(63-19) First Round Wraps Up [4-0]

[Axel The Great]

To be honest, I thought you'd have a better record by now. But at least K-Mart is killing everyone

Why? Because in my last story my W/L records were always much better? But yeah, this record is great compared to the RL Rockets.

Was Joe Johnson worth the big contract?

29 points | 9 rebounds | 3 assists | 1 steal | 11/21 FG | 6/6 FT

He's only worth the contract if he averages those stats for a season.

Nice K-Mart triple-double and I'm also surprised to see Yao with 29 points in approximately the same number of minutes!

Yeah, that'd be nice. JJ is versatile, but I really don't think he could shoot that effectively every game.

Yao is actually (as of the first part of Week 13) 201 points away from 10,000 points. I can't wait 'til he hits that milestone!

Also, nice to finally see Pat land a head coach job!

Pat as head coach? That's great!

LOL, I like how you guys put spoilers, but you didn't have to. This is not X's draft lottery, but yeah, I like that Ewing has a coaching job. lol, spoilers.

So anyways, first part of Week 13 next, and then Round Three of the NLSC Tournament!

[Axel The Great]

Part I

[28-13] Houston Rockets 121-93 Milwaukee Bucks [15-23]


Patrick Ewing is no longer assisstant coach in Orlando. | The Chuckwagon finishes the alley-oop.

From the beginning, things looked terrible for the Bucks. They were showing no defensive effort, and were playing terrible offense. A lot can be attributed to the surprising defensive surge of Aaron Brooks on Brandon Jennings. Brooks held Jennings to 5/20 shooting, and not far behind him was John Salmons who shot 8/22 from the field.

What explains the Bucks' lack of defense, was the absence of superstar big man Andrew Bogut, whom is out with a broken ankle. The Rockets capitalized on that and went inside to Yao Ming and Luis Scola, and with stellar play from both players, the Rockets shot 53% from the field. The frontcourt duo combined for 40 points and 26 rebounds, Scola picking up the performer of the game award.

For head coach Patrick Ewing, it was not an easy night. He was not impressed with the defensive effort the Bucks were giving, and is having a tough go coaching the Bucks this season, whom are under .500. He obviously desired this win, as Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon attended the game. "You can tell he was frustrated. He wanted to win. I think he wanted to send some sort of message to me, but obviously he didn't get enough effort from his players to send it," Olajuwon said on the subject. Both were rivals in their time as players in the league, especially in the 1994 NBA Finals.

Player of the Game-

Luis Scola
22 points | 16 rebounds | 2 assists | 10/13 FG

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 33 points, 4 assists, 1 rebound, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 12/23 FG, 3/7 3P
Yao Ming - 18 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 9/15 FG
Aaron Brooks - 12 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 5/8 FG

Bucks:
Corey Maggette - 22 points, 7 rebounds, 9/17 FG
John Salmons - 21 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 8/22 FG
Drew Gooden - 13 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 5/8 FG
Brandon Jennings - 12 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 TO, 5/20 FG

34 35 25 27 121
22 27 29 15 93

[29-13] Houston Rockets 108-100 New York Knicks [21-20]


One of Yao's six blocks, and one of his three on STAT. | Landry Fields quietly had himself a solid game.

Midway through the third quarter, this looked like another blowout win for the Rockets. They led the whole game, because of their efficient three-point shooting. They went 9/16 from the third dimension, compared to just 3/16 from the Knicks. "I told everyone, especially Shane (Battier), that this Knicks team is right behind us for top three-point percentage in the league. I knew they would make attempts to launch those threes, but our guys did an excellent job contesting them, and that proved vital to the win," Rockets head coach Rick Adelman said on the Rockets' stellar defense.

The true killer for the Knicks was their sloppy ballhandling. They had 14 turnovers compared to just six from the Rockets. All of those turnovers led to more possessions for the Rockets, as they had 95 field goal attempts compared to 84 from the Knicks. With that many field goal attempts, the Knicks won the battle of the boards, 49-36.

The stellar play of Kevin Martin continued, as he scored 37 points, tying all-time great Moses Malone's franchise record of consecutive 30+ point games, at 13. He'll have a chance to break that record next game at Memphis against the Grizzlies. "I know I'm that close to breaking the record. Looking back now, I realize I've taken way too many shots to get here. My teammates claim that it's not a problem, but sooner or later, they'll be wanting some of those attempts," said Martin.

