No Need for KD! | A Oklahoma City Thunder MyLEAGUE Franchise

[asvpxhughuet]

Oklahoma City Thunder Photo Logo.jpg

An Oklahoma City Thunder MyLEAGUE

2016-17 Season Backstory: Nine years prior, the Thunder, then known as the SuperSonics, would draft a player from Texas at pick number two who they hoped would bring them a title one day and would be a franchise player. That player was Kevin Durant, and after nine years playing for the Seattle and Oklahoma City team, he could not bring them a title which would end up in his betrayal of his beloved Thunder, leaving them to the team that beat them, the Golden State Warriors… Who cares though!? You still have your new face of the franchise, Russell Westbrook, who fire on all cylinders being the main man on the team and a young, big New Zealander by the name of Steven Adams. Losing Ibaka as well, there is still Enes Kanter. He isn’t KD, but a scoring presence nonetheless is Victor Oladipo as well as defensive stud Andre Roberson and other names such as Anthony Morrow, Nick Collison and Kyle Singler. Add some youth to the table with Domantas Sabonis, Alex Abrines and Cameron Payne and you have a huge team that could easily make the playoffs under the eye of Billy Donovan. With all of Oklahoma City wanting revenge on the “cupcake”, you can bet that this Thunder team will stop at nothing for success.

[asvpxhughuet]

Oklahoma City Thunder Photo Logo.jpg

The Settings

MyLeague Type: Franchise

Setup:

System/Game: Xbox One/NBA 2K17
Use Custom Roster: Yes (Official SimWorld MyLEAGUE/MyGM Roster)
Draft Class: **2017 DRAFTEES** by ASURAthe21GREAT (With my own edits included)
Season Length: 82 Games (I will play some full games but the rest only the final quarter)
Conference Quarterfinals: Best of 7
Conference Semifinals: Best of 7
Conference Finals: Best of 7
NBA Finals: Best of 7
Fantasy Draft: Off
Customize League: Off
Salary Cap: On
Hard Cap: On
Hard Cap Value: 150

Previously Traded Draft Picks: On
Trade Logic: On
Trade Deadline: On
Financial Trade Rules/Restrictions: On
Trade Override: Off
CPU Trade Offers: On
CPU-CPU Trades: On
Trade Approval: On
(All CPU trades will be looked at by me, but I will also try and replicate some of the real life 2016-17 season deals)

General:

Quarter Length: 11 Minutes
Sim Quarter Length: 12 Minutes
Injuries: On
Pre-Existing Injuries: On
Progressive Fatigue: On
Team Chemistry: On
Lineup Management: Manual
Prospect Scouting: Manual

Difficulty Settings:

Gameplay Difficulty: All-Star
Simulator Difficulty: 50
Trade Negotiation Difficulty: 65
Contract Negotiation Difficulty: 65
CPU Re-signing Aggressiveness: 75
Morale Difficulty: 55
Morale Effects: 55
Chemistry Difficulty: 55
Chemistry Effects: 55
Trade Frequency: 25
Injury Severity: 30
Injury Duration: 30
Career-Ending Injury Frequency: 15
User Injury Frequency: 35
CPU Injury Frequency: 35
User Injury Effects: 35
CPU Injury Effects: 35
Draft Class Quality: 35
Player Progression Rate: 55
In-Season Training Effects: 40
Player Non-Financial Ambitions Factor: 50
Normalize Played to Sim Minutes: Off
Control: 30 Teams, CPU automation for all tasks on every team but the Thunder. Will step in and fix things should they need to be just like the trade approval.

There are my starting settings! I will change a lot if I need to or if I see some things that could use a good change. All-Star should be more difficult the Pro which I usually play on, but not as impossible as Hall of Fame. The sliders will be subject to change as I don’t know how I would like my MyLEAGUE to work trades and injury wise, but I can’t stand team chemistry effects as well as players complaining about not having enough minutes. Those are my settings and I will update and let everyone know if and when there is a change.

(Author's Note: I tried to play Golden State on Superstar but was getting absolutely pummeled by nearly 30 after the first quarter, so I decided to stick with All-Star.)

