Denver Nuggets - The Next Level [Game 3 + 4]

[Axel The Great]

LOL, is the Pistons coach checking Melo out?

[Kenny]

Good 5 game streak and lets hope it continues.

Here's hoping

Great record, and superb games by both Birdman and Melo!

A much better ten game stretch there, great numbers from Melo and Birdman.

Thanks guys, I think the March award should be between those two guys. It'll probably be Melo since the computer recognises PPG over just about every other stat (or so it seems)

I was running when the beast called Melo would come out of hibernation

He's coming out of hibernation at the right time. He's almost the rich man's Robert Horry in that sense... who coincidently also played for me in my dynasty.

LOL, is the Pistons coach checking Melo out?

Gah, what's with me and taking subtle, homoerotic photos? haha

[Kenny]

5 Game Summary

4-1 seems to be the new 3-2, as I once again reached this mark. The winning streak went up to 7 until I lost to the Western Conference cellar dwellers the San Antonio Spurs. Apart from that, Denver had an OT win against Memphis and 3 other fairly convincing victories. With the victory over Utah, the Nuggets moved 1 game ahead of the Thunder at the top of the Western Conference. Speaking of which, the feature game is against the Utah Jazz. It was a game that would see Andrei Kirilenko and Marcin Gortat come against their former team mates... but it'd see an unlikely hero:

Nuggets Smush Jazz



The Denver Nuggets recorded a 73-65 win against the Utah Jazz. With Chauncey Billups in early foul trouble, the Denver Nuggets would find a hero in Smush Parker, who was the high scorer for the Nuggets with 24 points. He was running rings around the Jazz defense, using the pick and roll to perfection. Shannon Brown and Melo would also chip in with 16 and 12 respectively, while the Birdman had another double-double performance with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

For the Jazz, Chris Paul won the Sprite Performer of the Game with 28 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal. Ollie Rose was also handy with 15 points. Big Baby Davis (sorry "Uno Uno") also was a double digit scorer with 10 points. Marcin Gortat had a strong game against his former side with 17 boards, but it was the unexpected play of Smush Parker that put the Jazz on the backfoot and they weren't able to recover from that.

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UTA@DEN

DEN: 73 (Parker 24, Brown 16, Anthony 12)
UTA: 65 (Paul 28, Rose 15, Davis 10)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Chris Paul 28 points 4 rebounds 4 assists 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Andersen 11
UTA: Gortat 17

Assists

DEN: Brown, Billups, Kirilenko, Parker 2
UTA: Paul 4

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Last 5 Games

WAS: 79-68 W
@MEM: 114-109 W
@NOH: 88-82 W
@SAN: 85-82 L
UTA: 73-65 W

Denver now sit 47-20. It's worth noting that with 15 games left in the season, Denver have already passed their previous season's win record by 6 games.

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20-20 Vision

Chris Andersen had a huge game against his former team-mate Nene. He had 21 points and 21 rebounds. Nene got traded to the Hornets by the Raptors for Emeka Okafor.

Look out David West!

Shaq is still one vicious customer.

The Formers


Gortat and Kirilenko lining up against their former teams for the first time since the trade. Lou Williams got a DNP, while Erick Christian was listed as inactive.

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Next 5 Games

UTA
GSW
LAL
@OKC
@UTA

I think I might have to make the feature game against the Thunder, since the race to the top of the West will well and truly be on.

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Next up will be the March review. Hopefully Denver will have some representation once again in the monthly awards. Lets hope the momentum stays with the Nuggets

[Andrew]

Great run, congrats on edging out the Thunder for the number one seed. Looks like things are coming together at the right time, hope the strong performances continue.

[megarover]

Suprised Smush Parker is the one that went off on the Jazz

[kibaxx7]

Suprised Smush Parker is the one that went off on the Jazz

Me too, only 12 points by Carmelo. Good luck against the Thunder, it will be a nice duel.