Knicks superstar Amar'e Stoudemire wasn't on the same level as Martin. True, he did notch a double-double of 18 points and 10 boards, but he shot inefficiently at 7/21 from the field. "Man, playin' against Yao (Ming) is scary. Every time I thought I had an easy basket, he came out of nowhere to bother my shot. In my opinion, he's the most skilled center in the league, and he showed it this game," Stoudemire praised Yao.

After trailing by double-digits through most of the first half, the Knicks caught fire near the end of the third quarter. They mounted a comeback in the fourth, dismantling a once comfortable 19-point lead by the Rockets. They came within four in the last 1:30 in the game, 104-100. The Rockets however, were able to shut them down defensively, showing their strong play at home. With the All-Star break looming, the Rockets look in great shape.

Player of the Game-

Kevin Martin
37 points | 4 assists | 2 rebounds | 3 steals | 13/27 FG | 4/5 3P

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Luis Scola - 20 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 9/17 FG
Yao Ming - 14 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocks, 7/9 FG
Shane Battier - 10 points, 2 rebounds, 3/4 3P
Aaron Brooks - 10 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 3/15 FG

Knicks:
Amar'e Stoudemire - 18 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 7/21 FG
Danilo Gallinari - 18 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 8/18 FG
Landry Fields - 17 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 6/9 FG
Raymond Felton - 16 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 5/8 FG

35 24 23 26 108
28 15 28 29 100

[Houndy]

Hard debut for Ewing, and nice win over the Knicks

[Axel The Great]

Thanks, but it wasn't exactly Ewing's debut; the Bucks fired Skiles quite a few weeks ago. I've ran some sim associations in which Rick Adelman has retired after the first year. Hoping that doesn't happen, but if it does, I hope I can hire Skiles as head coach.

Got a lot of updates coming, an article on K-Mart, second part of Week 13, NLSC Tournament, and a Vipers article.

[Lamrock]

You can hire assistant coaches to be head coaches now?!

[kibaxx7]

Does it say in the news, "Bucks fire Skiles, hire Ewing"? Maybe its one of those coaches with generic names and Ewing's cyberface, that happened with me with Adrian Dantley, if I remember correctly.

[Axel The Great]

Yeah, that's what it is. Happened with Mark Jackson as well for the Pistons. There are other teams who've fired their coaches, and I wonder who they really hired. For story's sake, I'm going with what I see in game, though. Makes me wonder if Ewing will also be with the Magic when I play against them.

[Grandmama Johnson]

Nice wins, it'll be interesting to see how you guys fare after the All-Star break. Major props for shutting down Jennings like that too.

[hova-]

Martin's on fire, but the Bucks aren't tough to handle without the boogieman. You're rolling anyway, good season.

[Axel The Great]

Nice wins, it'll be interesting to see how you guys fare after the All-Star break. Major props for shutting down Jennings like that too.

Thanks. For some reason, Jennings isn't that hard for me to shut down. He takes some of the most questionable shots, and all I really have to do is contest them.

Martin's on fire, but the Bucks aren't tough to handle without the boogieman. You're rolling anyway, good season.

Article on Martin next.

[Axel The Great]

Kevin Martin A Game Away From Franchise History


A new and improved K-Mart tearing apart other defenses.

Posted by Axel Gomez January 20, 2011 at 3:38 AM
A big storyline of the season for the Houston Rockets has been superstar Kevin Martin's run of 30+ points. For 13 games in a row and counting, he's scored 30 points or more, which ties the franchise record, held by all-time great Moses Malone. He'll have a chance to break that record and stretch out that streak for 14 games when the Rockets head out to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies.

Asked about possibly breaking the record, Martin said, "It's a big accomplishment. My teammates have been getting me the ball and I've been making shots. For the past few games, that hoop has looked a lot bigger than normal. Right now, though, I'd just like to focus on getting the team some wins and making the playoffs with a good seed. The streak will come to an end eventually, so that'll take pressure off of me to keep putting the ball in the basket, and to focus more on passing the ball, and playing defense."

