr set to work reshaping his roster by letting veterans Mike Bibby, Kris Humphries, John Salmons and Kyle Korver go. Veteran center Chris "Birdman" Andersen retired and Kerr picked up options on Bradley Beal and Greivis Vasquez. Washington had the highest odds in the draft lottery on the pick they received from Toronto in the Rudy Gay trade and successfully landed the first overall pick for the 2014 draft. To nobodies surprise they drafted college superstar Andrew Wiggins from Kansas with that pick, which looked like it fulfilled Kerr's goal of acquiring a talented small forward. Kerr then caught everyone off guard by sending guard DeMar DeRozan to the Pistons in exchange for expiring Tayshaun Prince, pick 15 and a 2015 first rounder. Kerr then landed a real steal by picking up Indiana big man Noah Vonleh with that fifteenth pick.

The greatest irony of the Wizards getting Andrew Wiggins, apart from the fact that they used the Raptors' pick to draft the Toronto native, was what happened in Florida a few weeks later. LeBron James turned his back on the champions and signed for their local rivals in Orlando. He teamed up with young prospects Shabazz Muhammad, Julius Randle and Marcus Smart. With John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins both re-signing in Washington it meant that the Wizards suddenly became raging hot favourites to dominate the eastern conference for the foreseeable future. Replacing Randy Wittman with former coach of the year Avery Johnson was another big move which was aimed at making the free scoring Wizards more accountable at the defensive end.

They started the new season shakily, losing to the Blazers in the opening game of the season in Washington. Rookie Noah Vonleh added to the early season worries after injuring his hamstring in pre-season and missing the first month of basketball. The anxiousness didn't last long though as they went on an amazing nineteen game winning streak immediately after that loss to Portland. The highlights of this run were wins against the Magic, Spurs, Bulls and Pacers, as well as rookie Wiggins dropping a cool fifty points at the Staples Center against the Lakers. The equal-fifth-longest winning streak in league history was eventually halted by a thirty-nine point effort from LeBron James in Washington. The Wizards then went 25-6 up to the all-star break.

On January 21st Washington made an important trade. They acquired veterans Manu Ginobili and Lamar Odom from the LA Clippers for Noah Vonleh, Mike Miller, Thabo Sefolosha and their 2016 first round pick. Many people questioned the logic of trading a 20 year old rookie with a big upside for a 35 year old veteran who is in his final years in the league. It proved to be a masterstroke though as Ginobili provided the Wizards with a long needed bench scorer. The Argentine maestro could yet win his fourth ring with this talented young Washington team.

John Wall, Bradley Beal, Andrew Wiggins and Nerlens Noel were all invited to all-star weekend. Wiggins and Noel faced off in the rising stars challenge game. Wiggins had 26 point and 5 assist, but Noel had 8 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and his team won. Sharpshooter Beal made his first appearance in the three point contest and made it to the second round. Unfortunately he lost his rhythm at the vital moment and finished runner-up to Milwaukee's Brandon Knight. John Wall started for the eastern team in the all-star game and Beal was selected as a reserve. Neither could stop Kevin Durant (36pts, 8reb) from leading the west to a 112-108 victory. Wall starred with 21 points and 16 assists, but Beal only managed 6 points in his first all-star game.

Heading into the second half of the season with a 44-7 record there were some more optimistic Washington fans that jokingly proclaimed that their team were a serious chance of breaking the Bulls' record of 72 wins. Of course that would mean that they would have to go the rest of the season losing no more than two games. On February 23rd they lost their eighth game of the season, 102-86, in Chicago against an unstoppable Derrick Rose (47pts, 9reb, 6ast). A twleve game winning streak followed and fans were once again dreaming of the record. That was until the Wizards traveled to Brooklyn to face the Nets. A combined 60 point effort from veterans Deron Williams and Joe Johnson gave the Nets a 111-107 win and put Washington's chances of breaking the record on a knife edge. They had thirteen games remaining and had to win every single one if they wanted to secure history.

At this stage of the season John Wall was looking like the favourite to win his second straight MVP award and in the last thirteen games he removed all doubt. As the Wizards went on to win all of those remaining games and claim the record outright, Wall led the way by averaging 28 points and 10 assists. The standout game for Wall came in Charlotte as he helped his team grab a 108-97 win. He dominated veteran Tony Parker, scoring 40 points and handing out 14 assists. The Wizards ironically ended their amazing season by winning in the same arena where their playoff run had devastatingly came to an end last season. The 110-96 win in Miami against the Heat was the 73rd of the season for Washington and sealed their place in NBA history.

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Major Events 2014-15 Season

June 27, 2014
2014 NBA Draft. Washington picked Andrew Wiggins with the first pick. Orlando picked Jabari Parker at #2 but traded him to Chicago for picks that would become Julius Randle and Marcus Smart.

September 30, 2014
2014 Off-Season transactions. LeBron shocks the world by signing for the Magic, Melo signs with the Bobcats, LMA traded to the Rockets.

October 31, 2014
Cleveland sign Kyrie Irving to 5 year/$81m extension
Cleveland sign Tristan Thompson to 5 year/$31m extension

November 3, 2014
Minnesota sign Derrick Williams to 5 year/$66m extension
Miami sign Dwyane Wade to 3 year/$61m extension

November 4, 2014
LA Clippers sign Tony Parker to 4 year/$40m extension

November 5, 2014
Orlando sign Nikola Vucevic to 5 year/$47m extension

November 7, 2014
Golden State sign DeAndre Jordan to 4 year/$35m extension

November 8, 2014
Denver sign Kenneth Faried to 5 year/$59m extension

November 21, 2014
Atlanta trade Nikola Pekovic, Hawks 2016 second round pick to Dallas for Kevin Seraphin

November 22, 2014
News emerged in late November that owner Ted Leonsis had sold the Wizards to the Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) group, a branch of the emirate’s sovereign wealth fund, headed by Ahmad al-Sayed. The new owner promised fans that no expense would be spared in making the team a perennial contender.

November 23, 2014
Oklahoma City trade Perry Jones to Washington for Antawn Jamison, Pistons 2015 first round pick

November 25, 2014
Miami trade Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller to Washington for Greivis Vasquez, Tayshaun Prince, Wizards 2015 first round pick
Milwaukee trade Emeka Okafor to Washington for Daequan Cook, Kosta Koufos

December 14, 2014
Orlando acquired superstar point guard Rajon Rondo from the Celtics to team up with LeBron James. After a slow start the Magic wanted a veteran star to help them rise up the standings. The Celtics continued their rebuild after the retirement of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers last season.

December 16, 2014
Lakers sign Kevin Love to 5 year/$101m extension
Raptors sign Rudy Gay to 5 yr/$84m extension

December 20, 2014
Grizzlies sign Marc Gasol to 3 year/$45m extension

December 24, 2014
Detroit acquired Brandon Jennings from the Bucks to help them push for a top three seed in the eastern conference. At the time he was the leading scorer in the NBA and added a three point threat to the Pistons' excellent inside game.

December 29, 2014
Dallas acquired Monta Ellis from Milwaukee in three team trade. The Bucks retooled their roster with some youngsters and cap relief, whilst the Pacers added a veteran power forward to help Roy Hibbert in their frontcourt.

January 1, 2015
Utah sign Eric Gordon to 5 year/$90m extension

January 21, 2015
Washington acquired Manu Ginobili from the Clippers as they looked for an x-factor to come off their bench during the playoffs. The Clippers went into full tank mode and began trading away their veterans to land young prospects, draft picks and cap space.

January 29, 2015
Rockets re-sign LaMarcus Aldridge to 3 year/$47m extension

February 16, 2015
2015 Dunk & Three Point contests

February 17, 2015
West team wins 2015 All-Star game 112-108

February 18, 2015
2015 Trade deadline recap

February 19, 2015
Cleveland sign Klay Thompson to 3 year/$39m extension
2015 NBA Mock Draft

March 5, 2015
2015 Free Agency preview

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Wizards 82 game form guide

1L-19W-1L-6W-1L-5W-2L-4W-1L-7W-1L-7W-1L-12W-1L-13W

The Wizards only lost consecutive games once this season. After that horrible form slump they recovered and finished the season with a decent 43-4 run. After the team dropped those two games in a row coach Avery Johnson joked that he was fearful of losing his job and that it would be tough for his team to recover from such a horrible losing streak. During the season the Wizards managed three streaks of ten or more consecutive wins, including a run of nineteen straight wins which equaled the fifth highest winning streak in NBA history.

Wizards record after each loss: 0-1, 19-2, 25-3, 30-4, 30-5, 34-6, 41-7, 48-8, 60-9

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Key players

John Wall
18.5 PPG - 3.5 RPG - 12.0 APG - 1.5 SPG - 0.4 BPG
59% FG - 20% 3PT - 78% FT

The Reigning MVP picked up where he left off last season and led by example as he orchestrated the Wizards' offense majestically. With long-range assassin Bradley Beal, Athletic wingman Andrew Wiggins and huge inside presence DeMarcus Cousins all providing solid scoring options Wall was able to focus on providing assists for them and developing more weapons in his own offensive game. One criticism he has received in the past is his lack of a perimeter game, but he worked hard over the off-season and proved this season that he had improved his stroke. At 20% efficiency from downtown he was nowhere near the best in the league, but he showed confidence in his shot and more impressively unveiled a much more consistent mid-range shot. He is said to have modeled that particular improvement on Russell Westbrook's almost unstoppable pull-up jumper.

