Andrew's Chicago Bulls Dynasty (NBA Live 2004)

A collection of memorable stories from NBA Live's franchise and career modes.

Postby Power And Proud on Tue Jan 13, 2004 10:22 pm

Andrew wrote:Uh...I already did. :wink:


:oops: :scold:
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Postby Andrew on Thu Jan 15, 2004 1:42 pm

Detroit 100, Chicago 77

Maybe it's because I haven't played for a week or so, but I really struggled against the Pistons. They jumped out to an early lead, finishing the first quarter with a 24-17 advantage. It just got worse from there, as I failed to get anything going on offense. Ben Wallace was indeed a beast, blocking 8 shots and not letting KG get involved at the offensive end. KG ended the game 6/15, though it should have been worse (the game doesn't count blocked shots as missed field goals). With three minutes left in the fourth, I officially raised the white flag and took all of my starters out of the game.

Another four game winning streak snapped; the next game is against Memphis, where I'll try to start a new streak.
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Postby Andrew on Fri Jan 16, 2004 3:18 pm

Chicago 126, Memphis 115

A lot of fast breaks and a lack of defense resulted in a high scoring contest. I got off to a slow start, as KG continued to struggle on offense. Eddy Curry was injured attempting to dunk on Stromile Swift, but was able to return a couple of minutes later. Swift then injured his back attempting to dunk on Curry. He too was able to return later in the game. The Grizzlies held a 54-51 lead at halftime.

I collapsed in the third quarter, as the Grizzlies led by as many as 12 while my entire team went cold at the offensive end and looked lost on defense. Posey became the third player to limp to the bench with a leg injury, but he too managed to return in time for the fourth quarter. By this time, KG had broken out of his slump and I took the lead for good with 7 minutes remaining.

Garnett finished with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Eddy Curry led all scorers with 32 points, and added 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Pippen was a big part of the run that allowed me to take back the lead in the latter part of the second half, and finished the game with 19 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Hinrich had 18 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists and 6 steals. Crawford added 11 points, 6 rebounds and 7 steals.

Gasol and Posey top scored for the Grizzlies with 21 points apiece. Gasol also added 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Jason Williams had a double-double with 20 points and 14 assists.

Chicago 98, New York 90

The Knicks jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, but KG kept the game close, scoring 10 points in the first quarter. The score remained close despite a few lead changes during the second quarter, though KG cooled off and picked up three quick fouls. I still held a 48-45 lead at half time. I started to pull away in the third as I did a better job of challenging the Knicks' several three point threats. In the fourth, I continued to run a full court press, often double-teaming in the backcourt and making it difficult for the Knicks to advance the ball across halfcourt. I maintained a 7-9 point lead for most of the period, but Houston managed to hit some big threes late in the game to bring the Knicks a little closer. However, they began fouling me too early, allowing me to seal the 98-90 victory from the charity stripe.

Chicago 94, Washington 86

It's becoming a trend; erratic play and an early lead for the opponents for the first three or four minutes, before I manage to settle down and take control. The Wizards held a 12-4 lead with 7 remaining in the first, so I called timeout to slow the game down and hopefully break their momentum. I managed to finish the quarter with a 14-5 run to take an 18-17 lead into the second quarter. I held the lead through most of the second, but Jerry Stackhouse, who had been quiet in the first, made some baskets down the stretch to give the Wizards a 40-38 edge at the half. Though I failed to prevent a lot of fast breaks, I managed to pull ahead 66-59 at the end of the third. Larry Hughes kept Washington in the game; he was 6/8 in the period and finished 13/18 for the game. Stackhouse chipped in with a basket here and there, but continued to shoot poorly.

Washington came out running in the fourth, and quickly closed the gap, eventually tieing the game at 74. They would not take the lead however, as Garnett, Crawford and Hinrich continued to play well at both ends. KG finished with 22 points, 18 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals, earning Player of the Game honours. Crawford had a team high 25 points to go along with 4 steals and 3 assists. Hinrich added 16 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals, while Curry had another solid game with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks.

For the Wizards, Larry Hughes led all scorers with 26 points, to go along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Gilbert Arenas had 13 assists, a game high, and scored all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter. Stack had 22 points (9/23 FG, 1/10 3PT) and 4 rebounds. No other Wizard scored in double figures, though Haywood grabbed 14 boards, while Brown and Laettner grabbed 8 and 7 rebounds respectively.

My record is now 25-16, third in the West (the Nets have a worse record but are second due to having the best record in the Atlantic) and second in the Central Division, just a half game behind the Hornets (25-15). It's also the fourth best record in the league, another reason I'm hoping to trade Eddie Robinson and Jay Williams for a lottery pick before the deadline.
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Postby Andrew on Sat Jan 17, 2004 3:42 pm

Chicago 108, Atlanta 95

I managed to avenge my loss to the Hawks earlier in the season, cruising to a 108-95 victory. The game was close throughout most of the first half with Atlanta taking a two point lead a couple of times. I pulled away towards the end of the second quarter, taking a 49-39 lead into halftime.

Though they managed to close the gap with a hot start to the third quarter, I again pulled out of reach. Pippen went down early in the quarter with an arm injury, then Marshall went to the bench with a back injury shortly after substituting for the injured Pippen. Pip was able to return, but Marshall was forced to sit.

In the fourth quarter, I basically gave everyone a chance to play and keep their averages up. The Hawks never threatened a comeback. KG was named Player of the Game with 25 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists and 2 blocks. Pippen had 24 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals despite the injury. Crawford added 17 points and 7 assists. Curry and Chandler each had 12 points; Curry also had 12 rebounds.