[asvpxhughuet]

OKC Banner.jpg

Alright here we go, I’ve never had a crack at a full NBA 2K dynasty but I’m looking for that trend to end now. I’m not sure how long this will last for but I’m hoping a while and I may even continue after 2K18 comes out depending on how I am liking this.

House Rules:

• Will play between 10-15 full matches for the season with the rest of the games played in the final quarter
• Will play Game 1, first elimination game and Game 7 in Playoffs, unless stated otherwise
• Post season drills/training camps will only be used on first and second year players
• Untapped Potential can only be used once every two years
• I will select all lottery picks for lottery teams
• Lottery teams cannot sign top 5 players at any position in Free Agency unless losing a starter level player (79+ overall)
• The season will include any trades or signings the CPU makes but will also include some of the 2016-17 season and offseason trades to add to the story
• I will control Staff Management when I need to

Inspiration and Background:

As I am only young myself I have been a fan of the NBA since I was about 7 or 8, just about the time KD was drafted or maybe a year before. My favourite team when I was younger were the Sonics, and that followed me for a while with me supporting other Seattle teams such as the Seahawks in the NFL and the Sounders in the MLS. I have always loved watching KD play and after him leaving OKC to Golden State I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to play with a team that I like as well as one of my favourite players in the league, Russell Westbrook. I don’t mind their uniforms too much or their logo and with 2K17 I can change that stuff maybe in a few seasons.

Witnessing Russ’ Triple Double I have wanted to replicate something like that in this game. But other than that a few things inspired me to do this:

1) Seeing how packed the Basketball Dynasties thread is I love seeing all of the different creators, and hopefully like many others I can get some life out of this
2) I would love to see Russ win a title and OKC win what they have wanted for so long, with or without KD
3) I couldn’t do an inspiration post without some of the dynasties on this site. My main inspiration is Number999's Miami Heat Dynasty, which I will use a lot of things and ideas from as well as some of his layout and being a fan of the old Heat, it is definitely my favourite of all time. We also have trekfan’s wonderful dynasties, and I couldn’t give you one as they are all so above par but my favourite would have to be his Sonics’ dynasty from 2003. Last but certainly not least,
studbucket's Charlotte Hornets dynasty, which is one of the most innovative I’ve seen. I will also use some of his layout but not a complete copy and I still follow to this day.

Goals:

I know myself sometimes I struggle to keep putting in work in my dynasty posts which is something I hope I can improve on here. I also know I am not a writer and my story telling is below par. But I will work on my dynasty with my updates and scoring posts. I hope to find some interest in this and I hope I can keep up myself as I have always wanted to do a 2K dynasty on here.

I’m hoping in the next season I can do a Nike rebrand for all the teams and fix up some logos and court if I need to, as well as eventually add one or two expansion teams to the league. So if you have any good ideas for rebrands or eventual expansion/relocation let me know, and I’ll try my best to get it done.

I will give regular updates and make this as realistic as possible and any feedback, good or bad is welcome, and any ideas as well as I would be more than able to go on board with any help. Thanks!!

(Author’s Note: I’m not 100% sure on how to link posts onto my main one, like an archive of sorts as I know the best ones I read all include one. I will figure it out and include the end of season recaps on this post so it’s easier to access for both you and me.)

Oklahoma City Thunder.jpg

[asvpxhughuet]

Oklahoma City Thunder Photo Logo.jpg

The Roster

Before starting up we need to see the key pieces we have on the team. The whole organization will want to win their first ring as Oklahoma City, and have stated they are determined not to go into rebuild mode. How to prove that OKC and Russ are better than anyone else? Come out and win a title without KD. The team have good assets such as Payne, Oladipo, Sabonis, Roberson, Kanter and Adams and a few pieces they can move but too much action won’t be needed. Russ is untouchable unless he wants to leave and the same can be said for Adams, but other than that anything could happen.