Three of his games stood out this season. Firstly in Milwaukee he produced a 20 point, 5 rebound and 20 assist performance in a 103-92 win in Milwaukee. Next there is a 28 point and 17 assist game in a 113-105 win in Washington. Lastly was a 40 point, 3 rebound and 14 assist masterclass against Tony Parker in a 108-97 win in Charlotte.

Game Stats
20 Pts / 10 Ast - 27 times
15 Pts /15 Ast - 11 times
20 Pts /20 Ast - 1 times
DubDubs - 57 times

Andrew Wiggins
21.7 PPG - 4.6 RPG - 2.7 APG - 0.6 SPG - 0.5 BPG
59% FG - 40% 3PT - 88% FT

The 2014 first overall pick may have been upstaged by Chicago's Jabari Parker for the rookie of the year award, but 2014 first overall pick Andrew Wiggins had a wonderful first season in the NBA. During the season he seemed to rotate the responsibility of being the first scoring option with Bradley Beal and John Wall. He proved that he can be an incredibly efficient scorer with averages of 59% FG, 88% FT and 40% 3PT this season on nearly 22 points a game. One thing he needs to improve in the next few years is his rebounding. For someone of his athletic ability and length less than 5 rebounds per game isn't really acceptable.

Wiggins also had three particularly notable games in his debut season. First he made a statement by dropping an amazing 50 points on Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a 104-99 win in Los Angeles. With that performance he joined the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and more recently Brandon Jennings in scoring 50 or more points as a rookie. Later he scored 44 points against the Raptors in Washington in a 104-97 win. He then did something special against the Mavericks, scoring a franchise record 62 points in a 113-105 win in Washington. He beat Gilbert Arenas' 60 point record from the 2006 season and perhaps more impressively the scoring record for a rookie, which had been held by none other than Wilt Chamberlain who scored 58 points twice in early 1960.

Game Stats
20 Pts+ - 44 times
30 Pts+ - 13 times
40 Pts+ - 3 times
DubDubs - 2 times

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Wizards 2014-15 Achievements

- Most wins (73)
- Best overall record (73-9)
- Best road record (37-4)
- Andrew Wiggins breaks franchise scoring record (62 vs Dallas, 1st march, 2015)
- John Wall wins back-to-back MVP
- Avery Johnson wins his second COTY award in his first season in Washington. It's the second straight win for the Wizards after Randy Wittman in 2014.
- Bradley Beal made the most three pointers (299)
- Nerlens Noel highest shooting percentage in NBA (.683)
- John Wall was the assist leader for the second straight season (12 assists per game)
- Andrew Wiggins came runner-up in ROTY award

Comparing the two best regular season teams ever:
1995-96 Bulls - 72 wins/10 losses, .878 winning percentage, 39-2 home record, 33-8 road record, 87-13 record for entire season + championship
2014-15 Wizards - 73 wins/9 losses, .890 winning percentage, 36-5 home record, 37-4 road record

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2014-15 Standings

The Wizards finished on top of the eastern conference standings for the first time since 1979, the season that they last reached the NBA finals. That team ultimately lost to the Seattle SuperSonics in five games. This new generation of Wizards players will hope that they can go one step further than their predecessors. With nineteen more wins than any other team in the league it would be hard to bet against this juggernaut steamrolling everything in their path. A first round series against LeBron and his Magic team is a spicy math-up though.

The off-season moves made by the Pistons seem to have really paid off. They re-signed Greg Monroe in the off-season, completed a draft night trade that sent the expiring contract of Tayshaun Prince and two first round picks to the Wizards for DeMar DeRozan and then acquiring Brandon Jennings at the deadline this season to build a formidable roster. With Monroe and Andre Drummond dominating in the paint, DeRozan and Andre Iguodala running the wings and Brandon Jennings running the offense, the Pistons will feel that they can match it with any team that isn't from Washington.

For the last three season the 76ers have finished in the top three seeds in the conference. Annoyingly for their fans though they have failed to advance too far in their last two playoff campaigns. They have added veteran forward Jeff Green to their core of Andrew Bynum, Evan Turner, David Lee and Jrue Holiday this season. Perhaps his addition and that of his namesake Danny on the bench will give them more firepower to go further this time around.

Brooklyn are always a darkhorse with their group of veteran talent including Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Zach Randolph and Brook Lopez. Expectations have been high ever since Mikhail Prokhorov took over the club and failure to reach the finals this season may see major changes in the off-season.

Early in the season the Pacers looked in danger of missing the playoffs altogether, but they picked up their form and comfortably secured the fifth seed. With superstar Paul George coming out of contract in the off-season this may be the most important playoff series for Indiana since 2000 when they reached the NBA finals.

Chicago acquired second overall pick Jabari Parker from Orlando in a draft night trade which landed the Magic pick 7 (Marcus Smart), pick 12 (Julius Randle) and a 2015 first round pick as they rebuilt their team. The hometown prospect teamed up with fellow local Derrick Rose and energetic big man Joakim Noah to guide the Bulls back into the playoffs after a year out. Parker beat first overall pick Andrew Wiggins to the rookie of the year award.

Cleveland were led to the seventh seed by the scoring champion Kyrie Irving. It's the first time they have made the playoffs in six seasons and shows a glimpse of recovery after the painful loss of superstar LeBron James to the Heat. Some people have noticed the coincidence that they have reached the playoffs in the first season since LeBron left Miami. The Cavs made one of the biggest trades this year by sending Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters to the Warriors in exchange for sharpshooter Klay Thompson. He adapted well to life in Cleveland and quickly signed an extension and has formed a deadly backcourt partnership with Irving.

The LeBron James era in Orlando started off slowly as he had to carry a team made up of mostly young players like Marcus Smart, Shabazz Muhammad and Julius Randle. Management eventually decided to get LeBron some veteran help though and acquired Rajon Rondo from Boston and that proved to be the catalyst for a playoff push. They had to settle for the eighth seed and a match-up against the seemingly unstoppable Wizards, but LeBron almost single handedly knocked Washington out of the playoffs last season and will have confidence in himself and his team.

The Bobcats were expected to make the playoffs this season after signing superstar Carmelo Anthony and trading for Al Jefferson in the off-season. Those moves combined with the drafting of guard Victor Oladipo had most people thinking that they would make a long awaited appearance in the playoffs this season. The team failed to gel though and even a deadline move to acquire Tony Parker and Andrew Bogut from the Clippers proved too little, too late.

Miami suffered perhaps one of the biggest downfalls in sports history after the chock departure of superstar LeBron James in the off-season. Maybe the biggest failure from them was their inability to sign a replacement. To be fair the free agent pool wasn't all that deep, but if they could have lured either Carmelo Anthony, Paul Millsap or Kyle Lowry down to Florida then maybe they could have at least made the playoffs.

A lot is made of teams that tank these days, but you can\t really accuse the Celtics of deliberately being rubbish. They lost Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and coach Doc Rivers to retirement in the off-season and were always going to struggle this season. They re-signed guard Avery Bradley, drafted big man Willie Cauley-Stein from Kentucky with the eighth overall pick and prepared for a prolonged rebuild. Things changed however when Danny Ainge got a call from Rob Hennigan. They agreed a trade for veteran Rajon Rondo that landed the Celtics a bounty of rebuilding pieces including Marcus Smart, Tobias Harris, John Henson and a 2015 first round pick.

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Oklahoma City finish on top of the western conference for the third straight season and with their off-season acquisition of big man Larry Sanders from the Bucks gave them a major upgrade over Kendrick Perkins. Last season they cruelly lost to Miami in seven hard-fought finals games and this they will be looking to regain the title they won in 2013. With the likes of Reggie Jackson, Robin Lopez and Jeremy Lamb coming off the bench they certainly have the talent and depth to match it with anyone this season.

The Blazers rebound from two poor seasons with a solid fifty win season and the second seed. Despite trading franchise cornerstone LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews to Houston in the off-season for Omer Asik, Thomas Robinson, Anthony Bennett and a 2015 first round pick. They also drafted swingman James Young from Kentucky with the third overall pick and his 17 points and 5 assists per game helped him form a handy partnership with emerging star Damian Lillard. Their frontcourt depth with Asik, Robinson, Bennett and youngster Alex Len has allowed them to match up nicely against the tall timber of the western conference.

The perennially consistent Spurs once again find themselves near the top of the western conference despite no longer having Tim Duncan, Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili. They do however still have coaching mastermind Gregg Popovich leading them, only these days he is leading a star trio made up of Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Josh Smith. They also have Vince Carter, Nick Young and Jonas Jerebko but lack much more in terms of depth. It could really hurt their chances if their big three have a poor game.

The Lakers are led by big man Kevin Love and legend Kobe Bryant. Realistically they are lucky to even make the playoffs with their shambolic roster, but due to a weak pacific division and their superior head-to-head record against Golden State they are gifted the fourth seed despite having a record worse than three teams below them. Unless Kobe throws back the years and goes on a scoring binge it seems unlikely that they will cause any real problems for anyone in the playoffs.

Denver spent big money on Paul Millsap in the off-season and he has helped them reach the playoffs yet again. The franchise is making a habit of having post-season basketball in Denver in recent years. Any success will rest on how the likes of Millsap, Wilson Chandler and Ty Lawson perform in the pressure of the playoffs. It will also depend on which JR Smith shows up. Youngsters Ben McLemore and Kenneth Faried have the chance to show how far they have come in the last two years in this series against the Lakers.