Jason Terry had a near triple double with 22 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists. Shareef was fairly quiet, with 14 points and 5 rebounds.

Injury Update:

Finally! I have a player injured more than one game! Marshall is day-to-day with sore ribs. Even though he's playable, I've decided to place him on the injured list to mix things up a little. Besides, his ratings have taken a hit, so he won't be as effective.

NBA News Update:

How desperate were the Jazz to get John Amaechi back? They traded their 2004 first round pick (likely top 20) for him. Houston will likely have two top 20 picks in the 2004 draft, which may both turn out to be lottery picks. The Rockets also acquired Darius Songalia from Sacramento for Adrian Griffin...with a record of 26-16, I've taken the lead in the Central Division and the Eastern Conference. It's also the third best record behind the Lakers (29-11) and Mavericks (28-14)...the Kings hold the league's longest winning streak at 7. The Trail Blazers hold the worst losing streak at 9.

Chicago 136, Dallas 118

It's virtually impossible to contain Dallas; the way the CPU can beat you with fast breaks, it's very easy for a team like the Mavericks to score 40+ points that way. I prefer to a play a slower game, but to keep up with them I had to play their style of game. The first time I played the Mavericks, this worked to their advantage. This time I managed to stay close, and went on a 17-0 run to take a comfortable lead. I wasn't able to protect it though, and by the half the Mavericks had recaptured the lead, 63-61.

Dallas cooled off a little in the third and I outscored them 41-32, to give me a 102-95 lead heading into the fourth. I maintained the lead throughout the final period, and though the Mavericks shot a better percentage and made a late run, they couldn't close the gap and I held on for a 136-118 victory.

Kevin Garnett had another great performance, scoring 37 points and grabbing 17 boards to go along with 5 assists, 4 blocks and 2 steals. He didn't turn the ball over once. Eddy Curry had 21 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks, Pippen had 21 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals. Crawford had 17 points, 3 rebounds, 6 steals and 6 assists. Hinrich added 14 points (but shot poorly; 4/24 for the game, 2/15 from long range), 6 rebounds, 6 steals and 4 assists. Chandler had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Jamison, Finley and Nash each scored 30 points. Jamison also had 6 rebounds. Nash had 13 assists to go with his 30 points, while Michael Finley had 10 turnovers; 6 more than the entire Bulls team. Nowitzki only had 10 points, but crashed the boards for 15 rebounds. Fortson had 6 points and 17 rebounds.

Injury Update:

Donyell Marshall (Chi) has been cleared to play...Shawn Bradley (Dal) is out with a broken foot...Jamaal Tinsley (Ind) is day-to-day with a sore achilles tendon...Devean George (LAL) is day-to-day with a back muscle strain...Dan Gadzuric (Mil) is out with a broken toe...Michael Redd (Mil) is day-to-day with a strained thigh muscle...Sam Cassell (Min) is day-to-day with a sore toe...Jason Kidd (NJ) is out with bone spurs in his foot...Vlade Divac (SAC) is out with a broken toe...Alvin Williams (Tor) is out with a sprained toe.

NBA News Update:

With Sacramento's overtime loss to Dallas, Chicago, Indiana and Denver hold the NBA's longest winning streak at five games...Portland's losing streak has extended to 10 games...Chicago remains first in the East, just a half game ahead of New Orleans.
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Postby Andrew on Sat Jan 17, 2004 9:25 pm

Chicago 121, Toronto 72

Toronto played well in the first quarter, leading 27-25 at the end of the first 12 minutes. But from the second quarter onwards, it was all Chicago. The Raptors couldn't buy a basket in the second, while the Bulls shot 20/26 and stole the ball eight times. Bench scoring was in 21-2 i my favour during the second, mainly thanks to Donyell Marshall. At the end of the first half, I led 71-41.

The third quarter was fairly slow and defensive-minded. I only scored 22 points, but held the Raptors to 8. Toronto were 4/21 in the third, including 0/8 from downtown. They found their rhythm in the fourth, scoring 23 points on 10/22 shooting, but it didn't matter. Everyone on my roster played and scored, led by Kevin Garnett with 29. KG also had 12 rebounds and 6 assists.

Marshall had an impressive performance after missing the Dallas game due to injury. He played 32 minutes, scoring 24 points. Crawford had 13 points, 4 rebounds, 6 steals and 6 assists. Hinrich had 10 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals. Pippen chipped in with 10 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. Curry had 6 points and 10 rebounds, Chandler had 8 points and 9 rebounds.

Lamond Murray top scored for Toronto with 21 points. Jason Williams had a solid game with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Starting in the place of the injured Alvin Williams, Rick Brunson had 13 points and 5 assists. Vince Carter was never a threat, scoring only 10 points and committing 13 turnovers. In bench scoring, I had an awesome 53-8 advantage. I also won the battle of the boards (49-38), steals (23-5), blocks (4-0) and assists (39-16).

With the victory, my winning streak is extended to six. I'm a game ahead of the Hornets for first place in the East.

NBA News & Injury Update:

The Bulls currently hold the best winning streak at 6 games...with Portland's victory over, New York now holds the worst losing streak at 7 games...Nene (Den) is day-to-day with a sore calf muscle...Robert Horry (SA) is day-to-day with a sprained wrist.
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Postby TheBigEasy on Sun Jan 18, 2004 2:59 am

Nice franchise you have there Andrew. I am playing one with the Hornets, on superstar. And I know what you mean by "you cant contain Dallas". The only game so far I played vs. them I led 70 - 50 at halftime only to lose it by a freakin point 113 - 114 in the end. Man was i frustrated.

