The 2K10 & Beyond Project - Season 19/20: NBA Finals - Game 7

[jubba910]

HOU 128 @ MIN 116
11th January 2017

Bledsoe, Rockets topple Timberwolves


Eric Bledsoe and the Rockets took advantage of a Brad Beal-less Timberwolves squad, continuing to battle in the middle of the Western Conference pack.

[jubba910]

MIL 105 @ MIA 113
21st January 2017

Kyrie launches Heat above Bucks in the East


In a classic 1st v 2nd battle in South Beach, Kyrie Irving and the Heat successfully took over the #1 seed in the East from the Bucks, who will miss Kemba Walker for the next two months with an ankle sprain.

[jubba910]

SAC 97 @ CHA 111
28th January 2017

Rookie Dunn shows out against Kings


Looking to insert his name in the Rookie of the Year conversation, Kris Dunn was dominant against the Kings, scoring 22 points and dishing out 12 assists.

[jubba910]

Monthly Report: January 2017

Conference Standings






League Leaders





Injury Report




Stories

Parity ringing true across both Conferences

Through January, no clear frontrunner in either Conference has emerged, with the top four in each seperated by less than 3 games. Following Denver's hot streak of 10-straight after their loss to the Thunder, the jury is still out as to whether they can truly contend against the top of the West. In the East, the absence of Kemba Walker has slowed the early dominance of Milwaukee, allowing mainstay Miami to take the top spot, however the Cavaliers and Raptors are hot on their heels.

Streaking Rockets continue to push

Quickly approaching the All-Star Break, the Houston Rockets have strung together an impressive seven straight wins, launching them into the West's elite. Could Eric Bledsoe and his crew of youthful prospects follow the path of the Pelicans last season with a postseason appearance?

Curry continues to dominate, leads MVP discussion

Despite another stellar season from four-time consecutive MVP Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry appears to be the frontrunner for this year's award, holding the fort after a debilitating ankle injury that saw him miss the last few months of last season. Carrying the extra load of an injured DeMarcus Cousins, Curry's current numbers (including an incredible 3.4 steals a game) has him touted to take the crown at the midway point of the season.

[jubba910]

All-Star Teams Announced

All Star Game

West All-Stars


East All-Stars



Rookie Showcase

Elites


Stars



Dunk Contest




3-Point Shootout

[jubba910]

UTA 121 @ NO 115
8th February 2017

Davis rebukes All-Star snub in Big Easy


Leading all players with 30 points and 13 rebounds, Anthony Davis put on a tear on the floor of the upcoming All-Star Game, an event in which he's been surprisingly snubbed from.

[jubba910]

Trade Deadline
16th February 2016

T'Wolves, Clippers & Raptors complete blockbuster three-team deal



After a lackluster first half of the season from the perennial contending Clippers, the trigger has been pulled on their recently-inked superstar Carmelo Anthony, sending him to the Timberwolves in a three team trade also involving Toronto. The Wolves now get a major scoring boost with Anthony and his veteran scoring teammate Jamal Crawford, as Minnesota still juggle the absence of Bradley Beal due to injury for the foreseeable future. A franchise that has been no stranger to the postseason, but unfamiliar with success, this move looks set to give the Timberwolves their best shot yet at winning a championship. In exchange for the departing Anthony, the Los Angeles Clippers have locked in their star of the future, securing C.J. McCollum from the Raptors in exchange for former 6MOY Bogdan Bogdanovic. The Clippers also secured key pieces in both a first round and valuable role player Robert Covington, as well as exciting prospect Timothe Luwawu Cabarrot who will back up their new SG star. Cashing in on their great drafting of C.J. McCollum behind stalwart DeMar DeRozan a few years ago, Toronto has boosted their contending stocks adding established PG Goran Dragic to man the floor as Darren Collison remains on the Injured List, whilst also adding Bogdanovic who will have no problems being the lightning bolt on the bench.