Over the past two seasons the Hornets have made several major changes to their roster including acquiring Luol Deng and Tyreke Evans. That pair added to the solid play of Ryan Anderson and DJ Augustin has really improved a Hornets team that always seemed to be lottery bound. The undoubted star and leader of the team is exciting young big man Anthony Davis. The unibrowed rim protector has really developed his offensive game this season and looks set to be the next superstar of the league.

In the last few seasons the Rockets have added some real talent to their team after losing veterans Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. First they landed James Harden from Oklahoma City and this past off-season they acquired all-star big man LaMarcus Aldridge from Portland. Hosuton could be a real sleeper in these playoffs with a frontcourt of Aldridge, Nene, Chandler Parsons, Chris Kaman, Tyler Hansbrough, Terrence Jones and Doug McDermott and a backcourt of Harden, Wesley Matthewsm Jeremy Lin and Jordan Crawford. They certainly have the depth to mix it with most teams.

The Mavericks have been on a decline since winning the 2011 championship. Their core of Dirk Nowitzki, Danny Granger and Brandon Roy wasn't really doing much for them so owner Mark Cuban decided to shake things up a bit this season after Nowitzki announced that this would be his final season. Cuban agreed to a three-team trade which landed the Mavs explosive scorer Monta Ellis and solid swingman Trevor Ariza. They should have most neutrals on their bandwagon as Dirk goes for one more playoff run.

The Warriors were unlucky to miss out on the fourth seed in the west. Despite having an identical record as their division rivals the Lakers, they lost the season series to the team from Los Angeles and therefore missed out. The future is bright though even though they decided to trade star guard Klay Thompson to the Cavs after they failed to agree a contract extension with him. A core of Stephen Curry, DeAndre Jordan, Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson, James McAdoo, Aaron Harrison and Harrison Barnes should have them in good shape for the next several years though.

It was a weird season for the Clippers. They were expected to be a serious contender after securing the second seed in the west for the past two seasons, but injuries and poor form left them right at the bottom of the western conference heading into the trade deadline. Their management took the decision to blow things up and gain assets ahead of a supposedly stacked draft. Everyone not named Blake Griffin was dispatched with Manu Ginobili heading to Washington, Andrew Bogut and Tony Parker to Charlotte and Eric Bledsoe, Caron Butler and Jamal Crawford to Phoenix. In return they acquired Noah Vonleh, Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Jared Dudley and several first round picks. Ironically in the couple of months after making those trades their form improved and they played their way out of a potential top five pick.

Sadly for Timberwolves fans the team once again propped up the table. Kevin Love is in Los Angeles these days and the only real excitement they have is watching Ricky Rubio doing his thing. They lost Kyle Lowry and Brandon Roy to free agency during the off-season and are at risk of losing Rubio, Carlos Boozer, Landry Fields and Alexey Shved in the upcoming off-season. They dumped failed draft pick Derrick Williams in Sacramento and 2014 fifth overall pick Wayne Selden so far has failed to live up to his potential. If they land the second overall pick in the next draft and land a big man like 7 ft 4 beast Milan Ivanovic from Serbia or Joel Embiid from Kansas.

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Monthly and Weekly Awards

Players of the Week

Players of the Month

Rookies of the Month

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2014-15 League Leaders

Points

Rebounds

Assists

Blocks

Steals

Field Goal %

Three Point %

Free Throw %

Three Pointers Made

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2014-15 Awards

Most Valuable Player

Sixth Man of the Year

Defensive Player of the Year

Most Improved Player

Rookie of the Year

Coach of the Year

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2014-15 Team Honours

All-NBA First Team

All-NBA Second Team

All-NBA Third Team

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All-Defensive First Team

All-Defensive Second Team

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All-Rookie First Team

All-Rookie Second Team

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Injuries

by **Phil89** on Mon Feb 10, 2014 3:00 pm

Just going through the thread and saw some of these comments. Some decent predictions :mrgreen:

Linker. wrote:That is a lot of potential in a starting lineup. Wiggins has a great chance to deliver. Really want to see that Wiggins - LeBron matchup.

Also, I got a feeling the Heat won´t be a problem for you now.

He sure did. I never really expected him to be my leading scorer this season. You'll get to see that match-up as well because Orlando landed the eighth seed and I face them in the first round. :cheeky:

Martti. wrote:Wiggins for ROY and Wall for MVP!

So close! You got Wall right but Wiggins lost out to Jabari.

Lamrock wrote:Fantastic coverage as always. I think this is your year.

So far it has been. Hopefully I don't repeat my playoff performance of last season against LeBron again.

Its_asdf wrote:That Beal, Wiggins and Wall trio are looking incredibly promising. That trio is reminiscent of Durant, Harden and Westbrook, there's just so much firepower from the perimeter. Plus you have Cousins and Noel to compliment them on the inside as well, that's a super stacked starting 5. It's championship or bust!

Beal is amazing. He reminds me so much of Ray Allen when he catches the ball and shoots. I guess like OKC though I'm going to have to make a tough choice in the future when they all want to get paid.

Axel. wrote:Even though it does look like you gave up too much on paper, I think this could be the deal that lands you the championship. As you stated in the article, Ginobili won't have much responsibility coming off the bench so it's not much of a gamble and a good trade. Lamar Odom could be waived if he's useless to you.

On a side note, John Wall could become the next John Stockton if he continues to rack up that many assists.

Manu has been fantastic as my main bench guy. I really liked Vonleh as a prospect, but I am trying to win now and Manu helps me do that a lot better.

Lamrock wrote:I don't post here all the time, but this is still one of the best stories going on here. The league has taken an interesting turn, and I'd be surprised to see anything but a Wizards/Spurs finals. You're on pace for 70(+) wins, and I think you'll do it.

If I can get to the finals I think I'll face either the Thunder, Spurs or Blazers. Out of those 3 it's the Spurs who I fear least because they have no depth and are heavily reliant on Dwight, CP3 and Josh Smith.

Martti. wrote:I bet you'll do it, the current Heat team shouldn't pose much of a threat.

Safe bet.

They had me a bit worried after that second quarter fightback, but Ginobili was insane from 3pt and took the game away from Miami. Very happy to get the record.

I already said it in the other thread, but thanks to everyone who voted this as story of the year. I'm still enjoying it and look forward to a (hopefully) successful playoff run (Y)

by **Phil89** on Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:13 pm

18/4/15

2015 playoffs - First Round Preview

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder [54-28] vs 8. Dallas Mavericks [41-41]

Oklahoma City finished on top of the western conference for the third straight season and are favourites to advance to the finals after losing to Miami in seven games last year. It's understandable considering that they have two of the best ten players in the league in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The duo are arguably the most unstoppable pairing in the league when on form. The key thing this season for them has been the acquisition of Larry Sanders from Milwaukee which was a double win for them. They got a second rim protector and rebound collector to play in tandem with Serge Ibaka, and perhaps more importantly they got rid of Kendrick Perkins. The trade cost them rookie Tony Mitchell and a future first round pick and at this stage looks to have been another Sam Prsti masterstroke. Alongside the best interior defense in the league and the two superstars are a trio of scoring guards who keep the scoreboard ticking over when Durant or Westbrook are resting. Youngster Jeremy Lamb has begun to fulfill his potential this season and has captured the starting role. That sent veteran Kevin Martin to the bench and he has adapted to playing with the second unit nicely. Martin and Reggie Jackson have formed an effective partnership off the bench and could be key for them if they want to reclaim the title that they won in 2013. They know what it takes to win a championship and will surely be using the pain of last season's finals loss as motivation for a title run.

Dallas on the other hand are playing for a very different reason. For them this season has been all about veteran star Dirk Nowitzki. The 36 year old German announced earlier in the year that this would be his last NBA season. That news prompted Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to shake up an under performing roster and give Dirk a chance to make one last playoff run. In late November the Mavs traded young big man Kevin Seraphin to the Hawks in exchange for Nikola Pekovic. Having a dominant inside scorer next to Dirk freed him up to focus on stretching opposition defenses with his shooting range. The move seemed to get the team moving in the right direction but they lacked a genuine scorer to help Dirk out. They decided to act at the trade deadline and agreed a three-team trade with Indiana and Milwaukee which landed them Monta Ellis and Trevor Ariza. The pair formed a solid veteran core with Nowitzki, Pekovic, Danny Granger and Darren Collison and the Mavs battled on to secure the eighth seed and give themselves a chance at a title for the first time since they lifted the trophy in 2011. Whilst they can be a real threat on the offensive end of the court, the biggest weakness for Dallas is their inability to stop opponents from scoring. This could be a huge problem for them against a talented Thunder team.