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Postby ZachRandolph on Sun Jan 18, 2004 3:51 am

I know
it does look like a nice dynasty
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Postby Jase23 on Sun Jan 18, 2004 7:23 am

Man i know what u mean... Dallas ended by 19 game winning streak in my Bulls franchise!. Ive now finished the January schedule. I got over the Nuggets and Warriors, but lost the last game of the month to Portland, in the midst of a 7 game road trip.
I started Jay Williams ahead of Crawford against Portland, he started great with 10 points, but never scored after that! Just updating my website....
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Postby Andrew on Sun Jan 18, 2004 4:13 pm

TheBigEasy wrote:Nice franchise you have there Andrew. I am playing one with the Hornets, on superstar. And I know what you mean by "you cant contain Dallas". The only game so far I played vs. them I led 70 - 50 at halftime only to lose it by a freakin point 113 - 114 in the end. Man was i frustrated.


That's a tough loss. The first time I played Dallas I was blown out (the game was over by the start of the fourth), so it was good to repay the favour. But point losses can feel so much worse; to know you came that close. Did you have a shot to win at the end?

ZachRandolph wrote:it does look like a nice dynasty


It sure is. :) It's the first time in a while I've been really into a season of NBA Live. I'm enjoying Live 2004 much more than any other game in the series. At the weekends if I'm not doing anything else, I'll easily play 3 or 4 games each day.
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Postby TheBigEasy on Mon Jan 19, 2004 3:19 am

Andrew wrote:That's a tough loss. The first time I played Dallas I was blown out (the game was over by the start of the fourth), so it was good to repay the favour. But point losses can feel so much worse; to know you came that close. Did you have a shot to win at the end?


Actually I dont remember if I had a shot at the end to win it ... but I guess so. The loss itself would not have been frustrating, what made it bad was that I was up by 20 points at half time and lost it. If it were an uphill battle all the time, I would have said ok ... tough to lose, but ok. But I had no problem in the first two quarters to contain them ... only to lose it by a freakin point.

It sure is. :) It's the first time in a while I've been really into a season of NBA Live. I'm enjoying Live 2004 much more than any other game in the series. At the weekends if I'm not doing anything else, I'll easily play 3 or 4 games each day.


I am experiencing the same. With Live '03 it wasnt the same, cause the gameplay was simply fucked up. But with Live '04 it is different, if it becomes to hard or to easy, you just tweak the sliders a bit and its better. I have started a dynasty and I am now 42 games into the schedule (two games ahead of the real schedule), something I have never done before in Live. Now the challenge is still there. At the beginning I lost a lot of games, most of them by a very small margin. But I got the occasional win, so I thought that at the end of the season I should be good enough to blow them away. Then I tweaked the sliders a bit and went on two 4 game winning streaks and one 9 game winning streak. Now I am just a couple of games away from .500 and the playoffs are definitly in reach. I recently had to lower my steal and interception abilities again, cause it became too easy. Baron Davis had two games with 12 steals. Now it is more challenging again ... All in all I can say, Live '04 is way better than '03, cause now I think I'll actually finish my first complete season in Live. If I win the championship, I guess I'll take a noncontender like the Bulls or Heat next season and make them a contender. If I dont win the championship, I'll try next season again.

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Postby diafenes on Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:43 am

TheBigEasy wrote:If I win the championship, I guess I'll take a noncontender like the Bulls or Heat next season and make them a contender.


you'll have to start your dynasty again, cos you can't switch teams before the next season starts...
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Postby Andrew on Mon Jan 19, 2004 1:37 pm

TheBigEasy wrote:Actually I dont remember if I had a shot at the end to win it ... but I guess so. The loss itself would not have been frustrating, what made it bad was that I was up by 20 points at half time and lost it. If it were an uphill battle all the time, I would have said ok ... tough to lose, but ok. But I had no problem in the first two quarters to contain them ... only to lose it by a freakin point.


Yeah, that definitely frustrating when you blow a lead like that; and it's not always your fault. The "comeback code" is especially effective when you're facing a good team. Something similar happened to me in a game against Golden State (details below).

TheBigEasy wrote:I am experiencing the same. With Live '03 it wasnt the same, cause the gameplay was simply fucked up. But with Live '04 it is different, if it becomes to hard or to easy, you just tweak the sliders a bit and its better. I have started a dynasty and I am now 42 games into the schedule (two games ahead of the real schedule), something I have never done before in Live.


I believe this is the first time I've been ahead of the real NBA. I'm now up to February 2nd. The improved gameplay definitely holds your interest in Dynasty Mode. Dynasty Mode itself has a couple of problems, but if you like to play the games (as I do), it certainly holds your interest.

And now, some more recaps...

Chicago 135, LA Clippers 112

Despite the final score, I'd describe this game as fairly boring. An excellent start saw me jump out to an early 10-0 lead - within the first two minutes. I never trailed in the game, and although the Clippers made a couple of runs to cut the lead to single digits, I always managed to pull away again. KG continued his streak of impressive games with 35 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks.

Kirk Hinrich was on fire from downtown (7/16), he finished with 25 points, 8 steals and 3 assists. Pippen had 22 points and 7 assists. Crawford almost had a triple double with 19 points, 8 steals and 9 assists. Maggette led all scorers with 37 points, while Eddie House had 10 assists. A nice, easy victory, but kind of boring at the same time.