Brooklyn cashes in 2017 Chicago pick for Conley


The fire sale has continued in Memphis, with long-time PG Mike Conley on the way to the Eastern Conference contending Nets, in a move that sees them pick up a coveted pick in this year's upcoming draft - Chicago's 2017 1st Rounder from their trade of T.J. Warren. The Grizzlies won't be hamstrung too badly in the short-term however, also securing the services of Nets' starting point man Patrick Mills. With this move, Brooklyn now seems to have abandoned the rebuidling path that they seemed destined to be on since the acquistion of Pau Gasol and departure of Dwight Howard, looking to win now as Gasol continues to put up career numbers.

Pistons, Magic clean house as Pacers, Spurs, Knicks look to push


After finishing only one game out of the playoffs last season, the Pistons have plummeted back down the East standings and have looked to aleviate some of their larger contracts, with short-term pickup Chris Bosh headed to Indiana as the Pistons look set to miss the postseason for the 8th straight year. On the other hand, the Pacers have leaned into a "win now" mentality similar to the Charlotte Bobcats of years ago, trusting in their defensive-minded veterans to pull off a late season run. In a similar case, the Orlando Magic have dealt pieces to both New York and San Antonio, breaking apart a team that has been a thorn in the Eastern Conference's side for the past few seasons. The Spurs have traded in prospect Dario Saric for the established Marcin Gortat, while the Knicks get a valuable backup to Buddy Hield through Iman Shumpert, as Orlando looked to dump his three-year deal in favour of a 1-year contract of Nate Robinson.


You can find the full list of deadline deals here.

[Andrew]

Big moves! No "no trade" clause for Melo in this reality, clearly.

[jubba910]

All Star Weekend

STR 115 - ELT 129
17th February 2017

Towns dominates on home floor


Karl-Anthony Towns was unstoppable on the Pelicans home floor, putting up an incredible 26-point, 17-rebound performance to best Jahlil Okafor and the Stars.






3 POINT SHOOTOUT
18th February 2017


After reigning champion Klay Thompson crashed out in the first round, 2015 champ Damian Lillard bested Stephen Curry to take home his second 3-point shootout crown.

DUNK CONTEST
18th February 2017


Zach LaVine shone brightest in the dunk contest, narrowly edging out Bulls rookie Marquese Chriss to dethrone two-time consecutive champion Andrew Wiggins.

EAST 114 - WEST 125
19th February 2017

Lowry plays All-Star hero


After looking like a possible blowout in the first quarter, a strong West fightback was stifled by some late-game heroics by Washington's Kyle Lowry, nailing the last-second three and completing a triple-double for LeBron James. Though that wasn't enough to take home the All-Star Game MVP award, with Paul George stuffing the stat sheet with 22 points, 17 rebounds and 8 assists.

[jubba910]

MEM 123 @ IND 119
24th February 2017

Kawhi, Grizzlies sour Bosh's Indy debut


Boasting a new PG of their own in Patrick Mills, Kawhi Leonard and the Grizzlies got off on the right foot without Mike Conley, handing Chris Bosh his first loss as a Pacer.






DAL 100 @ MIN 108
24th February 2017

Love leads new-look Wolves over Mavs


In the home debut of their acquisition of Carmelo Anthony, it was regular stalwart Kevin Love and valuable addition Jamal Crawford who showed out against the Mavs as Minnesota looks to stamp itself as a true contender.

[Andrew]

Timberwolves have a pretty solid team there.

[jubba910]

NO 127 @ OKC 133 (OT)
28th February 2017

Deadly Thunder trio bests Pelicans


In a matchup of 2nd vs 3rd in the Western Conference, the second placed Thunder's championship experience held strong, with back-to-back threes by Russell Westbrook sending the game to overtime, and the steady hand of three-time reigning MVP Kevin Durant steering them to victory over a feisty New Orleans outfit.

[jubba910]

Contract Extensions
28th February 2017

Russ & Ibaka re-sign in OKC, Durant lets deadline pass



The Oklahoma City Thunder have locked down another two vital pieces of their dynasty in Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka for another three years, however with the extension deadline passing without a new deal for Kevin Durant, rumours are beginning to swirl that the three-time reigning MVP could be leaving the Thunder dynasty.