Point Guards:

Russell Westbrook (91): The Oklahoma City Thunder’s main man. Some will say he’s not as good as KD, some will disagree. Either way he has been left all on his own by KD and Ibaka, and now has to pick up the pieces with a completely unfamiliar roster. Claims are that Russ will leave once his contract ends or even ask for a trade, but for now the team is on his shoulders and it’s his time to shine.

Cameron Payne (71): Coming into his second season is backup point Cam Payne, who is currently undergoing surgery on his right foot. He is Russ’ right hand man and after not many minutes in his first season he will look to improve and start right next to his best buddy.

Semaj Christon (68): A second round pick in the 2014 draft, Christon will be here as a reserve for Russ and Cam in his first season in the NBA. Averaging nearly 20 PPG in his season with the Oklahoma City Blue D-League team, before nearly 15 PPG in Italy, if he gets on the court the 23 year old may be able to show his worth and earn more minutes throughout the season.

Shooting Guards:

Victor Oladipo (79): The former Orlando Magic Guard, will join the Thunder as a starter and an almost replacement in a different way after his inclusion in the trade for Serge Ibaka. Oladipo will help Westbrook carry the load, and with a big scoring backcourt he could make anything possible for the Thunder.

Anthony Morrow (69): Playing his last two seasons with the Thunder, Morrow will be looking for another average season being backup to Oladipo, with hopes of the 31 year old returning to his Golden State and Brooklyn form, he could rack up more minutes and points as the season progresses.

Alex Abrines (67): After being drafted in 2013, Abrines has finally left Spain to play in the NBA for his drafting team, the Thunder. Although he is the third man at the two in the team, Alex is only 23 and has a future ahead of him, and with an accurate shot and a deadly three pointer he could be a future starter.

Small Forwards:

Andre Roberson (73): Not the best replacement for KD in a way, and if you picked Roberson over Durant people would call you crazy but he is not the worst player in the league by far. A star defender and a good rebounder, OKC will hope to re-sign their starting SF after this season, and if he has a good season Roberson could rack up an eight-figure deal.

Kyle Singler (66): The 28 year old will not find much court time this year for the Thunder, and is very tradeable.

Josh Huestis (66): After not playing much in his first season, Huestis will look to prove a point and move up the rotation this year, hopefully becoming second string SF by the end of the year. The man has a good three point shot and is a good defender and has shown he can score when he needs to.

Power Forwards:

Ersan Ilyasova (71): Another piece in the trade for Ibaka, Ilyasova will be his replacement. Although he isn’t the best rebounder he has a killer three and is a good shooter from anywhere on the floor, and will look to get enough minutes to remind some of his good days in Milwaukee.

Domantas Sabonis (71): The last piece in the Ibaka trade, Sabonis will look to become a future starter for the Thunder in his first season. A lottery pick in the most recent draft, Sabonis has shown he has a good shot, is a good rebounder and will be a reliable player in the league, much like his dad.

Joffrey Lauvergne (68): Coming from the Nuggets, Lauvergne was seen as a future starter before leaving, and now has a chance to prove himself on the Thunder. Sitting behind both Ilyasova and Sabonis won’t be good for his minutes, but when he is on the court he is a good enough player to help the Thunder out.

Nick Collison (67): Oklahoma City’s faithful, and a fan favourite, Collison will be retiring in OKC and although only on a one year deal the Thunder will look to bring him back for at least a season or two before he retires. Less minutes is a must for the 35 year old, who definitely a good bench player and could even challenge Roberson for the best defensive player on the team.

Centers:

Steven Adams (79): The big Kiwi has shown why he deserves to be a starter, and his wish will be granted in the following season. Coming into his fourth season, after signing a 22.5 million dollar extension, Adams will be a vital scorer, shot blocker and defender for the Thunder, and proving why he is one of the strongest in the league.

Enes Kanter (74): After being traded to the Thunder two seasons ago, Kanter has upped his work becoming a better scorer and rebounder. With Adams next to him in the paint the two are a great big duo, and Kanter is a scorer who will kill it in the post with his strength and share the PF workload with rookie Sabonis.

So there you go, the Thunder roster for the 2016-17 season. Will trades be made, can they acquire another star to go with Russ or will they find someone new to be the face of the franchise? You will have to stay tuned to find out!