[Axel The Great]

You have really shaped the Denver Nuggets team, the only original players you have now are the Birdman, Melo, and Billups, but it has worked wonders.

[Kenny]

Great run, congrats on edging out the Thunder for the number one seed. Looks like things are coming together at the right time, hope the strong performances continue.

Thanks, I'm hoping with only 15 games left I can really get on a good run coming up to the playoffs

Suprised Smush Parker is the one that went off on the Jazz

Suprised Smush Parker is the one that went off on the Jazz

Me too, only 12 points by Carmelo. Good luck against the Thunder, it will be a nice duel.

Smush Parker is actually a lot of fun to control. At 6'4 he has a bit of length about him and he's quite quick, making him good for pick and roll plays.

You have really shaped the Denver Nuggets team, the only original players you have now are the Birdman, Melo, and Billups, but it has worked wonders.

Thanks. I also still have Arron Afflalo, but his production has decreased quite a lot this season. I've dealt a lot of players... some of which I was really hesistant on moving on (Nene and Smith in particular) but I saw it as being neccessary and so far so good I suppose

[Kenny]

March 2013 Review

Melo wins second award

For the second consecutive month, Carmelo Anthony has picked up the West Player of the Month Award. While it's arguable that he has been too inconsistent to be considered for the MVP award, Melo's form is atleast coming at the right time of the season. You never know... he could be up for his 3rd consecutive Finals MVP if all goes well.

In other news, Taylor MacKenzie was edged out of the West Rookie of the Month award by rival Njabulo Nyoni. This rookie race might end up closer than I originally thought.

Team Summary

March saw Carmelo Anthony and Chris Andersen starring for the Denver Nuggets. Melo was getting it done on the offensive end, while the Birdman was a double-double machine, pulling down some huge rebound numbers whilst contributing to the scoring as well. Shannon Brown proved to be deadly from behind the arc, while the real surprise of this month was Smush Parker. He had some big games towards the end of the month and has pushed his way ahead of Mario Chalmers in the point guard rotation. Speaking of point guards, Chauncey Billups had his moments as well. He scored 45 against the Celtics, who have MVP candidate Rajon Rondo... no mean feat there.

Ty Maximilian doesn't get mentioned a lot, but he has been consistent as ever. He doesn't have the huge numbers he had in last year's playoffs, but he still contributes to the team in a meaningful way as he is aggressive on the offensive boards and is excellent at finding open team-mates. Taylor MacKenzie had another inconsistent month. He was unable to find any rhythm and these lulls could very well cost him the ROY award, with Njabulo Nyoni breathing down his neck. Shaq provided solid backup for the Birdman once again with limited minutes, while JJ Hickson had a great game in a loss to San Antonio picking up 11 rebounds while the Birdman was in foul trouble.

AK-47 has dropped off a bit since his initial success while Grant Hill hasn't seen any significant game time. Ray Allen, Matt Bonner and Arron Afflalo remained inactive throughout the month.

Denver are currently one game behind Oklahoma City for the top team of the league... and the Western Conference of course.

Around the League

Monthly Awards

West Player: [DEN] Carmelo Anthony (26.7ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.9spg)
East Player: [MIA] Dwyane Wade (28.1ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.8apg)
West Rookie: [UTA] Njabulo Nyoni (10.4ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.5spg)
East Rookie: [WAS] Amory Buckley (3ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.3bpg)

MVP Race

[CLE] Lebron James (26ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.4bpg)
[CHA] Danny Granger (22.2ppg, 6.2rpg, 4.9apg)
[NJN] Devin Harris (20.7ppg, 6.8apg, 1.6spg)
[BOS] Rajon Rondo (20.1ppg, 7.4apg, 1.5spg)
[MIA] Dwyane Wade (24.8ppg, 3.3apg, 1.6spg)

Standings

East

Cleveland 46-23
Detroit 44-25
Boston 41-27
New Jersey 39-30
Washington 37-32
Toronto 36-32
Indiana 35-34
New York 31-37
---
Orlando 31-37
Atlanta 30-36
Charlotte 32-40
Chicago 28-41
Philadelphia 28-41
Miami 26-44
Milwaukee 25-45


