The Association (2K10)

[RayAllen20]

Game of the Week


@
(18-2) - (11-7)
68 - 80

Hawks End Nets' 13 Game Winning Streak

The Nets came into Phillips Arena in Atlanta with high emotions with their 13 game winning streak still alive, and holding a comfortable 1st place lead in the Eastern Conference. When they left, the streak was snapped, and the lead may not feel so comfortable.

The Hawks have been somewhat struggling this year, but put an end to that with a relatively easy win over the dominant Nets. Joe Johnson led all scorers with 24, and Josh Smith added 19 in the 12 point victory. The game started with the Hawks grabbing an early lead thanks to Joe Johnson's spectacular shooting. At the end of the 1st quarter, they held a 6 point lead, but the Nets were still clearly in range and D-Wade and LBJ hadn't even gotten started yet.

Let's just say they didn't get started in the 2nd quarter. In fact, no one on the Nets did as they only managed 6 points in a terrible shooting slump to end the first half. The Hawks meanwhile were on fire, with Crawford coming off the bench scoring, and they finished fastbreak after fastbreak with a lay-up. They went into halftime shocking the Nets with a 54-28 lead.

In the 3rd quarter, the Nets woke up defensively but still had trouble shooting. Brook Lopez blew a couple dunks in a row, and LeBron was missing lay-ups which he normally doesn't miss. Only Wade really contributed scoring 11 in the 3rd. The Hawks offense didn't do much either, and the lead was cut to 18 at the end of the 3rd.

For the final period, the Hawks started the period with some big plays that put the Nets out of reach. A Mike Bibby to Josh Smith alley-oop from half court ignited the crowd, and the very next play Jordan Crawford stripped LeBron, and Reggie Evans dived to save the ball from out of bounds. He saved it to Zaza Pachulia who right away threw a full-court bomb to Bibby who immediately caught it and threw up a lob to Crawford who threw it down. The play was miraculous and stretched the lead to 26 with 8 minutes to play.

The Nets outplayed the Hawks in the final minutes to make it close, but still the Hawks had the game in the bag since the first half, and had beaten the previously 18-1 New Jersey Nets. The Nets showed they weren't so invincible, and that maybe the Hawks could possibly be the one to beat them in a 7 game series.

[RayAllen20]

Around the League

Trade Alert



Receive: Jason Kapono (EC) and Samuel Dalembert (EC)



Receive: Gilbert Arenas

Why the Wizards did it: The Wizards got rid of the trouble-making Arenas who had a hefty contract, and no future with the team, for two expiring contracts. They will most likely not re-sign Dalembert or Kapono and free up cap space for the upcoming free-agency so they can get one of the top stars in it.

Why the 76ers did it: The 76ers have recently been angry at point guard Louis Williams' play, and Jrue Holiday didn't cut it either. To be a contender in this league you need to have a good point guard which is why the 76ers did this deal. Meanwhile, sources claim Williams is extremely angry about this deal and is demanding to be traded.




Receive: Greg Oden (EC), Andre Miller (EC), and Patty Mills (EC)



Receive: Antawn Jamison

Why the Wizards did it: The Wizards once again see no future with Jamison with this squad, and got 3 expiring contracts for him. With all these expiring contracts, the Wizards can definitely make a play at all the top free agents next year.

Why the Blazers did it: The Blazers were fed up with Oden, Miller, and Mills' behavior towards management, and decided to trade them. With Oden being benched, the Blazers didn't have enough big men. Aldridge and Pendergraph struggled playing almost 40 minutes a night, and rarely received breaks. The Blazers didn't think Pendergraph produced enough to start, and wanted a solid power forward with some scoring ability which is what they get with Jamison. Jamison and Aldridge may be a small front court but is still a solid scoring pair.


John Wall named rookie of the month while averaging 17 ppg, and 7 apg


Dwight Howard earns NBA player of the month while averaging 25 ppg, and 13 rpg


Tyreke Evans returns from injury for soaring Kings


Where does Butler fit? With Arenas and Jamison gone, will he be traded or not? Teams are interested


Mavericks win 10th straight, still in 1st in the Western Conference


Gasol and Lakers at stand-still about contract extension


Cavs are suprising everybody with good start to the season; Ilgauskas announces this will be his last year

[K_rob11]

I really like this RayAllen20, you got a nice thread going here.

I am following (and rooting for) my Sixers!

I think thats what makes this thread unique in that people can follow and root for their team to succeed in this alter NBA season of yours! It's great!

Love the trade for Philly btw!

...oh and I cannot believe the Nets lost to the Hawks like that! If the Nets don't win the championship, it will be one of the BIGGEST failures in sports history!

[RayAllen20]

Quote: Originally Posted by K_rob11

I really like this RayAllen20, you got a nice thread going here. I am following (and rooting for) my Sixers! I think thats what makes this thread unique in that people can follow and root for their team to succeed in this alter NBA season of yours! It's great! Love the trade for Philly btw! ...oh and I cannot believe the Nets lost to the Hawks like that! If the Nets don't win the championship, it will be one of the BIGGEST failures in sports history!

thanks a lot for following man. I like your Chicago Bulls dynasty thread too, as I love historic teams. I am actually hoping to stick with this association as I've had problems with that, but I am really having a lot of fun with this game now.