[asvpxhughuet]

Oklahoma City Thunder Photo Logo.jpg

Oklahoma City Thunder Rotation

With a few major losses, and some quite large gains, the Thunder will be looking to have a good rotation so their big names can dominate the rest of the league. Other than the obvious injury to Cameron Payne, this is the rumored rotation for OKC’s season ahead.

Starters:

PG: Russell Westbrook | 38 minutes
SG: Victor Oladipo | 32 minutes
SF: Andre Roberson | 32 minutes
PF: Enes Kanter | 28 minutes
C: Steven Adams | 32 minutes

Bench:

6th: Domantas Sabonis | 28 minutes
7th: Ersan Ilyasova | 13 minutes
8th: Anthony Morrow | 10 minutes
9th: Semaj Christon | 8 minutes
10th: Joffrey Lauvergne | 8 minutes
11th: Alex Abrines | 6 minutes
12th: Nick Collison | 4 minutes
13th: Josh Huestis | 2 minutes

Reserves:

#1: Kyle Singler
#2: Cameron Payne (Injured)

That is a basic rotation of the Thunder roster, but is very subject to change if there are trades, injuries or even difficult matchups. Very obvious honestly, Sabonis could become starter at the end of the season and players such as Cam Payne, Ilyasova and Anthony Morrow could improve to get a starting gig at different times throughout the season. Russ will carry a lot of the load as Kanter will be given a bit of a break due to how tired and injured he gets, with Sabonis taking over some days. Adams will be able to pair with either easily and Roberson is a must for defense as well as Oladipo for scoring. Behind them you have the already mentioned names who could start, before little minutes given to new Thunder players Christon, Lauvergne and Abrines, with Collison, Huestis and Singler getting barely any minutes to round up the team.

[asvpxhughuet]

OKC Banner.jpg

2016-17 NBA Pre-Season Report

Before the season starts we will get our pre-season Power Rankings, the Big Boards for the Draft Class of 2017 and some predictions for the upcoming season.

Predictions:

Most Valuable Player: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Rookie of the Year: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers (if healthy) or Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers
Sixth Man of the Year: Louis Williams, Los Angeles Lakers or Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors
Defensive Player of the Year: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Most Improved Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks or Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Coach of the Year: Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors

Best East: Cleveland Cavaliers 64-18
Best West: Golden State Warriors 69-13
Worst East: Brooklyn Nets 22-60
Worst West: Phoenix Suns 27-55

NBA Power Rankings Logo.jpg

Power Rankings:

NBA.com Power Rankings.jpg

NBA.com:

1. Golden State Warriors
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
---------------------------------------
26. New York Knicks
27. Philadelphia 76ers
28. Sacramento Kings
29. Brooklyn Nets
30. Denver Nuggets

2K Power Ranking.jpg

2K Sports:

1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Boston Celtics
3. Golden State Warriors
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Los Angeles Lakers
10. Oklahoma City Thunder
---------------------------------------
26. New Orleans Pelicans
27. Philadelphia 76ers
28. Phoenix Suns
29. Denver Nuggets
30. Brooklyn Nets

Marc J. Spears Power Rankings.jpg

Marc J. Spears:

1. Golden State Warriors
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Boston Celtics
9. Oklahoma City Thunder
---------------------------------------
26. Miami Heat
27. Denver Nuggets
28. Brooklyn Nets
29. Phoenix Suns
30. Philadelphia 76ers

Players Top 10:

1. Kevin Durant (95), Golden State Warriors, SF, 28
2. LeBron James (94), Cleveland Cavaliers, SF, 31
3. Kawhi Leonard (93), San Antonio Spurs, SF, 25
4. James Harden (93), Houston Rockets, SG, 27
5. Chris Paul (91), Los Angeles Clippers, PG, 31
6. Russell Westbrook (91), Oklahoma City Thunder, PG, 27
7. Anthony Davis (90), New Orleans Pelicans, PF, 23
8. Stephen Curry (89), Golden State Warriors, PG, 28
9. Giannis Antetokounmpo (88), Milwaukee Bucks, SF, 21
10. Paul George (88), Indiana Pacers, SF, 26