Chicago 100, Denver 96

This one started close, went my way for a while, then became close again. The Nuggets led for most of the first quarter, though I managed to tie things up by the end of the period. KG had a great first half with 18 points and 10 rebounds. I blew the game open in the second quarter, outscoring Denver 30-13 to lead 50-33 at the half. I thought the Nuggets were down and out, but I was wrong. My offense stalled in the third quarter and my interior defense was simply woeful. Andre Miller was slashing to the basket for easy buckets. Denver outscored me 38-17 in the third to take a 71-67 lead into the final quarter.

I was determined not to let Denver jump ahead at the start of the fourth, so I came out running; and it worked. I managed to stay ahead for most of the quarter, but a couple of blown layups allowed the Nuggets to snatch the lead a couple of times in the final two minutes. After I took the lead 95-94, Voshon Lenard missed a three and I controlled the rebound. The Nuggets put me on the line, allowing me to extend to a 97-94 advantage. From there on, I simply allowed Denver to put me on the line so that I could seal the win, a hard-fought 100-96 victory.

KG kept me in the game during the fourth, and played well throughout the contest. He was again named Player of the Game, scoring 38 points to go with 19 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 blocks. Jamal Crawford had a double-double with 19 points and 14 assists, while making two steals and committing only one turnover. Kendall Gill had a good game off the bench, scoring 13 points and grabbing 4 boards in 20 minutes.

Andre Miller led the Nuggets with 26 points and 7 assists. Carmelo Anthony had a good game at the offensive end with 21 points, but apart from 4 assists didn't do much else. Jon Barry scored 18 and Tskitishvilli added 11 off the bench. Marcus Camby led the team with 12 rebounds, while Nene had 10 boards, all at the defensive end.

Golden State 87, Chicago 86 (OT)

This was a really frustrating loss. I really should have won, but somehow Golden State remained close. The first quarter was fairly slow paced, ending 16-13 in my favour. The Warriors opened the second quarter with a 13-2 run and by halftime held a 41-32 lead. I managed to do a better job defensively in the third, holding them to 12 points while recapturing the lead. I entered the fourth with a 55-53 advantage, but a flurry of lead changes ultimately resulted in a 74-74 tie at the end of regulation.

We traded baskets in overtime, but with about 30 seconds left KG scored to give me an 86-84 advantage. Golden State got the ball to Jason Richardson at the three point line, and I fouled him on the attempt (in typical video game fashion, a likely miss was compensated by a phantom foul). J-Rich hit all three free throws, and I had 2.7 seconds left to win the game. I got the ball to Garnett near the basket, he was hammered and no foul was called. The shot rimmed out, and my eight game winning streak came to an end.

Despite the loss, KG was again named Player of the Game after another stellar performance. He had 36 points, 22 rebounds (including 7 offensive) and 7 assists. Pippen was also in fine form with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Chandler was the only other player who had a decent game, with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Crawford and Hinrich both struggled offensively. Though they combined for 7 assists, they only managed 5 points between them on a combined 2/20 from the field.

Nick Van Exel led the Warriors with 27 points; he also had 4 assists. Jason Richardson scored 26, while Mike Dunleavy Jr added 14. Cliff Robinson led the team with 11 rebounds, while Adonal Foyle added 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Erick Dampier added 7 rebounds and 3 blocks, while making it tough for Eddy Curry to score inside.

I now have the same record as New Orleans; by virtue of my record against them (2-1), I'm still the first seed in the East.

Chicago 94, Portland 80

I took my frustration out on the Portland Trail Blazers, who remained competitive for the first 24 minutes and led 41-39 at halftime. I outscored them 26-18 in the third, despite Rasheed Wallace continuing to hit inside and from the perimeter. After capturing the lead and holding it for a 65-59 advantage heading into the fourth, I never trailed and scored 29 points in the final period to take the game 94-80.

The Player of the Game shouldn't surprise you. KG had his second consecutive 20-20 game, with 26 points and 24 rebounds (including 4 offensive). He also added 4 assists. Jamal Crawford made amends for his poor shooting in the Golden State game, hitting 7/15 field goals and scoring 16 points. Kirk Hinrich was quiet with 7 points, but found his teammates for 6 assists. Pippen also had a subpar scoring effort, but had 3 steals and team high 7 assists. Eddy Curry scored 14 points but only grabbed 4 boards.

For Portland, Rasheed Wallace led all scorers with 34 points shooting 4/15 from downtown. Damon Stoudamire had a near triple double with 11 points, 7 assists and a team high 10 rebounds.

And so I end January on a good note. With a record of 31-17, I remain on top of the Eastern Conference. Indiana has passed New Orleans and looms just half a game behind. Atlantic Division leaders the Nets are in second place. I went 14-3 in January.

January Award Winners:

Tracy McGrady was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month. T-Mac averaged 31.5 ppg, 4.6 apg, 9.2 rpg 0.9 bpg and 1.8 spg as the Magic went 6-11 in January. Tim Duncan took home Western Conference Player of the Month honours for January, with averages of 23.9 ppg, 3.5 apg, 11.5 rpg, 2.3 bpg and 1.0 spg. The Spurs went 11-6.

The Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month was TJ Ford. Ford averaged 13.8 ppg, 5.4 apg and 1.4 spg for the month of January. The Bucks went 9-7 during the month. Carmelo Anthony was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for the second time this season, averaging 15.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.9 apg and 1.0 spg as the Nuggets went 10-7.
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Postby TheBigEasy on Tue Jan 20, 2004 5:58 am

diafenes wrote:you'll have to start your dynasty again, cos you can't switch teams before the next season starts...


I know ... Thats what I meant. If I win the championship, I'll start over again with another team.