Since coming back from injury, Martin was 22nd in the league in scoring at 21.9 points per game. With this big string of great games, he is now 7th at 26.5 points per game. He has been taking quality shots; it's not like if he's been chucking them left and right. At the beginning, he did shoot inefficiently, including a 12/29 game against Denver at the beginning of the month. Now, however, it's much more automatic for him to score 30+, and he is more relaxed with the ball in his hands, especially in the clutch.

Though he is yet to make a game-winner this season, Kevin Martin has shown that he can post some points in the clutch. There've been many games in which the Rockets just needed a basket to seal the game, and that's where he's come in. He is not afraid to take the big shot, and literally demands the ball in clutch situations.

Martin is having a career season, as the average in points mentioned above is a career high for him, and he's even earned his first career triple-double last week against New Orleans. The difference in his game this year as opposed to last year? He is much more aggressive when driving to the hoop, and those and-ones he makes have such a high degree of difficulty, similar to the ones that LeBron James makes.

He has also been posting up quite a bit. The game against the Boston Celtics was a perfect example. He was able to get some of his shots to go over the smaller Ray Allen, posting him up effectively. He is currently working with Yao Ming on his hook shots, and other post moves that are required to be effective closer to the basket. He knows the best two-guard in the NBA, Kobe Bryant, has a post-game, and does not want to be left behind.

Before, Martin was known as an atrocious defender. Other players had a pretty easy time scoring with him guarding them. That really isn't the case anymore. With the help of teammate Shane Battier, Martin now knows a few defensive tricks, and makes sure that he always contests his opponent's shots. "He makes opponents work to get their shots, makes others uncomfortable. No way you can say he's a perennial defensive stopper yet, but this season he's done a good job containing other two-guards," said the defensive specialist, Battier.

I was able to get Moses Malone's thoughts on the subject when the Rockets played the Knicks yesterday, and he was in attendance. Malone said, "You know, I think Martin can break the record. He should go for it. He's been playing some of the best basketball in the league, so he's definitely deserving of it. I'd really like to see him break my franchise record of 37 rebounds in a game, though..." Ahh, Moses, that made me laugh.

With all of this improvement, a bright future is in store for Martin, as it seems he's just entered his prime. "Give it a season or two, and Kobe (Bryant) won't be the best two-guard in the league anymore. That title will belong to Kevin, mark my words. He is beginning to become a complete offensive player, and will only start getting better on defense as well," teammate Yao Ming praised him for his hard work.

I agree with Yao's statement, there's no question that if this keeps up, Martin will become a prolific player in this league. I see some All-Star appearances in the future, some All-NBA teams, and possibly an MVP award. All this, however, would all go to waste if the Houston Rockets don't win another championship. With the way they're playing basketball right now, they are headed the right direction to achieve the ultimate goal, "The Dream".

Comments (3):

Posted by AB January 20, 2011 at 7:45 AM
It's all a fluke. He won't pass the streak next game, just watch.

Posted by Ariza's Bricks January 20, 2011 at 8:03 AM
If I shot 12/29 for a game that would be a monster game for me.

Posted by Kobe #24 4-ever January 20, 2011 at 8:24 AM
Kevin Martin can play defense? LMAO.

[Houndy]

I agree with Kobe fan

[Bucket]

Kobe #24 4-ever

[rise]

lol @ Ariza.

[shadowgrin]

I expect the real life trades the Rockets did to happen in this story also.

[Stress Fracture]

at the comments. Oh yeah!

What's with the spoilers and the coaches?

[Axel The Great]

I agree with Kobe fan

OMG! GO SEE A THERAPIST! NOW, HOUNDY! YOU MUST BE INSANE TO AGREE WITH A KOBE FAN!

Kobe #24 4-ever

lol @ Ariza.

:lol: at the comments. Oh yeah!

What's with the spoilers and the coaches?

Wow, I thought those comments were weak. I find it odd they made people lol. Well, glad to see they did. I also find it funny no one's mentioned K-Mart's near-franchise record.

And Fracture, Ewing is head coach of the Bucks in this story, but yet, when I played the Magic today (rest of Week 13 recap soon), he was on their bench!

I expect the real life trades the Rockets did to happen in this story also.

I guess you may end up being disappointed, then. The RL Rockets are in a completely different situation than my virtual ones. My Rockets were able to get 30 wins in 45 games or so, while the RL ones barely have 34 wins in 68 games. I don't wanna have to let go of Battier, and as much an asshole AB has been, I think he's our point guard of the future. And you add that Yao's completely healthy here, I don't want to do the trades. I'll be doing the other RL trades at a later date, though, probably as the deadline looms.