Prospects Top 10:



Draft Express:

1. Markelle Fultz, PG, Washington
2. Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA
3. Dennis Smith Jr., PG, North Carolina State
4. Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke
5. Josh Jackson, SF, Kansas
6. Malik Monk, SG, Kentucky
7. De’Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky
8. O.G. Anunoby, SF, Indiana
9. Lauri Markkanen, PF, Arizona
10. Terrance Ferguson, SG, Australia

2K Power Ranking.jpg

2K Sports:

1. Markelle Fultz, PG, Washington
2. Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA
3. Dennis Smith Jr., PG, North Carolina State
4. Josh Jackson, SF, Kansas
5. Lauri Markkanen, PF, Arizona
6. Terrance Ferguson, SG, Australia
7. Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke
8. De’Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky
9. Malik Monk, SG, Kentucky
10. O.G. Anunoby, SF, Indiana

NBA.com Power Rankings.jpg

NBA.com:

1. Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA
2. Dennis Smith Jr., PG, North Carolina State
3. Markelle Fultz, PG, Washington
4. Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke
5. Malik Monk, SG, Kentucky
6. Lauri Markkanen, PF, Arizona
7. Josh Jackson, SF, Kansas
8. Terrance Ferguson, SG, Australia
9. Semi Ojeleye, SF, SMU
10. Johnathan Isaac, SF, Florida State

There are all of the need to knows for the season ahead, so let's finally get underway with Game 1 of the Regular Season, against the Philadelphia 76ers!!

[asvpxhughuet]

OKC Banner.jpg

Thunder dismantle 76ers in Second Half

Oklahoma City Thunder at Philadelphia 76ers
Oct 26, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Oklahoma City (0-0)	25	21	33	38	117
Philadelphia (0-0)	21	22	24	23	90

Oklahoma City Thunder
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Russell Westbrook	36	14-23	5-10	0-0	11	6	1	2	3	33
Victor Oladipo	32	6-11	0-2	0-0	1	4	0	1	3	12
Andre Roberson	31	4-6	0-2	1-4	3	7	0	0	6	9
Enes Kanter	22	6-8	1-3	5-5	7	4	0	1	1	18
Steven Adams	28	5-6	1-1	3-4	12	7	3	1	1	14
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Domantas Sabonis	20	5-7	0-1	0-0	2	2	1	0	4	10
Anthony Morrow	12	1-1	0-0	0-0	2	3	2	0	0	2
Ersan Ilyasova	11	3-6	0-1	0-0	4	1	0	0	2	6
Semaj Christon	9	3-4	1-2	0-0	2	5	2	1	2	7
Joffrey Lauvergne	8	1-1	0-0	0-0	3	0	0	0	0	2
Alex Abrines	8	0-2	0-0	2-2	0	2	0	0	0	2
Nick Collison	6	0-1	0-1	0-0	1	1	2	2	0	0
Josh Huestis	3	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	2
TEAM TOTALS		49-77	8-23	11-15	54	42	11	8	24	117

Philadelphia 76ers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Sergio Rodriguez	30	4-14	3-8	0-0	1	10	3	0	2	11
Gerald Henderson	28	3-6	0-2	0-0	0	4	2	0	0	6
Robert Covington	24	3-6	0-0	3-3	2	0	2	0	0	9
Dario Saric	28	5-13	1-4	2-2	2	5	2	0	2	13
Joel Embiid	25	7-18	0-1	4-5	11	0	2	1	1	18
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Jahlil Okafor	22	4-8	0-0	4-4	3	0	1	0	1	12
Jerami Grant	17	3-5	0-0	2-2	4	0	1	1	2	8
Hollis Thompson	14	1-3	0-0	0-0	0	2	1	0	1	2
Nik Stauskas	14	3-10	1-3	0-0	1	1	2	0	0	7
T.J. McConnell	13	0-1	0-1	0-0	2	5	2	0	4	0
Richuan Holmes	10	2-4	0-1	0-0	1	1	1	0	0	4
Jerryd Bayless	DNP	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Timothe Luwawu	DNP	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		35-88	5-20	15-16	33	28	19	2	14	90