Stats Leaders
Thunder
Points: Kevin Durant - 23.0
Assists: Russell Westbrook - 7.1
Rebounds: Kevin Durant - 8.1

Mavericks
Points: Danny Granger - 20.2
Assists: Darren Collison - 8.7
Rebounds: Nikola Pekovic - 7.4

Oklahoma City
Starters
Larry Sanders - Serge Ibaka - Kevin Durant - Jeremy Lamb - Russell Westbrook
Bench
Kevin Martin - Reggie Jackson - Luc Richard Mbah a Moute - Robin Lopez - Antawn Jamison - Nick Collison - Axel Toupane
Inactive
Joshua Smith

Dallas
Starters
Nikola Pekovic - Dirk Nowitzki - Danny Granger - Monta Ellis - Darren Collison
Bench
Trevor Ariza - Ian Mahinmi - Brandan Wright - Jared Cunningham - Mason Plumlee - Dominique Jones - Jae Crowder

--------------------------------------------------

4. Los Angeles Lakers [40-42] vs 5. Denver Nuggets [47-35]

To be honest, the Lakers are lucky to even make the playoffs. If not for a weak Pacific division and a better head-to-head record against Golden State they wouldn't even be here. They are in the middle of an identity crisis as they wait for Kobe Bryant to retire before they rebuild their roster. They do already have his successor locked in for the next half-dozen years though. Kevin Love signed a five year $101 million extension in December and it is expected that it will be his team to lead once Kobe retires in just over 12 months. People will say that as long as the Lakers are in the playoffs and Kobe is playing they have a shot at winning a championship. It seems unlikely that they will this year though because of a thin squad and some injury problems. Kobe himself is suffering from a bruised sternum and was expected to miss up to two weeks, but in typical fashion he declared that he would play through the pain in search of his sixth ring. He seems extra determined to equal Michael Jordan's tally before he retires. Another key injury is Samuel Dalembert who tore his meniscus and will definitely miss two weeks. It seems that their only hope of advancing any distance this off-season is Love and Kobe playing at the absolute best of their abilities. Kobe will need to average over forty points a game to give them any chance.

Things are a lot more positive in Denver as the Nugget continue their streak of making the playoffs. In the last three seasons they have finished between the third and fifth seeds out west, but have failed to make it past the conference semi finals. They hope to change that this season though and will be confident against a depleted Lakers team. The off-season signing of Paul Millsap has proved to be a success for the Nuggets as the former Utah player has formed a solid partnership with Kenneth Faried. Another positive for them this season has been the emergence of second year guard Ben McLemore into a rising star in the NBA. He has taken over from JR Smith as the starting shooting guard in Denver this season and formed a dynamic backcourt pairing with Ty Lawson. The speed and agility of Lawson and McLemore will surely cause havoc for the veteran Lakers duo of Kobe and Jose Calderon. Lawson will have to take the lead for Denver and if he turns out to be the best player in the series, then the Nuggets should advance.

Stats Leaders
Lakers
Points: Kobe Bryant - 19.1
Assists: Kobe Bryant - 5.6
Rebounds: Kevin Love - 10.1

Nuggets
Points: Paul Millsap - 17.2
Assists: Ty Lawson - 8.1
Rebounds: Kenneth Faried - 10.1

LA Lakers
Starters
Kevin Love - Patrick Patterson - Chase Budinger - Kobe Bryant - Jose Calderon
Bench
Shannon Brown - Jordan Hill - Trey Thompkins - Samuel Dalembert - Metta World Peace - Lorenzo Brown - Mike Moser
Inactive
Markel Starks

Denver
Starters
Kenneth Faried - Paul Millsap - Wilson Chandler - Ben McLemore - Ty Lawson
Bench
Andre Miller - Anthony Randolph - Jordan Hamilton - JR Smith - Evan Fournier - Andre Roberson - Daniel Orton
Inactive
Michael Snaer - Wang Zhelin

--------------------------------------------------

3. San Antonio Spurs [49-33] vs 6. New Orleans Hornets [44-38]

San Antonio making the playoffs is the NBA equivalent of geese flying south for the winter; it's just going to happen every year. There may be a new 'big three' playing for the Spurs these days, but with coach Gregg Poppovich still in charge they are always title contenders. Tim Duncan has retired, Tony Parker is in Charlotte and Manu Ginobili is helping the Wizards make history. In San Antonio though Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Josh Smith are quietly doing their thing together and grabbed the third seed this year behind the dominant Thunder and resurgent Blazers. Despite their obvious star power, most people believe that a lack of depth is a key reason why the Spurs can't win a title. Nick Young and Brandon Rush are solid contributors and can score 20 on any given night if needed. But having the likes of Jonas Jerebko, Luke Ridnour and Dahntay Jones as their main bench guys is a bit worrying. Veteran Vince Carter is 38 these days and can no longer rely on the explosive athleticism that made him a star. Injuries have taken their toll on the former high-flyer and he is currently battling to get over a groin strain to be fit for this series. Dwight in particular has not been playing at his peak level this year. If he wants a championship he will have to start producing some of those 20 point/20 rebound games that we know he is capable of. The Spurs made the conference finals last season but were bundled out by the rampaging Oklahoma City team. They will have a chance for revenge if the two reach the same stage this time around.

New Orleans have been busy in the past two seasons trying to separate themselves from the likes of Minnesota, Utah and Sacramento at the bottom of the western conference and become a serious playoff team. They have been rather successful so far as they pushed the eventual finalists Oklahoma City to six games in the first round last year and won 44 games this season to earn themselves another shot in the playoffs. Deadline trades have really helped them improve and after last season's acquisition of Luol Deng from Chicago they followed up this year by landing Tyreke Evans from Sacramento. The pair are key for the Hornets offensively alongside Ryan Anderson and star big man Anthony Davis. The unibrowed rim protector drafted out of Kentucky is really emerging as the next big superstar in the league. Many people were aware of his defensive abilities when he entered the league and those have translated seamlessly at this level. His work on his offensive game has been the most impressive aspect of his improvement as a player in recent years. He could well be a 20 point/10 rebound player for the rest of his career. His match-up with Dwight Howard is one of the most talked about of the entire first round of the playoffs. Point guard DJ Augustin is going to have a hard time keeping Chris Paul quiet and may need some help from Toney Douglas and Myck Kabongo. Sadly for the Hornets Luol Deng is out for about a month with a sprained shoulder. It's a cruel blow for a team that has a genuine shot at winning this series.

Stats Leaders
Spurs
Points: Josh Smith - 19.9
Assists: Chris Paul - 9.3
Rebounds: Josh Smith - 8.6

Hornets
Points: Tyreke Evans - 20.4
Assists: DJ Augustin - 6.5
Rebounds: Anthony Davis - 10.4

San Antonio
Starters
Dwight Howard - Josh Smith - Nick Young - Brandon Rush - Chris Paul
Bench
Vince Carter - Jonas Jerebko - Luke Ridnour - Dahntay Jones - Rudy Gobert - Robert Covington - John Jenkins

New Orleans
Starters
Anthony Davis - Ryan Anderson - Luol Deng - Tyreke Evans - DJ Augustin
Bench
Jason Thompson - Anderson Varejao - Toney Douglas - Adreian Payne - Myck Kabongo - CJ Leslie - Darius Miller
Inactive
Andre Dawkins - Ian Miller

--------------------------------------------------

2. Portland Trail Blazers [50-32] vs 7. Houston Rockets [44-38]

Portland are the feel-good story this season. After being ravaged by injuries and blasted by the media for trading away their star player over the Summer, they have emerged as a legitimate contender to advance from the western conference. They are led by all-star guard Damian Lillard and his impressive scoring displays. Blazers fans have had to endure the roller coaster of drafting Brandon Roy and Greg Oden with high lottery picks and then seeing their careers ruined by injuries. Both are now gone and the fans' hopes of a championship went with them. Things got more positive after they drafted Lllard in 2012 and he has become an all-star in a conference gifted with talented point guards. He won the 2013 rookie of the year award ahead of a field of top prospects. There was some unrest amongst fans when the Blazers decided to trade LaMarcus Aldridge to Houston in the off-season as the threat of him leaving through free agency forced them to act. The deal also sent Wesley Matthews to the Rockets and got the Blazers some frontcourt depth in return. Omer Asik, Thomas Robinson and Anthony Bennett all made their way to the Pacific Northwest. A future first round pick also headed to the Blazers. Obviously now that the two teams face off in the playoffs that deal is extremely ironic. Portland will need Bennett, Alex Len and Archie Goodwin to step up and produce some bench points if they hope to overcome a deep Houston team.

In the last four years or so the Rockets have been rebuilding since the departure of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. In the 2013 off-season they landed star guards James Harden from Oklahoma City and Jeremy Lin from the Knicks. Last off-season they made another trade using their stockpiled assets and acquired LaMarcus Aldridge from Portland. There was a lot of hype around the team considering they had two of the top 20 players in the league and a decent support cast. In their frontcourt they had Nene, who they had acquired from Washington in 2013, young prospect Terrence Jones and college superstar Doug McDermott. To help with scoring they had Wesley Matthews and former sixth man of the year Jordan Crawford. A lot of people expected them to be a contender out west this season. They haven't really got it together yet though since Aldridge arrived and James Harden is actually playing below what everyone expects of him. That said, they could still be the dark horse to advance from the western conference with their two stars and solid bench. That bench is a little bit weakened at the moment though as Crawford is out for 2 weeks with a sprained wrist, Tyler Hansbrough is out for 2 weeks with a strained MCL and Chris Kaman is still not 100% after twisting his ankle recently.