[Axel The Great]

(1-1) Liam Washburn vs. Xavier Nelson (1-1)



Inefficient shooting was a let-down for John Wall and Liam Washburn. Gerald Wallace was forcing both of them into tough shots. Xavier Nelson didn't shoot as efficiently either, but had a respectable game. 18 minutes this game lasted, and Nelson and Wallace took this one 21-12.

Stats:
Gerald Wallace - 13 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 13/24 FG
Xavier Nelson - 8 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 8/20 FG
Liam Washburn - 8 points, 15 rebounds, 2 steals, 8/24 FG
John Wall - 4 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4/12 FG

(0-2) Willie Lewis vs. Thierry Tirieux (2-0)



The upset of the round. The duo of Thierry Tirieux and Andre Iguodala was one of two duos who were undefeated in this tournament. Willie Lewis and Josh Smith picked up their first win of the tournament, and the key was defensive play. Iguodala and Tirieux shot a combined 16/47, and Lewis forced the turnovers, he had five steals, while Smith had five blocks. There was a big battle of the boards, as a bunch of shots were missed this game, and three players grabbed double digit rebounds. The game lasted a season high 24 minutes, with Lewis and Smith taking it 21-16.

Stats:
Josh Smith - 12 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 blocks, 12/25 FG
Willie Lewis - 9 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals, 9/26 FG
Andre Iguodala - 8 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 8/23 FG
Thierry Tirieux - 8 pionts, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 6 TO, 8/24 FG

(2-0) Justine Jones vs. Valdis Iesalnieks (1-1)



With Thierry Tirieux and Andre Iguodala losing, Justine Jones and Michael Beasley remain the only undefeated duo of the tournament. The complete dominance of Beasley single-handedly won this game. Valdis Iesalnieks may have the size advantage over everyone in this tournament, but Beasley made sure that every layup under the basket from him was a disturbance. Beasley continues to be a possible MVP Candidate for the tournament, and despite Jones' struggles, they are yet to lose in this tournament. Iesalnieks kept himself and Chauncey Billups in the game, but overall, Billups' effort was not there once again. They had to endure 18 minutes of Beasley, and were taken down 17-21.

Stats:
Michael Beasley - 16 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 15/23 FG, 1/1 3P
Justine Jones - 5 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 5/17 FG
Valdis Iesalnieks - 11 points, 16 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 11/19 FG
Chauncey Billups - 6 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 6/19 FG

(0-2) George Koukoulis vs. Zee Otoo (1-1)



Despite being down 9-3 at one point, George Koukoulis and Carlos Boozer rallied back with a 7-0 run, to make the score 10-9 in their favor. However, once there, Kevin Martin was given way too many easy baskets, as Koukoulis just could not keep him in front of him. Zee Otoo had an off game, but got the job done on the boards with a game-high 15 rebounds. A lack of defense on Martin proved to be the X-Factor, as Koukoulis and Boozer were taken down 13-21 in 16 minutes.

Stats:
Kevin Martin - 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 15/25 FG
Zee Otoo - 6 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 6/15 FG
George Koukoulis - 7 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 7/17 FG
Carlos Boozer - 6 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 6/12 FG

NLSCer Statline of the Round: Willie Lewis - 9 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals

Standings

Player	W-L Record
Justine Jones	3-0
Thierry Tirieux	2-1
Xavier Nelson	2-1
Zee Otoo	2-1
Liam Washburn	1-2
Valdis Iesalnieks	1-2
Willie Lewis	1-2
George Koukoulis	0-3

[Houndy]

Kiss my ass Thierry

[Bucket]

Chauncey, Chauncey 11 points and 16 rebounds, but only one block? I will beat Timberwolves and Beasley in NBA!

[hova-]

Haha, I liked that comments below the Martin article. You're doing a great job with this D.

[Justine.]

Yea baby! Beasley is a cheese in the game Bad shooting game for me, but hogging for the rebounds sounds pretty good

[|)e8*]

Hell yea i win again

[George7]

You got to be kidding me...
I play one good game and Boozer isn't dominate like he was!C'mon,at least one win!!

[puttincomputers]

Intriguing story here! Just sent you my info.