PTS: Westbrook 33 | Embiid 18
REB: Adams 12 | Embiid 11
AST: Adams, Roberson 7 each | Rodriguez 10

Game Recap: With only three points in it at the half, the 76ers looked like they had a show to win their first match of the season, but a second half dominance run by Westbrook, Enes Kanter and Adams is all the Thunder needed to close off the young Sixers. In a game full of turnovers and scoring, Westbrook would end up with a double-double as the duo of Embiid and Saric showed they could be dangerous in their first outing in the 27 point loss to Philadelphia.

Jordan Player of the Game: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (33 PTS, 11 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK)

Around the League:
Kyrie drops 32 as Cavs beat Knicks 112-109.
Andre Drummond scores a 22-11 double-double as the Pistons get past Toronto.
Seven Magic players scores double digits as Orlando defeat Miami 106-95.
Timberwolves young core of Towns, Wiggins and LaVine get past Memphis 100-93.
Giannis and Jabari Parker both get double-doubles as the Bucks take down Hornets.

Up Next: Phoenix Suns @ Oklahoma City Thunder, October 28

[asvpxhughuet]

OKC Banner.jpg

Thunder destroy Suns after final quarter blowout

Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder
Oct 28, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Phoenix (0-1)	22	24	28	25	99
Oklahoma City (1-0)	29	26	26	35	116

Phoenix Suns
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Eric Bledsoe	27	9-19	3-5	2-4	0	4	3	1	5	23
Brandon Knight	29	5-15	2-6	3-5	1	4	2	0	5	15
Leandro Barbosa	29	4-8	4-6	2-4	0	5	1	0	0	14
TEAM TOTALS		36-93	10-29	17-24	46	20	14	6	15	99

Oklahoma City Thunder
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Victor Oladipo	38	14-17	2-2	2-2	3	10	3	2	6	32
Steven Adams	28	10-15	0-0	2-4	14	3	3	1	0	22
Russell Westbrook	30	6-12	0-4	5-6	8	7	3	0	3	17
TEAM TOTALS		46-81	6-23	18-25	54	34	13	6	21	116

PTS: Bledsoe 23 | Oladipo 32
REB: Tucker 16 | Adams 14
AST: Barbosa 5 | Oladipo 10

Game Recap: The Thunder kept their record in tact with their first victory on home court against Phoenix. After suffering a minor injury earlier in the game Westbrook was left out for some of the game and his responsibilities were given to Oladipo, who took over and starred in his second game with OKC. Tyson Chandler couldn't control Steven Adams in the last and everyone played a part on every possesion to score. The Thunder are looking as good as ever this season and will look to keep up their wins up next against the Lakers.

Jordan Player of the Game: Victor Oladipo, Oklahoma City Thunder (32 PTS, 3 REB, 10 AST, 3 STL, 2 BLK)

Around the League:
James Harden dominates with 43 against the Lakers.
Patty Mills scores a career high 34 against the Kings.
Malik Monk (32-4-4) and Lonzo Ball (12-14-3) both have good nights in D1 Ball.
Bogdanovic and Hamilton combine for 41 as Lin injures himself in Brooklyn's 113-111 win over Indiana.
Cavs' Big 3 score 74 in seven point win over Toronto.

Russ' 44 gets OKC past Lakers challenge

Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder
Oct 30, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Los Angeles (1-1)	28	24	28	33	113
Oklahoma City (2-0)	22	33	25	40	120

Los Angeles Lakers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Nick Young	26	7-17	7-14	2-2	2	1	1	0	0	23
Julius Randle	32	8-15	0-0	4-4	6	2	2	1	1	20
Timofey Mozgov	24	7-10	0-0	2-2	7	0	3	1	0	16
TEAM TOTALS		43-92	10-28	17-27	46	26	12	5	11	113