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Postby Jase23 on Tue Jan 20, 2004 9:00 am

Talk about tough losses, just lost a game in double OT against the rockets in Houston... by one point! I swear we won the game in the first OT, Crawford had a shot at the buzzer but it was waved off!!!!! Heart breaking.
Will write a full recap on my site later on.......
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Postby Andrew on Tue Jan 20, 2004 1:00 pm

Chicago 112, Seattle 106

A narrow escape as Ray Allen scored 33 of his 44 points in the second half to keep it close throughout. Both teams shot about 50% for the game, with the only poor shooting coming in the second quarter. I thought I did a pretty good job on Allen in the first half, but in the second half the Sonics did a better job of pushing the ball upcourt for easy points on the fast break. Allen was often the finisher on the break. He also hit 3 of his 5 three pointers in the second half.

KG's strong play continues into February. He was again the main reason I was able to win, scoring 38 points to go with 18 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Hinrich broke out of his slump with 18 points, 7 assists and 3 rebounds. Eddy Curry had 11 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Marshall added 11 points and 5 rebounds, while Crawford had a quiet 10 points but a team high 8 assists.

Ray Allen scored 44 points, but didn't do much else. Antonio Daniels had a double double with 10 points and 10 assists. Rashard Lewis had 19 points and 5 rebounds. Potapenko led the team with 10 boards.

Chicago 98, Utah 76

My first matchup with the Jazz this season resulted in an all-time NBA Live low result of 64-62, in Utah's favour. This time I was determined not to let the Jazz (22-27, rated 70 overall) walk away with the victory. It looked as though it wouldn't be as easy as expected in the first half, as Kirilenko kept Utah in the game. KG had 20 points and 8 rebounds in the first half, but I only held a 41-39 lead at the half. I blew the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Utah 25-11 to take a 66-50 lead into the fourth. Though KG only scored 2 points in the third, he continued to crash the boards and prevented Utah from getting easy buckets inside.

Though Utah would score 26 points in the final quarter, I scored 32 en route to an easy 98-76 victory. KG had 24 points, 21 rebounds and 5 assists. Though he started slow and only played 10 minutes in the first half, Pippen finished with 13 points and 3 steals. Crawford added 13 points, Hinrich had 10 points and 5 assists, while Curry scored 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.

Kirilenko and Mark Jackson top scored for Utah with 20 points apiece. Jackson also had 7 assists. Greg Ostertag led the Jazz with 9 rebounds to go with 8 points.
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Postby Andrew on Wed Jan 21, 2004 1:19 pm

Chicago 122, Houston 99

The Rockets were able to sta close for the first six or seven minutes before I took a lead that I would never lose. At the end of the first quarter I led 37-26. I cooled off a little in the second quarter but still outscored Houston 26-20 to take a 63-46 lead into halftime. The Rockets scored 28 points in the third quarter while shooting 56.5%, but it didn't matter. I scored 32 points with KG sitting on the bench most of the quarter to extend to a 95-74 lead heading into the fourth.

In the fourth quarter I gave everyone a chance to play. Everyone on the roster played and scored, led by KG with 28. KG also had 10 rebounds. Pippen had a great game with 26 points and 7 assists, while Crawford had 20 points, 8 assists and 6 steals. Donyell Marshall had the best performance off the bench with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in 24 minutes. Hinrich had 8 assists, 5 steals and 4 rebounds, but only 7 points. Tim Hardaway played 10 minutes, scoring 8 points and adding 3 steals and 2 assists.

Cuttino Mobley led Houston with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Yao Ming had 19 points and 6 rebounds. Steve Francis only played 25 minutes due to foul trouble; he had 8 points and 8 assists. Eddie Griffin added 11 points, 3 blocks and 6 rebounds. The Rockets committed more fouls (23-7) and turnovers (25-11), and attempted 9 free throws to my 25 attempts from the charity stripe.

So I was able to gain revenge and pick up my fourth straight win. My record now stands at 34-17, first in the East and third in the league behind the Lakers and Mavericks.

Trade Talk:

The Celtics offered me Mark Blount for Lonny Baxter. Although Baxter doesn't play much behind my other talented frontcourt players, I'm not interested in Blount (who has a lower rating) and am more interested in trading for a lottery pick in case Pippen retires (or drastically declines) and/or KG does not re-sign at the end of the season. 9 days remain until the trade deadline.
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Postby Andrew on Wed Jan 28, 2004 7:48 pm

Chicago 106, Indiana 77

In our first meeting, the Pacers prevailed 75-71 in a very slow paced game. Since I was determined to gain revenge and continue to build a comfortable lead in the Eastern Conference standings, I came out firing while playing tight defense. I jumped out to an early lead, though a late run cut the deficit to 7 at the end of the first quarter. I remained in the lead 22-15. The strong play continued in the second quarter as I again held the Pacers to 15 points to take a 41-30 lead into the half. KG had 10 points and 15 rebounds in the first half.

As usual, the third quarter was fairly fast paced and high scoring with both teams shooting over 50%. I outscored the Pacers 31-26 to hold onto the lead throughout the quarter and head into the fourth with a 62-56 advantage. In the final period I shut down the Pacers for the first 9 minutes, but eased up a little in the final 3 minutes, which allowed Jermaine O'Neal to sneak in a few easy baskets. By that time I was leading by 30 points, so it didn't really matter. I walked away with the victory, 106-77.

Kevin Garnett had a simply fantastic game. He had a triple double with 26 points, 27 rebounds (including 9 offensive) and 12 assists. He also had 5 blocks. Scottie Pippen had 19 points and 2 steals. Crawford had 14 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Hinrich had 11 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Kendall Gill had 9 points, 6 assists and 3 steals in 20 minutes off the bench.