Oklahoma City Thunder re-sign Russell Westbrook 3yr/$77.96m
Utah Jazz re-sign Rudy Gobert 3yr/$67.56m
New York Knicks re-sign Jrue Holiday 3y/$42.16m
Minnesota Timberwolves re-sign Mason Plumlee 2yr/$34.02m
Brooklyn Nets re-sign Pau Gasol 2yr/$31.80m
Oklahoma City Thunder re-sign Serge Ibaka 2yr/$24.48m
Indiana Pacers re-sign Bojan Bogdanovic 3yr/$20.59m
Sacramento Kings re-sign Tyler Johnson 3yr/$15.23m
Charlotte Hornets re-sign Nikola Mirotic 2yr/$11.27m
Sacramento Kings re-sign Gorgui Dieng 2yr/$10.97m
Detroit Pistons re-sign Al Jefferson 1yr/$10.87m
Phoenix Suns re-sign Alex Len 1yr/$10.41m
Orlando Magic re-sign Kelly Olynyk 2yr/$8.94m
Brooklyn Nets re-sign Festus Ezeli 2yr/$8.01m
New Orleans Pelicans re-sign Patrick Beverley 2yr/$6.86m
Denver Nuggets re-sign Arron Afflalo 2yr/$6.62m
Orlando Magic re-sign George Hill 2yr/$6.56m
Utah Jazz re-sign Deron Williams 1yr/$5.02m
New York Knicks re-sign Mike Scott 3yr/$3.76m
Detroit Pistons re-sign Jonas Jerebko 3yr/$3.07m
Atlanta Hawks re-sign Mike Muscala 2yr/$2.82m
Milwaukee Bucks re-sign Ben McLemore 2yr/$2.82m
Oklahoma City Thunder re-sign Lavoy Allen 2yr/$2.82m
Dallas Mavericks re-sign Tim Hardaway Jr. 2yr/$2.29m
Denver Nuggets re-sign Jason Thompson 2yr/$2.00m
Indiana Pacers re-sign Roy Hibbert 2yr/$2.00m
New Orleans Pelicans re-sign David Lee 2yr/$2.00m
Minnesota Timberwolves re-sign Nikola Pekovic 2yr/$2.00m
Sacramento Kings re-sign Joseph Young 1yr/$1.69m
Philadelphia 76ers re-sign Pat Connaughton 1yr/$1.35m
Atlanta Hawks re-sign Shane Larkin 1yr/$980k
New York Knicks re-sign Luc Richard Mbah a Moute 1yr/$980k
Denver Nuggets re-sign Mario Chalmers 1yr/$980k
Indiana Pacers re-sign Tony Snell 1yr/$980k
Toronto Raptors re-sign Vince Carter 1yr/$980k
Houston Rockets re-sign Nene 1yr/$980k
San Antonio Spurs re-sign Boris Diaw 1yr/$980k
Oklahoma City Thunder re-sign Anthony Morrow 1yr/$980k

[jubba910]

Monthly Report: February 2017

Conference Standings






League Leaders





Injury Report




Stories

Warriors on the rise

On the back of a 6-game win streak post-All Star break, the Golden State Warriors are rocketing up the West standings, in a complete 180 from their position at this time last season after losing Steph Curry for the season. The acquisition of flexible forward Jeff Green at the deadline seems to be paying off big time as Ed Davis nurses a broken nose.

Pressure cooker begins in Brooklyn

After moving a valuable pick and solid PG Patrick Mills for Mike Conley, the Brooklyn Nets are feeling the heat of expectation, dropping their last three games and dancing with the bottom half of the East playoff picture. With Pau Gasol now locked in for the next two seasons, the Nets are desperate to take advantage of their aging Spaniard and deliver some postseason success to the starved franchise.

Trail Blazers on the outs

The loss of Draymond Green has severly hampered Portland's season so far, failing to replicate their success of last year which saw them finish one game behind the first seed. With Green still out another 2-4 weeks, can the Blazers turn it around in time to make the playoffs?

[jubba910]

TOR 105 @ MIA 98
11th March 2017

Plumlee leads Raptors over Heat


Deadline acquisitions Miles Plumlee and Bogdan Bogdanovic proved their worth against the current East-leading Heat, as the Raptors continue their rise to a possible first seed in the postseason.

[jubba910]

POR 125 @ SA 103
15th March 2017

Lillard keeps Blazers hopes alive


In a season marred by injuries to their stars, Damian Lillard and the Blazers continue to press for the eighth seed, picking up a crucial win over the contending Spurs on their home floor.