Oklahoma City Thunder
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Russell Westbrook	43	15-23	2-4	12-14	14	7	1	0	5	44
Steven Adams	31	8-15	0-0	4-8	9	1	0	3	2	20
Victor Oladipo	36	7-15	1-5	4-4	5	9	0	1	4	19
TEAM TOTALS		42-84	6-22	30-37	54	31	7	8	18	120

PTS: Young 23 | Westbrook 44
REB: Black 8 | Westbrook 14
AST: Calderon 10 | Oladipo 9

Game Recap: In a much closer game than their most recent two, the Lakers took it up to the Thunder all game only losing it in the last 30 seconds due to a silly foul by Jose Calderon. Calderon let Westbrook run past before fouling him which was a clear path and Russ drained both free throws before getting the inbound and scoring a huge dunk to cement the win. In what is starting to look like a Thunder Big 3 of Westbrook, Oladipo and Adams, the trio dominated again with Russ scoring a huge 44 points. No negatives though for the young Lakers team, as Swaggy P did his thing to top score and get the Lakers back into the game as Julius Randle was their best player, bodying both Sabonis and Kanter and a more experienced Lakers would have taken this W. The Thunder are still undefeated as next they have a bigger challenge in the other LA team, the Clippers.

Jordan Player of the Game: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (44 PTS, 14 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL)

Around the League:
Clippers' Blake Griffin (West) and Cavaliers' LeBron James (East) are named players of the week.
LeBron goes 28-10-11 and Kyrie scores 31 in Cavs' demolishing win over Orlando.
Manu Ginobili has announced he will retire at the end of the season.
The Suns have defeated Golden State 119-115 after a huge game by Eric Bledsoe.
In close games, Detroit defeat Milwaukee 105-102, Blake Griffin gets the Clippers a one point victory over Utah and Ty Lawson and DeMarcus get Sacramento an OT win over the T'Wolves whose young core combined for 75 points.

Clippers hand Thunder first L

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers
Nov 2, 2016	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Oklahoma City (3-0)	37	13	25	23	98
Los Angeles (2-1)	36	24	20	32	112

Oklahoma City Thunder
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Russell Westbrook	38	10-25	2-5	2-2	8	8	1	0	3	24
Ersan Ilyasova	14	3-5	2-4	7-7	1	0	0	0	0	15
Enes Kanter	30	7-13	0-2	0-0	15	0	0	1	4	14
TEAM TOTALS		35-95	8-31	20-24	57	22	7	7	16	98

Los Angeles Clippers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Blake Griffin	38	6-14	0-2	9-10	7	4	0	2	0	21
Jamal Crawford	24	7-13	1-5	3-4	0	4	2	0	1	18
J.J. Redick	33	6-15	2-5	2-2	6	3	0	0	1	16
TEAM TOTALS		40-93	7-27	25-34	63	29	9	12	12	112

PTS: Westbrook 24 | Griffin 21
REB: Kanter 15 | Jordan 17
AST: Westbrook 8 | Paul 10

Game Recap: The Thunder took their first L for the season against the Clippers in a game that was close for nearly the whole thing. With the Clippers up five with a quarter to play the Thunder looked tired as if they couldn't keep up and that's what it was as DeAndre and CP3 dominated OKC. Steven Adams had nothing on Jordan, who was blocking shots left, right and center and grabbing some huge boards, as CP3 was outplaying Russ and locking him down. Oladipo was also quiet with 5 fouls and the Clippers players all had big games with Paul, Crawford, Redick, Griffin and Jordan all playing well and scoring in double figures. The Thunder will look to avenge this loss as we see their first back to back game for the season, as Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant will play each other for the first time.

Jordan Player of the Game: DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers (11 PTS, 17 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 7 BLK)

Around the League:
Harden has huge 53-11-15 TD as Rockets defeat Cavs 147-124.
KD scores 40 as Warriors dominate Blazers.
Kemba Walker scores 41 in Hornets' 31 point thrasing of Philadelphia.
Evan Fournier continues great season scoring career high 35 as Magic beat Sixers.
Dirk has fractured his right hand and will be out for 2-4 weeks.
Bledsoe scores career high 48 as Suns thump Blazers.

Up Next: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Golden State Warriors, November 3