West

Oklahoma City 49-21
Denver 48-21
Memphis 44-25
Portland 45-28
Phoenix 42-29
New Orleans 40-29
Utah 38-30
LA Clippers 33-37
---
Sacramento 31-39
Minnesota 30-39
Golden State 27-42
Houston 28-44
Dallas 26-43
LA Lakers 26-43
San Antonio 25-45

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Last month of the regular season. 13 games are left to be played and if I play them all, it would mean that I would have played all 82 regular season games, as well as the 2 all-star games this season. This coming off the epic fail of last season's computer simulation. Hopefully the temptation to sim games doesn't get me

[Andrew]

Only 13 to go, you can do it. Speaking from experience, you certainly feeling a sense of accomplishment playing at least one season all the way through.

[megarover]

Nice to see Melo pick up ANOTHER Player of the Month

[Kenny]

Only 13 to go, you can do it. Speaking from experience, you certainly feeling a sense of accomplishment playing at least one season all the way through.

I used to always play all the games in previous NBA Lives... I think actually simming most of last season is what kept me interested for this one. I often feel a bit dejected after losses that have had a number of... questionable calls, but I've managed to not go for the sim button yet.

Nice to see Melo pick up ANOTHER Player of the Month

He definitely deserves it. I owe my success to his offense... and Birdman's defense of course.

[Kenny]

5 Game Summary

Well, that old number is back. Denver went 3-2 in this 5 game stretch. The Nuggets managed two emphatic wins over the Jazz, while having two close losses in the middle against the Warriors and the Lakers. That brings us to the top of the table clash against the Oklahoma City Thunder... here's how it went:

Nuggets draw level with the Thunder after win



Despite a huge 36 point game by OKC guard Tony Parker, the Nuggets have managed to hold on, winning 89-83 against the Thunder. This brings them level on the win-loss ratio with the top team in the West. While Parker had a big night, the Birdman won the Sprite Performer of the Game with his effort of 20 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks. Ty Maximilian had a strong night with 19 points, while Anthony had 16, Smush Parker proved to be strong once again with 10 points and 7 dimes.

For OKC, Rudy Gay was explosive at the end with 18 and All-Star Stanley Alston had 15. Rookie Edmund Feehan had a great night on the boards with 14 as well.

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DEN@OKC

DEN: 89 (Andersen 20, Maximilian 19, Anthony 16)
OKC: 83 (Parker 36, Gay 18, Alston 15)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Chris Andersen 20 points 15 rebounds 4 assists 4 blocks 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Andersen 15
OKC: Feehan 14

Assists

DEN: S Parker 7
OKC: T Parker 5

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Last 5 Games

UTA: 94-78 W
GSW: 91-85 L
LAL: 93-85 (OT) L
@OKC: 89-83 W
@UTA: 81-66 W

Denver are now 50-22, which is half a game ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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On the way up

Smush Parker's form has been rewarded with the backup point guard duties to Chauncey Billups... consequently, Chalmers is seeing less playing time.

Is the ROY in this picture?

It would seem that Taylor MacKenzie and Njabulo Nyoni are the top two candidates for ROY... but which one will it be? The more efficient and consistent Nyoni? Or the big game, high volume scorer in MacKenzie? Will they both be snubbed for a darkhorse?

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Next 5 Games

HOU
MEM
SAN
@MIL
@IND

Next feature game will be against Indiana

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10 more games to go. My current record for wins in a season is 56... hopefully I can get past that mark and be the number one seed in the West. With OKC breathing down Denver's neck, will the Nuggets finish the year on top? Only two more 5 game summaries before you find out.

[Alpha_]

Andersen really doing well this season...

[Martti.]

T-Mac for ROY! And hope you stay in front of Thunder for the 1st seed.

[megarover]

You know I just realized how weird Taylor looks like.........