Stats Leaders
Blazers
Points: Damian Lillard - 21.9
Assists: Damian Lillard - 6.7
Rebounds: Thomas Robinson - 9.3

Rockets
Points: LaMarcus Aldridge - 19.4
Assists: James Harden - 7.2
Rebounds: LaMarcus Aldridge - 7.5

Portland
Starters
Omer Asik - Thomas Robinson - Nicolas Batum - James Young - Damian Lillard
Bench
Anthony Bennett - Alex Len - Archie Goodwin - Elliot Williams - Nolan Smith - Richard Jefferson - Eric Maynor
Inactive
Victor Claver - Meyers Leonard

Houston
Starters
Nene - LaMarcus Aldridge - Chandler Parsons - James Harden - Jeremy Lin
Bench
Wesley Matthews - Jordan Crawford - Chris Kaman - Tyler Hansbrough - Donatas Montiejunas - Doug McDermott - Terrence Jones
Inactive
E'twuan Moore - Solomon Hill

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eastern Conference

1. Washington Wizards [73-9] vs 8. Orlando Magic [42-40]

Washington have been a class above every other team this season and head into this playoff campaign as overwhelming favourites to win their second ever championship. Led by back-to-back MVP John Wall the Wizards won a record 73 games this season, a staggering 29 more than anyone else. Another scary fact for any teams facing them is that they have actually played better on the road this season than at home. Their confidence will be sky high and anyone facing them will have a momentous task on their hands. Offensively they can hurt you in a number of ways. First there is Wall's ability to not only glide past his defender and get to the rim, but he has also added a consistent jumpshot this year. Then there is the perimeter shooting of Andrew Wiggins and Bradley Beal. Beal in particular is a real threat of catching fire in any game and quickly taking the game away from the opponent. He had nearly 70 more made three point shots than any other player this season. Lastly there is the colossus in the paint DeMarcus Cousins. With Wall, Wiggins and Beal stretching the defense Cousins can isolate his defender and simply overpower them before finishing powerfully in the paint. Arguably their defending has been more impressive than their offense though. New coach Avery Johnson has turned them into an elite defensive unit capable of locking down their opponents if they are losing and letting their offense close the gap. Perhaps the most important player in their title run will be veteran Manu Ginobili who they acquired from the Clippers this season. If he can give them 15+ points per game then they will be going pretty well.

No one is expecting the Wizards to sweep this series though. Not with the best player in the world LeBron James suiting up for the Magic. It was he who almost single-handedly crushed the Wizards' dreams last season when playing for Miami. A similar effort will probably be required this time as well if he wants to add another ring to his collection. Thankfully for him though he has veteran point guard Rajon Rondo on his team, which means he can focus more on scoring than getting his team mates open shots. Another key player will be 2013 first overall pick Shabazz Muhammad. The athletic swingman has pretty much justified the Magic using that pick on him. A couple of interesting battles will take place in this series with Muhammad (pick 1, 2013) and Nerlens Noel (pick 2, 2013), and Andrew Wiggins (pick 1, 2014) and Julius Randle (pick 12, 2014. Magic traded pick 2 for Randle and Marcus Smart) facing off. Both teams have risen from the lottery to be contenders within a relatively short period of time. A great rivalry could be born in this series and take hold for many years to come. Orlando has a good mix of veterans and youth on their bench who have been solid. One huge loss for them though is big man Nikola Vucevic. He will miss another month after recently tearing his hamstring. It's a disaster for the Magic as they will now have to rely on rookie Randle and veterans Glen Davis and Brandon Bass to contain DeMarcus Cousins and Nerlens Noel. Perhaps the lack of pressure on this group against the Washington juggernaut will work in their favour though.

Stats Leaders
Wizards
Points: Andrew Wiggins - 21.7
Assists: John Wall - 12.0
Rebounds: DeMarcus Cousins - 7.8

Magic
Points: LeBron James - 23.6
Assists: Rajon Rondo - 8.1
Rebounds: Nikola Vucevic - 8.1

Washington
Starters
DeMarcus Cousins - Nerlens Noel - Andrew Wiggins - Bradley Beal - John Wall
Bench
Manu Ginobili - Emeka Okafor - Mario Chalmers - CJ Watson - Perry Jones - Tony Allen - Marvin Williams
Inactive
Brendan Haywood

Orlando
Starters
Nikola Vucevic - Julius Randle - LeBron James - Shabazz Muhammad - Rajon Rondo
Bench
Glen Davis - Courtney Lee - Ray McCallum - Doron Lamb - Maurice Harkless - Brandon Bass - Jeff Withey
Inactive
CJ Fair

--------------------------------------------------

4. Brooklyn Nets [47-35] vs 5. Indiana Pacers [46-36]

The pressure is starting to mount in Brooklyn as billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov is getting impatient that his investment isn't reaping rewards yet. The Russian has poured millions into the Nets and they so far have failed to even reach the NBA finals. There are rumours that if the team fails again he will instruct the management to make major personnel changes in the off-season. Interestingly this is the third straight season that his team finds itself facing Indiana in a first round match-up between the fourth and fifth seeded teams. The ledger is square at one a piece in the last two years with the Nets sweeping the Pacers in 2013 and the Pacers winning in 6 games last season. This Nets team relies heavily on star guard Deron Williams to run their offense and put up big numbers himself. He will have to do so more than ever in this series given their weak bench and starter Gerald Wallace being out for 2 weeks with a strained MCL. He can count of the veteran title winning experience of Chauncey Billups and Shawn Marion on he bench though. The key match-up in this series will likely be that of Zach Randolph and Brook Lopez against Roy Hibbert and Ersan Ilyasova. Whoever controls the boards will give their team a major advantage.

This playoff campaign for the Pacers is perhaps the most important for them in the last decade or so. Rising superstar Paul George is coming out of contract in the Summer and quite frankly their form this season won't have convinced him to stay in Indiana. There are strong rumours that he intends to sign for his childhood team the Clippers if the Pacers can't win the title this year. This Pacers team is built on defense and the centerpiece of that is big man Roy Hibbert. He is their defensive anchor who sets the tone with his shot blocking and rebounding. Just before the trade deadline they got him a partner in crime from Milwaukee. Ersan Ilysaova is a dynamic rebounder and has worked well in tandem with the former Georgetown graduate. They also got veteran Brandon Roy in that trade and his craftiness should cause the Nets problems. Gordon Hayward coming off the bench could be the barometer for Indiana. If he plays well they could win, but if he doesn't they will surely lose. Another key player is George Hill. He has a huge task in trying to slow down Williams. If he can do that and maybe score some points himself he will help his team immensely.

Stats Leaders
Nets
Points: Deron Williams - 20.6
Assists: Deron Williams - 7.0
Rebounds: Zach Randolph - 9.2

Pacers
Points: Ersan Ilyasova - 16.1
Assists: Paul George - 5.0
Rebounds: Roy Hibbert - 10.5

Brooklyn
Starters
Brook Lopez - Zach Randolph - Gerald Wallace - Joe Johnson - Deron Williams
Bench
Chauncey Billups - Shawn Marion - Ramon Sessions - Jabari Brown - CJ Wilcox - Mirza Teletovic - Chris Wilcox
Inactive
Kyle O'Quinn

Indiana
Starters
Roy Hibbert - Ersan Ilyasova - Paul George - Brandon Roy - George Hill
Bench
Gordon Hayward - Ekpe Udoh - Orlando Johnson - Marcus Morris - Rodrigue Beaubois - CJ Aiken - Nate Wolters
Inactive
Christian Watford

--------------------------------------------------

3. Philadelphia 76ers [52-30] vs 6. Chicago Bulls [46-36]

Will this finally be the year that the 76ers convert impressive regular season form into a solid playoff run? Their fans sure hope so. They have won an impressive 166 games in the past three seasons, anything less than a conference finals appearance will be deemed a failure. After not being able to make it out of the first round against inferior Boston and Detroit teams in the past two seasons they really need to win this series to prove to themselves that they can go all the way. They added Jeff and Danny Green in a deadline trade which saw Thaddeus Young and Otto Porter head to Atlanta. Jeff in particular could prove the difference this year as he replaces Jason Richardson as the only change from the team that failed in the past two tries. Star big man Andrew Bynum is healthy and in form this year as well. He missed their capitulation against the Pistons last year with a broken hand. All-star point guard Jrue Holiday will have the biggest job in this series, keeping superstar Derrick Rose from dropping 40+ points like he did a few times this season. Stopping Rose is the 76ers best chance in this series.

The Bulls head into this series with two hometown guys in top form. Derrick Rose was one of the leading scorers in the league this season and looked back to his MVP form. Rookie Jabari Parker justified the trade the Bulls made to get him on draft night by winning the rookie of the year award and generally looking like a solid NBA player in his debut season. The pair have a good decade or so left together if they want to. Another young guy proving his worth at this level is Jimmy Butler. His play this season has gained plaudits from around the league and earned him a 3 year $24 million extension. The impressive play of the young core has fans quietly confident of a return to the glory years of the nineties. They have two key injuries at the moment though. Energetic big man Joakim Noah is racing against time to recover from a strained Achilles and guard Xavier Henry is also underdone due to a sore foot. The Bulls will be hoping that Noah in particular returns as soon as possible as they face the frontcourt of Bynum and David Lee. Andrea Bargnani isn't the most reliable back-up option to have in this situation.