Jermaine O'Neal led Indiana with 21 points and 11 rebounds. He also had 6 blocks and made it tough for KG to score early in the game. Tinsley had 10 points and 9 assists while Reggie Miller had 13 points (3/4 from downtown).

Just one more game until All-Star Weekend!

Chicago 90, Boston 76

Since the Celtics broke my winning streak in January, I was again out for revenge. Though the Celtics would tie the game early in the second, I never trailed in the game and even held them to single digits in the third quarter, outscoring them 18-8 in the period. My bench only added 14 points as guys like Marshall and Chandler struggled to get good shot opportunities. Marshall has been slumping lately, and I'm even thinking of dealing him before the deadline.

KG was again player of the game with 24 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks. Eddy Curry had 16 points and 6 rebounds, while Pippen added 16 points to go along with 6 assists and 2 steals. Hinrich had 10 points and a team high 7 assists. Crawford shot poorly but still managed 10 points to go along with 5 assists.

Paul Pierce scored 15 of his 25 points in the second half. He also had 7 rebounds. Mike James led the Celtics with 10 assists; he also scored 17 points. Jumaine Jones also had 17 points. LaFrentz had 13 rebounds but only 6 points.

I'm now at the All-Star break, with a record of 36-17; good for first in the Eastern Conference and second in the league. I'll have a detailed update after the All-Star Game - and maybe even a mid-season report, if anyone's interested. (Y)
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Postby ajs1223 on Fri Jan 30, 2004 11:07 am

This is kind of off topic but have any of you guys tried playing zones on defense?
The playbook offers many differnet varieties. My dynasty is the magic...i traded away mcgrady for nash and finley....then traded finley and some scrubs to milwaukee for michael redd. My starting lineup looks like this...
1-Nash
2-Michael Redd
3-Darius Miles (signed as a free agent after a simmed season)
4-Drew Gooden (my best player IMO)
5-My created self (only a 65 ovrl.)

I like to play 3-2 and 1-3-1 zones. Especially against teams that can't shoot particularly well. In a 1-3-1 i have nash up top with miles and redd on the wings. This works well because Miles is long, and gets a lot of pass interceptions in the lane or on passes from the top of the key to the wings. Gooden mans the foul line and i'm underneath...i'm more of an offensive center, but i'm 7-2, so i can get my share of blocks coming from the weak side to help...
Has anyone else experimented with zones? :?: :?: :?:
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Postby Andrew on Fri Jan 30, 2004 11:27 am

I've tried zones a couple of times, but I prefer to use half court man to man or a full court press, double-teaming when appropriate. I've never really cared for zones.
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Postby Andrew on Thu Feb 05, 2004 4:48 pm

OK, time for a huge update for the All-Star Weekend, where with the use of some patches, a couple of NBA Lives and some creativity, I managed to play a fairly detailed Weekend.

ALL-STAR WEEKEND 2004

got milk? Rookie Challenge
(NBA Live 2004 PC, using Mikki Dela Rea's got milk? Rookie Challenge 2004 Roster Patch)

Rookies 102, Sophomores 98

An exciting game with the Sophomores jumping out to an early lead. The Rookies struggled at first as some failed alley-oop attempts led to some easy fast break points for the Sophomores. The Rookies made a comeback in the latter part of the first half led by the trio of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. However, the Rookies still trailed through the first 15 minutes of the second half, as Yao Ming and Manu Ginobili were exceptional at both ends to keep the Sophomores out in front.

A back and forth battle in the final minute resulted in a tie at the end of regulation, and a five minute overtime. The Sophomores won the jump ball to start the extra period and scored a couple of quick baskets. But LeBron James refused to let the Rookies lose, slicing his way past defenders for easy buckets and finding teammates Bosh and Anthony when he couldn't find an opening. Dwyane Wade had a spectacular one handed dunk over the 7'5" Yao Ming to give the Rookies a lead they would not lose. Even though they had trailed most of the game, the Rookies still walked away winners, with a final score of 102-98.

MVP: LeBron James (Rookies; Cleveland Cavaliers); A near triple double with 34 points (a new Rookie game record), 9 rebounds and 12 assists

Boxscore


Foot Locker 3-pt Shootout
(NBA Live 2000, using Alexboom's Current Roster Update)

Competitors selected according to ratings & League Leaders

Quarter-Finals

Marko Jaric: 26
Michael Redd: 23
Wesley Person: 22
Luke Ridnour: 22
Brent Barry: 22
Ray Allen: 21
Dirk Nowitzki: 20
Peja Stojakovic: 18

Semi-Finals

Marko Jaric: 22
Michael Redd :21
Brent Barry: 20
Wesley Person: 20
Luke Ridnour: 19

Finals

Michael Redd: 18-23
Marko Jaric: 18-16

Winner: Michael Redd *

* Since both competitors scored 18 points in the final round, the contest went to a sudden death shootout. Redd won the shootout 23-16 to clinch the victory.

Final Standings

1. Michael Redd
2. Marko Jaric
3. Wesley Person
4. Brent Barry
5. Luke Ridnour
6. Ray Allen
7. Dirk Nowitzki
8. Peja Stojakovic


Sprite Rising Star Dunk Contest
(Using Practice Mode, I had players perform dunks, awarding points on the spectacular dunks. If they executed a simple dunk, it was not counted.)