[jubba910]

BKN 103 @ NY 114
16th March 2017

Giannis, Knicks win battle of New York


The duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Andre Drummond continue to win the hearts of the New York faithful, besting their cross town rival and continuing their quest for a top 4 seed in the East.

[jubba910]

CLE 125 @ CHA 103
24th March 2017

Whiteside dominates against Cavs


Hassan Whiteside and the Hornets have sounded a significant warning call to the East's best, tearing apart last year's #1 seed in convincing fashion, as Charlotte continues to solidify its 8th seed position in the East.

[jubba910]

HOU 130 @ GS 121
31th March 2017

Young Rockets deliver in Bay Area


Facing even fiercer competition than the Hornets in the East, the youthful Rockets continue to hold on to eighth seed, picking up a valuable win over the surging Warriors despite the loss of captain Eric Bledsoe earlier in the week.

[jubba910]

Monthly Report: March 2017

Conference Standings






League Leaders





Injury Report




Stories

Horror month for injuries sees contenders wounded

Much like two years ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder will have to compete in the postseason down one of their three superstars, with Russell Westbrook officially ruled out for the season with a torn ACL. While the Nets, Rockets and Knicks will miss their floor generals for a majority of their playoff runs with Mike Conley, Eric Bledsoe and Jrue Holiday all sidelined for 1-2 months.

Fight for the East crown to go down to the wire

As the Nuggets continue their hot form and hold a multiple game lead over the wounded Thunder in the West in the top spot, the East paints a different story, with the Raptors and Bucks only a game away from each other at the top of the standings.

Grizzlies, Blazers sit on postseason doorstep

While the Hornets appear to have the Eastern Conference's eighth seed locked up, the Rockets face tough competition (especially with the loss Eric Bledsoe) from the Grizzlies and Blazers, the latter in which continues to battle an injury-riddled season.

[jubba910]

SAC 87 @ GS 103
1st April 2017

T'Wolves put nail in Kings' coffin


Fighting on the outskirts of the eighth seed, the Sacramento Kings were dealt a death blow by the Timberwolves in Minnesota, leaving it up to the Grizzlies to disrupt the West postseason in the last weeks of the season. The Timberwolves didn't come away unscathed however, losing Bradley Beal for another 6 weeks with his second ankle injury of the season.

[jubba910]

MIL 118 @ OKC 125
4th April 2017

Thunder keep on Nuggets' heels with key Bucks win


The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to pursue the top seed held by the Denver Nuggets, taking a statement win over East contender Milwaukee on their home floor. Kevin Durant continues to pick up the slack left by an injured Westbrook as the Thunder chase their fifth straight title.

[jubba910]

DET 101 @ HOU 131
7th April 2017

Rockets clinch eighth seed against Pistons


Holding their own fate in their hands throughout the last month of the season, the Eric Bledsoe-less Rockets clinched the eighth seed in the West against the Pistons, setting themselves up for a battle with either the Thunder or Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.

[Andrew]

The Thunder are either going to blow them out by an average of 20+ a game, or suffer an unexpected upset at the hands of major underdogs.

[jubba910]

Last Day of the Season

MIL 132 @ BOS 106
12th April 2017

Sullinger keeps Bucks' top seed hopes alive


With only a game seperating the Bucks and the Raptors at the top of the East standings, the Bucks did their part in taking a win over the Celtics to put them in position to possibly snag the first seed, and in turn handed the Boston franchise its sixth consecutive loss going into the playoffs.






MIL 101 @ BOS 131
12th April 2017

Teague dishes out 15 assists in scalp of top-placed Raptors


It may not have been enough to get the Bucks to leapfrog the Raptors, but the Cavaliers made a statement win to end their regular season campaign, taking out the first seed in convincing fashion.






DEN 95 @ OKC 120
12th April 2017

Durant, Thunder exact revenge on Nuggets


After falling to the Nuggets just days earlier by double figures, Kevin Durant and the Thunder showed how dangerous they still are even without Russell Westbrook, with the three-time reigning MVP putting on a clinic and making a strong case for a fourth consecutive MVP trophy.