[kibaxx7]

What a game against Indy coming!!!!

[Kenny]

Andersen really doing well this season...

He really is. I wouldn't be surprised if he picked up a second defensive player of the year for his efforts.

T-Mac for ROY! And hope you stay in front of Thunder for the 1st seed.

Thanks, with any luck both of those will happen

You know I just realized how weird Taylor looks like.........

Yes, he is a rather interesting looking character. I think his nose definitely looks out of place.

What a game against Indy coming!!!!

You requested it earlier, so I thought I'd cover at some stage during the season if it wasn't right away

[Kenny]

5 Game Review

Great news for this review... 5 games went for 5 wins, putting Denver 1.5 games ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder with 5 games to go. It started off with a 10 point win against Houston. Then the finals scores were replicated against Memphis and San Antonio (both being 88-80). Milwaukee didn't stand a chance, which brings us to the feature game against Indiana:

Denver hold on



Despite a star performance from Indiana point guard Raymond Felton, the Denver Nuggets have managed to hold on, winning 93-88. Felton had 29 points on the night to win the Sprite Performer of the Game. Along with Gerald Wallace's 19 points and 10 rebounds the Pacers were able to keep this one competitive til the end. However Denver had a superb team effort themselves, with 3 players scoring 20 points or more. Melo led this list with 26 points, while Taylor MacKenzie and Andrei Kirilenko scored 20 each. The Birdman was hitting the boards hard again with 17 rebounds on the night.

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DEN@IND

DEN: 93 (Anthony 26, MacKenzie 20, Kirilenko 20)
IND: 89 (Felton 29, Wallance 19, Daniels 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Raymond Felton 29 points 3 rebounds 5 assists 2 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Andersen 17
IND: Horford 11

Assists

DEN: Billups, Parker, Kirilenko 6
IND: Felton 5

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Last 5 Games

HOU: 105-95 W
MEM: 88-80 W
SAN: 88-80 W
@MIL: 100-73 W
@IND: 93-88 W

Denver are now 55-22. With 5 games to go, they sit 1.5 games ahead of the Thunder as the top of the West.

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Melo's new poster

Melo catches the big guy flat footed

Making the most of it

JJ Hickson's minutes are limited, but against Milwaukee he got some extended time. He picked up 14 rebounds in the game, which was a team high.

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Next 5 Games

@WAS
@ORL
@GSW
@LAL
@PHX

The feature game will be against the Lakers

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With 5 games left, the top seed is well in reach for Denver and if they win the next 5, they could have a 60 win season. Just one more win and it'll equal my winning record of 2010-2011. A lot to look forward to, so I hope you guys keep reading

[Andrew]

Good stuff, nice to see you go five for five. Love the screenshot of Melo dunking on Yao, well-captured. Hope you can hold onto the top seed and lock up home court advantage.

[cavs4872]

Nice seven-game win streak man, but who hasn't been traded in this dynasty? I thought that 2K10 had a few too many trades in its association mode, but Live 10 has proven to be far worse. Just from looking at the screenshots on this page and the last, I noticed that Oklahoma City and Indiana have completely revamped rosters. Neither teams have any of their current star players, which is pretty disappointing.

[anthony22]

nice season for your team !
Birdman is unstopabble

[megarover]

Lets hope you can keep the streak alive. OKC is right behind you

[kibaxx7]

I tried a scenario with my Pacers signing Felton if Wade signed with other team, he played really nice, might trade for him later if Augustin doesn't play very well.

[Andrew]

Nice seven-game win streak man, but who hasn't been traded in this dynasty? I thought that 2K10 had a few too many trades in its association mode, but Live 10 has proven to be far worse. Just from looking at the screenshots on this page and the last, I noticed that Oklahoma City and Indiana have completely revamped rosters. Neither teams have any of their current star players, which is pretty disappointing.

I agree wholeheartedly, NBA Live 11 needs to tone it down and make better decisions as to when to trade star players between CPU controlled teams. A setting that controls trade frequency would be even better.