Stats Leaders
76ers
Points: Andrew Bynum - 17.2
Assists: Jrue Holiday - 8.4
Rebounds: Andrew Bynum - 8.2

Bulls
Points: Derrick Rose - 24.9
Assists: Derrick Rose - 6.0
Rebounds: Joakim Noah - 9.5

Philadelphia
Starters
Andrew Bynum - David Lee - Jeff Green - Evan Turner - Jrue Holiday
Bench
Danny Green - Cole Aldrich - Jarrett Jack - Draymond Green - Arnett Moultrie - Lavoy Allen - Kevin Parrom
Inactive
Austin Hollins

Chicago
Starters
Joakim Noah - Taj Gibson - Jabari Parker - Jimmy Butler - Derrick Rose
Bench
Andrea Bargnani - Delonte West - Tim Hardaway Jr - Jermaine O'Neal - James Birsen - Jamaal Franklin - Xavier Henry
Inactive
Branden Dawson

--------------------------------------------------

2. Detroit Pistons [54-28] vs 7. Cleveland Cavaliers [43-39]

Things have been looking really positive in Detroit in the last couple of seasons. They have built a team of stars and it has translated into success on the court. But they were dealt a cruel blow on the eve of what looked set to be a competitive playoff campaign. Star point guard Brandon Jennings is due to miss up to a year of basketball after he tore his MCL recently. The Pistons had only acquired Jennings from the Bucks this season and unfortunately it looks like the big gamble has failed. They gave up Brandon Knight, Rodney Stuckey, Cody Zeller and a 2016 first round pick for Jennings. Now a player who was originally just a makeweight in that trade will find himself taking center stage in the playoffs in Armon Johnson. One trade that has worked out well for Detroit though is the draft day acquisition of DeMar DeRozan from the Wizards. The athletic guard has slotted in nicely with his new team mates and will be a key player for them if they hope to win the title. Clearly their greatest strength though lies in their frontcourt. Big men Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe are a match for any other duo in the league on their day and will cause match-up nightmares for any team facing them. The only question for them though is whether or not they can increase their scoring to cover the loss of Jennings.

It's taken a while but Cleveland have finally qualified for the playoffs for the first time since LeBron James left for Miami. It is perhaps interesting that they failed to make it when their former star was in Miami, but the season he leaves the Heat they immediately qualify again. Or maybe it's just due to the fact that they acquired another genuine star to play alongside all-star Kyrie Irving. They agreed a deadline deal with the Warriors which saw them send Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson and a future first round pick in exchange for the expiring Klay Thompson. The move has turned into a masterstroke both on the court and off it. Thompson's pairing with Irving has excited the fans and been a success in helping them win games too. The real genius of the deal was perhaps giving Thompson the money that the Warriors were reluctant to do immediately after he arrived. The duo compliment each other nicely as they both have superb shooting range and can both get to the rim if needed. Kyrie simply must take full advantage of Brandon Jennings being out and take control of this series if the Cavs want to advance. Especially considering that Detroit's big men will see an injured JaVale McGee and rookie Aaron Gordon as little competition.

Stats Leaders
Pistons
Points: Brandon Jennings - 22.4
Assists: Brandon Jennings - 6.2
Rebounds: Greg Monroe - 9.1

Cavaliers
Points: Kyrie Irving - 24.8
Assists: Kyrie Irving - 8.3
Rebounds: JaVale McGee - 8.1

Detroit
Starters
Andre Drummond - Greg Monroe - Andre Iguodala - DeMar DeRozan - Brandon Jennings
Bench
JJ Redick - Byron Mullens - Armon Johnson - Kyle Singler - Khris Middleton - Rodney Purvis - Kosta Koufos
Inactive
Wayne Blackshear

Cleveland
Starters
JaVale McGee - Aaron Gordon - Danilo Gallinari - Klay Thompson - Kyrie Irving
Bench
Alonzo Gee - Adonis Thomas - Patric Young - Trevor Mbakwe - Tyler Zeller - Isaiah Canaan - Daniel Gibson
Inactive
Jerian Grant

by **Phil89** on Fri Feb 14, 2014 2:31 pm

19/4/15

Washington Wizards [0-0] vs Orlando Magic [0-0]

Beal steps up to help Wizards win tight opening game

WAS - 27 28 21 27 103
ORL - 25 24 24 27 100

Player of the Game: Bradley Beal
(31pts, 4reb, 3ast, 1stl, 1blk)
(12-18 FG, 6-11 3PT, 1-1 FT)

Top Scorers
Bradley Beal - 31
Andrew Wiggins - 23
Shabazz Muhammad - 17
Julius Randle - 16
LeBron James - 16
Rajon Rondo - 15
Manu Ginobili - 14
John Wall - 14
DeMarcus Cousins - 13

Rebounds
Nerlens Noel - 9
Julius Randle - 9
DeMarcus Cousins - 8
Shabazz Muhammad - 5
Rajon Rondo - 5

Assists
John Wall - 10
LeBron James - 8
Rajon Rondo - 5
Andrew Wiggins - 5

Steals
Glen Davis - 2
LeBron James - 2

Beal highlights

Wiggins highlights

by **Phil89** on Fri Feb 14, 2014 3:04 pm

Playoff first round results - Game 1

Western Conference

96-98
Mavericks lead series 1-0

112-98
Lakers lead series 1-0

108-77
Spurs lead series 1-0

102-116
Rockets lead series 1-0

-----------------------

Eastern Conference

103-100
Wizards lead series 1-0

98-111
Pacers lead series 1-0

120-97
76ers lead series 1-0

133-130
Pistons lead series 1-0

by **Phil89** on Sat Feb 15, 2014 7:27 pm

21/4/15

Washington Wizards [1-0] vs Orlando Magic [0-1]

Magic control game two and level series 1-1 heading to Orlando

WAS - 25 26 25 24 100
ORL - 26 29 23 29 109

Player of the Game: LeBron James
(30pts, 3reb, 7ast, 1stl)
(13-22 FG, 0-0 3PT, 4-4 FT)

Top Scorers
Bradley Beal - 31
LeBron James - 30
Andrew Wiggins - 18
Brandon Bass - 17
Shabazz Muhammad - 15
John Wall - 15
Manu Ginobili - 13
Rajon Rondo - 11

Rebounds
DeMarcus Cousins - 12
Julius Randle - 8
Glen Davis - 6
Brandon Bass - 5
Shabazz Muhammad - 5
Nerlens Noel - 5

Assists
John Wall - 13
Rajon Rondo - 11
LeBron James - 7

Steals
Andrew Wiggins - 3
DeMarcus Cousins - 2
Shabazz Muhammad - 2

Blocks
Jeff Withey - 2

Beal highlights

by **Phil89** on Sat Feb 15, 2014 7:28 pm

Playoff first round results - Game 2

Western Conference

119-92
Series tied 1-1

99-88
Lakers lead series 2-0

120-97
Spurs lead series 2-0

118-113
Series tied 1-1

-----------------------

Eastern Conference

100-107
Series tied 1-1

106-119
Pacers lead series 2-0

108-98
76ers lead series 2-0

100-112
Series tied 1-1

by **Phil89** on Tue Feb 18, 2014 1:57 pm

23/4/15

Orlando Magic [1-1] vs Washington Wizards [1-1]

Wizards blow lead in Orlando and now trail Magic 2-1

ORL - 22 28 26 32 108
WAS - 29 28 17 27 101

Player of the Game: LeBron James
(28pts, 6reb, 4ast, 2stl, 1blk)
(11-17 FG, 0-0 3PT, 6-6 FT)

Top Scorers
LeBron James - 28
John Wall - 26
Andrew Wiggins - 17
Bradley Beal - 17
Shabazz Muhammad - 16
Rajon Rondo - 14
DeMarcus Cousins - 13
Courtney Lee - 12
Glen Davis - 10

Rebounds
Nerlens Noel - 10
Andrew Wiggins - 9
Julius Randle - 8
LeBron James - 6

Assists
John Wall - 10
Rajon Rondo - 8
Shabazz Muhammad - 6

Steals
LeBron James - 2

Wall highlights

by **Phil89** on Tue Feb 18, 2014 1:58 pm

Playoff first round results - Game 3

Western Conference

79-103
Mavericks lead series 2-1

89-98
Lakers lead series 2-1

94-107
Spurs lead series 2-1

108-97
Blazers lead series 2-1

-----------------------

Eastern Conference

101-108
Magic lead series 2-1

88-94
Pacers lead series 3-0

95-99
76ers lead series 2-1

100-114
Cavaliers lead series 2-1

by **Phil89** on Wed Feb 19, 2014 12:55 pm

25/4/15

Orlando Magic [2-1] vs Washington Wizards [1-2]

Perry Jones the unlikely hero as Wizards fight hard to level series at 2-2

ORL - 26 20 33 21 100
WAS - 25 31 25 26 107

Player of the Game: Perry Jones
(29pts, 3reb, 1blk)
(13-16 FG, 0-0 3PT, 3-4 FT)

Top Scorers
Perry Jones - 29
LeBron James - 26
Shabazz Muhammad - 22
John Wall - 21
Andrew Wiggins - 20
Julius Randle - 11
Bradley Beal - 10

Rebounds
DeMarcus Cousins - 11
Julius Randle - 9
Shabazz Muhammad - 9
Glen Davis - 7
Emeka Okafor - 5

Assists
Rajon Rondo - 11
John Wall - 10
LeBron James - 7
Shabazz Muhammad - 5

Steals
Rajon Rondo - 2
Mario Chalmers - 2
DeMarcus Cousins - 2
Nerlens Noel - 2

Jones highlights

Jones made his first 10 shots so I stuck with him. He had a couple of important defensive efforts as well.

by **Phil89** on Wed Feb 19, 2014 12:57 pm

Playoff first round results - Game 4

Western Conference

110-86
Series tied 2-2

91-110
Series tied 2-2

108-101
Spurs lead series 3-1

90-126
Series tied 2-2

-----------------------

Eastern Conference

107-100
Series tied 2-2

84-91
Pacers win series 4-0

97-95
76ers lead series 3-1

98-105
Cavaliers lead series 3-1

by **Phil89** on Wed Feb 19, 2014 1:03 pm

A couple of nice dunks from that game. Wiggins slicing through Orlando's defense before dunking and Wall finishing strong at the rim despite LeBron's challenge. :cool:

by **Phil89** on Thu Feb 20, 2014 4:00 pm

27/4/15

Washington Wizards [2-2] vs Orlando Magic [2-2]