First Round (3 Dunks, 2 Highest Scores Advance)

Travis Outlaw: 50-48-50 (148)
Gerald Wallace: 46-50-50 (146)
LeBron James: 45-50-50 (145)
Jason Richardson: 48-45-49 (142)


Final Round (3 Dunks, Highest Score Wins)

Gerald Wallace: 45-47-50 (142)
Travis Outlaw: 45-45-48 (138)

Winner: Gerald Wallace

Final Standings

1. Gerald Wallace
2. Travis Outlaw
3. LeBron James
4. Jason Richardson


2004 All-Star Game

Not satisfied with the starting lineups the CPU selected for the All-Star game, I set my own:

East:
C: Jermaine O'Neal
F: Kevin Garnett
F: Vince Carter
G: Tracy McGrady
G: Allen Iverson

Bench: Jason Kidd, Baron Davis, Antonio Davis, Alonzo Mourning, Grant Hill, Jamal Mashburn, Paul Pierce

West:
C: Shaquille O'Neal
F: Chris Webber
F: Tim Duncan
G: Kobe Bryant
G: Steve Francis

Bench: Rasheed Wallace, Elton Brand, Yao Ming, Andrei Kirilenko, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, Dirk Nowitzki


East All-Stars 126, West All-Stars 122


The first quarter was unusually slow for an All-Star game, with both sides playing good defense. I tried a few alley-oop attempts, but didn't convert on any of them. I gave everyone at least two minutes in the first quarter, while Elton Brand was the only Western All-Star not to enter the game during the first period. Ray Allen and Chris Webber scored 7 points and 6 points respectively in an early bid for MVP honours. The score at the end of the first was 21-19 to the West.

The pace picked up in the second quarter with plenty of dunks and fast breaks. Ray Allen continued to rack up points while Kobe rested. The lead changed hands a few times, but the West managed to stay on top for most of the quarter thanks to their big men. As always in the All-Star game, size proved to be a disadvantage for the East throughout the first half. In the final couple of minutes of the first half, the West managed to extend the lead to 7 for a 61-54 advantage at the end of the first 24 minutes.

Tracy McGrady led the East in scoring at the end of the first half with 12 points. Jermaine O'Neal had 9 points, all coming in the second quarter. Baron Davis scored 7 points in the first quarter, but was scoreless in the second. Grant Hill and Jason Kidd were the only Eastern All-Stars who were scoreless after the first two quarters, though Kidd found his teammates for 6 assists. Kevin Garnett led the East with 7 rebounds at halftime.

For the West All-Stars, Ray Allen was the top scorer of the first half with 15 points on 7/8 shooting. Chris Webber was second with 8 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Tim Duncan led the West with 4 assists at the break.

I managed to close the gap in the third quarter, outscoring the West 34-28 to cut the deficit to 89-88 heading into the fourth. By the end of the fourth, Grant Hill, Andrei Kirilenko and Elton Brand were the only players not to score. Kevin Garnett scored 10 points during the third quarter run. At this point in the game, I was trying to get my guy in position to win the MVP trophy, so I kept feeding him the ball in the post. Jason Kidd had 8 assists by the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was an exciting back and forth battle, beginning with Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant trading a couple of three pointers, along with the lead. Pierce quickly cooled off though, so I took him out and brought back my starting five. KG continued to be a force in the final period, scoring 11 points and making it difficult for the Western forwards to get good position at the offensive end. The West captured the lead with 8 minutes left and held it until the final minute and a half, where I managed to take a slim 122-119 lead. Kobe Bryant hit a three to tie it up, then Mashburn got inside to give us a 124-122 lead.

After Shaq missed a 12 foot jumper, McGrady collected the rebound and I called timeout. They quickly fouled Kidd after the inbound to use up their last foul, then fouled KG to put him on the line. He made both, making it a 126-122 lead. Jason Kidd's tight defense didn't allow the West to push the ball up the floor with only 10 seconds remaining, and they were forced to take a rushed three from 30 feet that missed hard off the back iron, giving the East a 126-122 victory in the 2004 All-Star Game.

Kevin Garnett was awarded MVP honours for the second straight year, the first player to win the award two years in a row playing for different teams in different conferences. KG finished with 24 points (10/19 shooting), 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 25 points, while Ray Allen had 21 off the bench for the West.


MVP: Kevin Garnett (East; Chicago Bulls)

East Boxscores
West Boxscores

All in all, it's been a pretty fun All-Star Weekend. And now I can get back to the second half of the season. :wink:
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Postby C_Webb on Fri Feb 06, 2004 5:36 am

i didnt see any recap of u playing the Kings yet :?
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Postby Andrew on Fri Feb 06, 2004 12:44 pm

There should be a recap of an earlier game against the Kings (which I won 112-102). As it happens, I also played the Kings today, sweeping the season series with them.

Chicago 106, Toronto 88

The final score doesn't really do justice to the difficulty of this game. 7 minutes into the first quarter KG went down with an injury. I brought him back as soon as he was cleared to play, but he reinjured his left leg and was forced to sit for the remainder of the game, having only played 9 minutes, scoring 4 points.

Without KG's presence at the defensive end, Antonio Davis simply dominated us when he got the ball down low, scoring 18 points in the first half. The offense also became very disorganised, and the Raptors took advantage. A one point deficit at the first quarter break became an 11 point deficit by halftime.

But Donyell Marshall stepped up, crashing the boards and blocking shots while chipping in with baskets here and there. Scottie Pippen turned back the clock, slashing to the basket for easy dunks and layups, while also setting up his teammates when he couldn't find his way to the hoop. In the final minutes of the third, I stole the lead from a clearly startled Raptor team, taking a 77-71 lead into the final period.

I came out running at the start of the fourth, building a big lead that I would hold on to until the final buzzer. The absence of KG didn't seem to matter in the fourth, as I walked away with a 106-88 victory.