Wizards stage trademark fightback to take 3-2 lead in series

WAS - 24 25 36 28 113
ORL - 31 31 24 19 105

Player of the Game: John Wall
(29pts, 3reb, 12ast, 3stl)
(13-20 FG, 0-0 3PT, 3-4 FT)

Top Scorers
Bradley Beal - 30
John Wall - 29
LeBro James - 26
Shabazz Muhammad - 19
Andrew Wiggins - 16
Manu Ginobili - 14
Glen Davis - 12
Rajon Rondo - 11
Nerlens Noel - 11

Rebounds
Andrew Wiggins - 11
Julius Randle - 9
Nerlens Noel - 8
Glen Davis - 7
Jeff Withey - 5
Brandon Bass - 5
LeBron James - 5

Assists
John Wall - 12
LeBron James - 7
Bradley Beal - 6
Julius Randle - 5
Shabazz Muhammad - 5

Steals
John Wall - 3
Bradley Beal - 2
Courtney Lee - 2
LeBron James - 2

Beal highlights

Wall highlights

I was down 66-49 only 30 seconds into the second half. Then Beal made a three pointer and had 3 straight great defensive plays against Muhammad, which set me up for a 19-4 run in the next 3 minutes and cut their lead to just 2. The best part was a Noel fast break dunk over Rondo which nearly killed him. (See screenshot) :lol:

by **Phil89** on Thu Feb 20, 2014 4:03 pm

Playoff first round results - Game 5

Western Conference

110-90
Thunder lead series 3-2

121-116
Lakers lead series 3-2

100-106
Spurs lead series 3-2

110-82
Blazers lead series 3-2

-----------------------

Eastern Conference

113-105
Wizards lead series 3-2

Pacers win series 4-0

103-109
76ers lead series 3-2

112-85
Cavaliers lead series 3-2

by **Phil89** on Sat Feb 22, 2014 12:37 pm

29/4/15

Orlando Magic [2-3] vs Washington Wizards [3-2]

Wizards advance after six epic games against gutsy Magic

ORL - 22 25 29 25 101
WAS - 25 28 25 27 105

Player of the Game: Bradley Beal
(27pts, 5reb, 6ast, 1stl)
(9-17 FG, 4-11 3PT, 5-7 FT)

Top Scorers
LeBron James - 41
Bradley Beal - 27
Andrew Wiggins - 21
Shabazz Muhammad - 20
John Wall - 19
DeMarcus Cousins - 11
Rajon Rondo - 11
Perry Jones - 10

Rebounds
Julius Randle - 12
DeMarcus Cousins - 10
Nerlens Noel - 10
Shabazz Muhammad - 8
LeBron James - 6
Bradley Beal - 5
Glen Davis - 5

Assists
Rajon Rondo - 13
John Wall - 9
LeBron James - 7
Bradley Beal - 6
Mario Chalmers - 5

Steals
Rajon Rondo - 3
LeBron James - 2

Blocks
DeMarcus Cousins - 3

Beal highlights

by **Phil89** on Sat Feb 22, 2014 12:39 pm

28/4/15

76ers and Spurs blow leads and exit in first round

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder [54-28] vs 8. Dallas Mavericks [41-41]

Results
DAL @ OKC - 98-96
DAL @ OKC - 92-119
OKC @ DAL - 79-103
OKC @ DAL - 110-86
DAL @ OKC - 90-110
OKC @ DAL - 100-72

Oklahoma City won the series 4-2

--------------------------------------------------

4. Los Angeles Lakers [40-42] vs 5. Denver Nuggets [47-35]

Results
DEN @ LAL - 98-112
DEN @ LAL - 88-99
LAL @ DEN - 89-98
LAL @ DEN - 91-110
DEN @ LAL - 116-121
LAL @ DEN - 108-109
DEN @ LAL - 90-95

Los Angeles won the series 4-3

--------------------------------------------------

3. San Antonio Spurs [49-33] vs 6. New Orleans Hornets [44-38]

Results
NOH @ SAS - 77-108
NOH @ SAS - 97-120
SAS @ NOH - 94-107
SAS @ NOH - 108-101
NOH @ SAS - 106-100
SAS @ NOH - 91-118
NOH @ SAS - 110-98

New Orleans won the series 4-3

--------------------------------------------------

2. Portland Trail Blazers [50-32] vs 7. Houston Rockets [44-38]

Results
HOU @ POR - 116-102
HOU @ POR - 113-118
POR @ HOU - 108-97
POR @ HOU - 90-126
HOU @ POR - 82-110
POR @ HOU - 105-107
HOU @ POR - 96-112

Portland won the series 4-3

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eastern Conference

1. Washington Wizards [73-9] vs 8. Orlando Magic [42-40]

Results
ORL @ WAS - 100-103
ORL @ WAS - 107-100
WAS @ ORL - 101-108
WAS @ ORL - 107-100
ORL @ WAS - 105-113
WAS @ ORL - 105-101

Washington won the series 4-2

--------------------------------------------------

4. Brooklyn Nets [47-35] vs 5. Indiana Pacers [46-36]

Results
IND @ BKN - 111-98
IND @ BKN - 119-106
BKN @ IND - 88-94
BKN @ IND - 84-91

Indiana won the series 4-0

--------------------------------------------------

3. Philadelphia 76ers [52-30] vs 6. Chicago Bulls [46-36]

Results
CHI @ PHI - 97-120
CHI @ PHI - 98-108
PHI @ CHI - 95-99
PHI @ CHI - 97-95
CHI @ PHI - 109-103
PHI @ CHI - 71-100
CHI @ PHI - 111-107

Chicago won the series 4-3

--------------------------------------------------

2. Detroit Pistons [54-28] vs 7. Cleveland Cavaliers [43-39]

Results
CLE @ DET - 130-133
CLE @ DET - 112-100
DET @ CLE - 100-114
DET @ CLE - 98-105
CLE @ DET - 85-112
DET @ CLE - 103-120

Cleveland won the series 4-2

by **Martti.** on Sat Feb 22, 2014 11:57 pm

I was pretty sure this wasn't going to be a sweep, but for this series to be this close, every game decided by single-digits? Didn't see that. Though I guess the Magic's record didn't reflect their real strength.

I think you'll sweep the Pacers, seeing as Ilyasova is their leading scorer. :lol:

by **Phil89** on Tue Feb 25, 2014 9:35 am

It was crazy. Before it started I figured it would be difficult because of LeBron, but after winning 73 games I was quite confident. Then the difficulty seemed to go up a couple of levels in this series and each game was so competitive. The scores were weird as we both reached at least 100 in each game. Glad to finally wrap it up though after LeBron destroyed me in last season's playoffs.

Interesting call about the Pacers. For whatever reason Paul George just isn't a good scorer on this game like he is in real life.

by **Phil89** on Tue Feb 25, 2014 9:36 am

30/4/15

2015 playoffs - Conference Semi Finals Preview

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder [54-28] vs 4. Los Angeles Lakers [40-42]

Oklahoma City had to come back back from 2-1 down against the Mavericks to earn their passage to this stage of the post-season. Key duo Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 40.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.2 assists per game in the six game series. They were supported well by Jeremy Lamb, Larry Sanders and Serge Ibaka as they won the final three games. As a team with few weaknesses they will have confidence against a supposedly weak Lakers team and perhaps the series against Dallas will be a wake up call for them to take every game at 100% commitment.

The Lakers defied the odds by beating a stronger Denver team in seven tough games. Star big man Kevin Love carried the team averaging 21 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Shannon Brown was the surprise second option and came up big with 20 points per game himself. Kobe Bryant came into that series under an injury cloud and not surprisingly had a poor series by his lofty standards. A measly 10 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists per game was truly underwhelming from the Laker legend. Battling the Thunder's frontcourt will be even tougher for the Lakers as Jordan Hill is playing hurt after bruising his tailbone with a nasty fall against Denver.

Playoff Stats Leaders
Thunder
Points: Kevin Durant - 21.3
Assists: Russell Westbrook - 7.7
Rebounds: Serge Ibaka - 8.7

Lakers
Points: Kevin Love - 21.4
Assists: Jose Calderon - 4.7
Rebounds: Kevin Love - 8.9

Oklahoma City
Starters
Larry Sanders - Serge Ibaka - Kevin Durant - Jeremy Lamb - Russell Westbrook
Bench
Kevin Martin - Reggie Jackson - Luc Richard Mbah a Moute - Robin Lopez - Antawn Jamison - Nick Collison - Axel Toupane
Inactive
Joshua Smith

LA Lakers
Starters
Kevin Love - Patrick Patterson - Chase Budinger - Kobe Bryant - Jose Calderon
Bench
Shannon Brown - Jordan Hill - Trey Thompkins - Samuel Dalembert - Metta World Peace - Lorenzo Brown - Mike Moser
Inactive
Markel Starks

--------------------------------------------------

2. Portland Trail Blazers [50-32] vs 6. New Orleans Hornets [44-38]

Portland faced a massive test of their contender credentials against the James Harden led Rockets and they emerged triumphant after seven intense games. Young star Damian Lillard stood up and led by example averaging 27 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists per game. He was only second to LeBron James as the leading scorer in the first round of the playoffs. Rookie guard James Young showed his potential as well by scoring 21 points a game against Houston. Unfortunately for the Blazers though he sprained his knee in game seven of that series and could miss the next month of basketball.

The Hornets pulled off one of the great playoff escapes against the highly fancied Spurs. Trailing 3-1 in the series, they won game five in San Antonio and followed that up with a blowout win back in New Orleans in game six. The Spurs couldn't stop them and game seven was an anticlimax with the Hornets winning 110-98. Tyreke Evans looks to finally be living up to his potential as he averaged 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game to lead the Hornets. His mid-season switch from Sacramento has been a masterstroke for him and his new team. Luol Deng is slowly returning to full fitness after spraining his shoulder late in the season.

Playoff Stats Leaders
Blazers
Points: Damian Lillard - 27.0
Assists: Damian Lillard - 8.0
Rebounds: Omer Asik - 8.9

Hornets
Points: Tyreke Evans - 21.9
Assists: DJ Augustin - 6.9
Rebounds: Anthony Davis - 11.7

Portland
Starters
Omer Asik - Thomas Robinson - Nicolas Batum - James Young - Damian Lillard
Bench
Anthony Bennett - Alex Len - Archie Goodwin - Elliot Williams - Nolan Smith - Richard Jefferson - Eric Maynor
Inactive
Victor Claver - Meyers Leonard

New Orleans
Starters
Anthony Davis - Ryan Anderson - Luol Deng - Tyreke Evans - DJ Augustin
Bench
Jason Thompson - Anderson Varejao - Toney Douglas - Adreian Payne - Myck Kabongo - CJ Leslie - Darius Miller
Inactive
Andre Dawkins - Ian Miller

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eastern Conference

1. Washington Wizards [73-9] vs 5. Indiana Pacers [46-36]

In a first round where many series lasted seven games, it's hard to argue that Washington and Orlando had the closest series of games. The biggest winning margin was 8 points and both teams managed to score between 100 and 113 points in every game. Washington averaged 104.8 points whilst Orlando was just behind on 103.5. It was a series worthy of the NBA finals with superstars John Wall and LeBron James leading their teams. Wall averaged 20 points and 10 assists per game whilst LeBron managed an impressive 28 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists a game. Bradley Beal was the real spark, nailing 26 three pointers at 46% shooting.

Indiana were the only team to go unbeaten in the first round. Big man Roy Hibbert was in spectacular form, averaging 14 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists against the Nets. His first two games in particular were amazing. 24 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals in game one and 15 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assists and 2 blocks in game two. Ersan Ilyasova provided a solid second option with 18 points and 9 rebounds per game in the four games. Superstar Paul George wasn't at his scoring best, but still managed an impressive 14 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game. George Hill will have to work extra hard to stop league MVP John Wall if the Pacers want to reach the conference finals.

Playoff Stats Leaders
Wizards
Points: Bradley Beal - 24.3
Assists: John Wall - 10.7
Rebounds: DeMarcus Cousins - 7.8

Pacers
Points: Ersan Ilyasova - 18.5
Assists: Roy Hibbert - 6.5
Rebounds: Roy Hibbert - 12.5

Washington
Starters
DeMarcus Cousins - Nerlens Noel - Andrew Wiggins - Bradley Beal - John Wall
Bench
Manu Ginobili - Emeka Okafor - Mario Chalmers - CJ Watson - Perry Jones - Tony Allen - Marvin Williams
Inactive
Brendan Haywood

Indiana
Starters
Roy Hibbert - Ersan Ilyasova - Paul George - Brandon Roy - George Hill
Bench
Gordon Hayward - Ekpe Udoh - Orlando Johnson - Marcus Morris - Rodrigue Beaubois - CJ Aiken - Nate Wolters
Inactive
Christian Watford

--------------------------------------------------

6. Chicago Bulls [46-36] vs 7. Cleveland Cavaliers [43-39]

Chicago handed the 76ers a third straight first round exit after a gutsy seven game effort. Like the Hornets they trailed 3-1 in their series and won the final three games, including two impressive wins in Philadelphia. Former MVP Derrick Rose predictably led the way with 23 points and 6 assists. Rookie sensation Jabari Parker helped out with 20 points 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game in his first playoffs appearance. Some bad news for the Bulls though is backup point guard Delonte West being out for up to 6 weeks after tearing his hamstring.

The Cavs were another team to cause an upset in the first round after they defeated the highly favoured Pistons in six games. Their talented young backcourt duo of Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson did the majority of the damage for the Cavs, averaging 47 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists between them. They were expected to struggle against the twin towers of Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, but JaVale McGee (10p/6r) and rookie Aaron Gordon (10p/6r/61) helf their own and allowed Irving to take full advantage of the absence of Brandon Jennings.

Playoff Stats Leaders
Bulls
Points: Derrick Rose - 23.6
Assists: Derrick Rose - 6.6
Rebounds: Joakim Noah - 9.1

Cavaliers
Points: Klay Thompson - 24.2
Assists: Kyrie Irving - 6.8
Rebounds: Aaron Gordon/Klay Thompson - 6.5

Chicago
Starters
Joakim Noah - Taj Gibson - Jabari Parker - Jimmy Butler - Derrick Rose
Bench
Andrea Bargnani - Delonte West - Tim Hardaway Jr - Jermaine O'Neal - James Birsen - Jamaal Franklin - Xavier Henry
Inactive
Branden Dawson

Cleveland
Starters
JaVale McGee - Aaron Gordon - Danilo Gallinari - Klay Thompson - Kyrie Irving
Bench
Alonzo Gee - Adonis Thomas - Patric Young - Trevor Mbakwe - Tyler Zeller - Isaiah Canaan - Daniel Gibson
Inactive
Jerian Grant

by **Phil89** on Tue Feb 25, 2014 9:40 am

3/5/15

Washington Wizards [4-2] vs Indiana Pacers [4-0]

Wiggins stars in series opener as Wizards go 1-0 up

WAS - 27 27 27 30 111
IND - 25 23 28 27 103

Player of the Game: Andrew Wiggins
(27pts, 3reb, 4ast, 1blk)
(12-14 FG, 3-4 3PT, 0-0 FT)

Top Scorers
Andrew Wiggins - 27
John Wall - 21
Bradley Beal - 20
Manu Ginobili - 18
Roy Hibbert - 17
Paul George - 15
Brandon Roy - 13
Ersan Ilyasova - 12
Marcus Morris - 11
Rodrigue Beaubois - 10

Rebounds
Ersan Ilyasova - 12
Nerlens Noel - 6
DeMarcus Cousins - 5
Bradley Beal - 5
George Hill - 5

Assists
Georg Hill - 11
John Wall - 7
Bradley Beal - 6
DeMarcus Cousins - 5

Steals
DeMarcus Cousins - 3
John Wall - 3
Gordon Hayward - 3

Wiggins highlights

by **Phil89** on Tue Feb 25, 2014 9:41 am

Playoff conference semis results - Game 1

Western Conference

114-82
Thunder lead series 1-0

98-102
Hornets lead series 1-0

-----------------------

Eastern Conference

111-103
Wizards lead series 1-0

99-75
Bulls lead series 1-0

by **Phil89** on Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:33 pm

5/5/15

Washington Wizards [5-2] vs Indiana Pacers [4-1]

Wiggins stars again as Wizards take 2-0 lead to Indiana

WAS - 23 32 25 20 100
IND - 20 21 20 24 85

Player of the Game: Andrew Wiggins
(29pts, 4reb, 2ast)
(13-18 FG, 3-6 3PT, 0-0 FT)

Top Scorers
Andrew Wiggins - 29
Bradley Beal - 20
Manu Ginobili - 18
Brandon Roy - 16
Paul George - 13
George Hill - 13
Gordon Hayward - 11
John Wall - 11

Rebounds
DeMarcus Cousins - 11
Ersan Ilyasova - 10
Bradley Beal - 7
Nerlens Noel - 6
Gordon Hayward - 5

Assists
John Wall - 11
George Hill - 10
Bradley Beal - 7

Steals
Manu Ginobili - 2
Gordon Hayward - 2
George Hill - 2

Blocks
Roy Hibbert - 3

Wiggins highlights

by **Phil89** on Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:34 pm

Playoff conference semis results - Game 2

Western Conference

112-95
Thunder lead series 2-0

116-98
Series tied 1-1

-----------------------

Eastern Conference

100-85
Wizards lead series 2-0

108-87
Bulls lead series 2-0

by **Phil89** on Thu Feb 27, 2014 12:17 pm

7/5/15

Indiana Pacers [4-2] vs Washington Wizards [6-2]

Wall leads Wizards to tough win in game 3

IND - 18 21 24 24 87
WAS - 17 25 26 28 96

Player of the Game: John Wall
(22pts, 6reb, 12ast, 2stl, 1blk)
(7-18 FG, 0-1 3PT, 8-10 FT)

Top Scorers
John Wall - 22
Bradley Beal - 20
Roy Hibbert - 20
Nerlens Noel - 15
Andrew Wiggins - 15
Paul George - 14
George Hill - 14

Rebounds
Nerlens Noel - 11
DeMarcus Cousins - 8
Paul George - 8
Ersan Ilyasova - 7
Roy Hibbert - 6
Andrew Wiggins - 6
John Wall - 6

Assists
John Wall - 12
Bradley Beal - 7
George Hill - 7
Gordon Hayward - 6

Steals
John Wall - 2
Roy Hibbert - 2
Ersan Ilyasova - 2
Gordon Hayward - 2

Wall highlights

Wizards are champions again!

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