Scottie Pippen was named Player of the Game, with 20 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists and 2 steals. Crawford had 20 points, Hinrich had 8 points and 10 assists. Marshall had a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Curry added 13 points and 5 rebounds. Gill had 12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Chandler had 6 points and 9 rebounds while Eddie Robinson provided a boost with 8 points in 12 minutes off the bench.

Antonio Davis led Toronto with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Alvin Williams had a game high 11 assists to go with 14 points, while Lamond Murray and Vince Carter (who battled foul trouble) had 14 and 13 points respectively.

Injury Update

KG has been cleared to play, which is good news but also kind of disappointing. I was hoping I might have to make adjustments to face the challenge of playing without him.

The Trade Deadline has passed. I was unable to make any deals for draft picks, so I'm stuck with low picks in this year's NBA Draft. Hopefully KG will re-sign; and if not, hopefully someone else (such as Kobe Bryant or Allen Iverson) will be interested in coming to the Windy City.

Chicago 101, Sacramento 88

This contest was very similar to the previous game against Toronto. Although the score remained close at the end of the first quarter, the Kings pulled away in the second, while I struggled to score. Having back made it a little easier though, especially during the third quarter run that gave us the lead. Sacramento seemed to give up in the fourth, and I cruised to a 101-88 victory.

Garnett scored 26 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and blocked 3 shots, earning him Player of the Game honours. Pippen had a nice game (14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) and Curry also had a solid performance (11 points and 7 rebounds in 27 minutes). Hinrich had 10 points and a team high 7 assists. Every player on the Bulls scored, with KG, Pip, Crawford, Hinrich and Curry all scoring in double figures.

Peja Stojakovic kept the Kings in the game until the fourth quarter, where Pippen did a great job of shutting him down. He finished with 26 points. Foul trouble limited Webber to 23 minutes, but he certainly made the most of his time on the court, scoring 21 points on 9/13 shooting. He was a non-factor on the boards though, grabbing only 4 rebounds. Christie added 16 points and Bibby had a team high 6 assists.

NBA News

The Washington Wizards traded F Jared Jeffries to the Portland Trail Blazers for F Travis Outlaw

The Utah Jazz signed F Art Long for the remained of the season.

The Boston Celtics traded C Mark Blount to the Detroit Pistons for F Mehmet Okur
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Postby Andrew on Sat Feb 07, 2004 12:43 am

Chicago 120, Memphis 85

You guessed it; another close game in the first, followed by a slump in the second and an amazing performance in the second half. KG picked up a couple of quick fouls in the second quarter, which affected his playing time in the second half. No matter. Jamal Crawford turned in one of his best performances of the season, as he hit three three-pointers late in the third quarter to steal the lead and put us up 75-66 at the end of the third.

The fourth quarter was an embarrassing blowout, as I outscored the Grizzlies 45-19 en route to a 120-85 victory. Six Bulls scored in double figures, led by Crawford with 32. He also had 6 assists and 4 steals. KG had the best all-around performance of the night with 25 points, 19 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Pippen had 13 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists, while Hinrich added 10 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists.

Eddy Curry had 14 points and 8 rebounds, Tyson Chandler added 12 points and Donyell Marshall had 7 points and 9 rebounds.

For Memphis, Jason Williams had 20 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Mike Miller and Wesley Person scored 16 and 14 points respectively, with Person shooting 4/6 from beyond the arc. Lorenzen Wright was the best of the Grizzlies big men, with 10 points and 9 rebounds. Pau Gasol had a quiet game offensively (only 9 points), but managed 5 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Around the League

The longest winning streak currently belongs to the Bulls (9 wins), who now also hold the league's best record (39-17)...Cleveland and Seattle are tied for the longest losing streak at 4.

Chicago 111, Detroit 85

Seeking revenge for the last game against Detroit, I got KG involved early and he was simply spectacular, scoring 24 points, grabbing 15 rebounds and dishing out 8 assists in the first half. Though the Pistons jumped out to an early 6-0 lead, a 13-2 run in the first quarter gave me a lead that I would build upon in the second for a 60-46 halftime lead. Detroit would narrow the margin to 9 points early in the third, but never came any closer.

KG finished the game with 34 points, 23 rebounds and 12 assists, as well as 3 blocks. Crawford was second on the team with 19 points, while Pippen had another solid performance with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

Chauncey Billups led Detroit with 20 points and 5 assists. Corliss Williamson scored 10 of his 19 points in the first quarter, but would not score again until the fourth. Rip Hamilton scored 15 and Tayshaun Prince added 10 off the bench. Ben Wallace had 4 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks.

With the victory, I've reached the 40 win mark and should have no trouble reaching 50 wins, while a 60 win season is certainly not out of the question yet.
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Postby bigballer on Sat Feb 07, 2004 2:56 am

Very Nice I enjoyed all 3 page thus far, and hope to hear of your sucess into the playoffs. thanks for taking the time to play and enter this info for all of us!
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Postby TheBigEasy on Sat Feb 07, 2004 7:14 am

Andrew wrote:Injury Update

KG has been cleared to play, which is good news but also kind of disappointing. I was hoping I might have to make adjustments to face the challenge of playing without him.[/b]


Same here ... I am one game away from the All Star Game and have yet to experience an injury which last more than a game. I have put the injury frequenzy slider up to 100. 1 game ago, vs. Detroit Baron Davis went down. Darrell Armstrong comes in, second possession he went down to. After a while Baron Davis was cleared to play again. So I put him in, hoping to reinjure him (I know I am mean). And he did. But only for the remainder of the game. DA came back also, i put him in, but only managed to fatigue him to zero. I would also love to have the challenge of tweakin my roster ... but so far ... no luck.

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