For the Nets game, I was actually the Hawks and was shocked at how I was playing, and how LeBron and Wade weren't doing anything. When I was the Lakers against them, they just murdered me defensively and offensively, and it was one of the worst losses I can ever remember the CPU giving me in a videogame. Out of 24 simulated games though, the Nets have only lost 1 so I still think they'll win it all and maybe get 73-9 or better.

[RayAllen20]

Game of the Week

@
(10-13) - (12-8)
109 - 125

Magic, Howard top new look 76ers

Everybody was talking about the Gilbert Arenas acquisition before Monday Night's game. After, it was about how Dwight Howard may just be the best player in the league, as he helped the Magic beat the 76ers by 16.

This was Arenas first game for Philadelphia, and it was on the road at the Amway Center. He started off playing well, scoring 8 points in the first quarter and dishing 4 assists. The 76ers looked to play well with him also, and tied the game at the end of the 1st quarter. The 3 guard offense of Iverson, Igoudala, and Arenas looked to really outplay Orlando, but the problem for the 76ers was inside. Camby and Brand are pretty good defenders but no match for Dwight Howard. In the first half, Howard grabbed 9 boards, including 5 offensive and had 16 points. Philly was still playing well enough to tie it up before the half.

The second half started and once again it was a back and forth battle. Coach Jordan decided to double team Howard and it slowed him down but it opened up wide open shots for others. One of those players was Mikael Pietrus who hit 3 threes in the 3rd quarter for the Magic. Igoudala started to pick up his game also though, and dropped 13 in the period. Going into the final period, the Magic had a slight lead of 3 points, and it looked like the game was going down to the wire.

To start the 4th quarter, things did not go Philadelphia's way. At one point they had 5 consecutive turnovers which lead to a quick 8-0 Orlando run. Iverson fell ice cold, and Arenas seemed invisible. Pietrus continued to hit big shots on his way to scoring 25, and Rashard Lewis added with 14 in the final quarter, ending up with 19 overall. With 3 minutes left, Orlando had a comfortable 11 point lead, and they continued to stretch as they forced Igoudala, the 76ers' only offense in the 4th, into bad shots and cruised to a 16 point lead at home.

Record-wise both teams have been struggling. The Magic did not expect to be 12-8 to start the year, and was predicted to be at the top contending with the Nets and Hawks. Still they are in 4th place in the East, so a run could catapult them to the top. The 76ers were in eighth place in the East going into this game, but a loss here knocks them down to 9th. Hopefully, the Arenas trade can spark some energy into this team and they can get into the playoffs.

[RayAllen20]

Around the League


Jamison drops 45 points and grabs 10 boards in amazing performance for new team, snapping the Mavericks' 10 game win streak


Howard is early favorite for MVP award after dominant start to the season


As the Hawks, Magic, and Knicks continue to lose games, the Nets stretch their lead to 7.5 games in the Eastern Conference at 22-2


Nuggets move past Mavs for 1st place in the Western Conference


Lakers slip to 12-10 after loss to Kings, now only 5th in the Western Conference


With Tyreke Evans back, the Kings may be the team to beat out West


Nash returns to lineup for hurting, last place Suns


Pistons don't think Villanueva fits; trying to find a natural big man


Talks between Heat about Thaddeus Young are getting stronger, as some believe deal may get done


New players are happy in Washington, but Greg Oden wants a contract extension; which is very unlikely


One hiccup for the Nets; Courtney Lee is not happy about his role on the team

[Hushroom]

This thread is awesome. Great work

[RayAllen20]

Game of the Week

@
(11-11) - (11-13)
79 - 90

Spurs defend home court in Finals rematch

Last year, these two teams were phenomenal. This year these two usual juggernauts are struggling to say the least. Both teams are near the bottom of the standings, and can't find the way to the top. They both have the same problem, a problem that can ruin a team for years to come; they're getting old. But before the clock strikes exactly midnight, these teams are trying to squeeze in as many championships as possible before their players start to break down.

The Celtics came slow out of the gate, missing most of their shots, while the Spurs came out gunning. Ginobli started the game with back to back threes and the Spurs quickly built a double-digit lead in the 1st quarter. By the end of the quarter, the Celtics finally found their stride by feeding the ball to Garnett, and Rondo creating off the dribble. Still by the end of the last period it was 28-17, in the Spurs favor.

Pierce was held scoreless in the 1st but started to score in the 2nd, getting to the free throw line and hitting a few step back jumpers. The Celtics were running the fast break to perfection and actually had the game tied with 2 minutes left in the half. But the Spurs answered with a Hill three, and a Mason one to end the half up 6.

In the third, the Spurs kept the Celtics at a distance. Duncan was efficient in the low post, and the Spurs kept stifling the Celtics on defense. Ray Allen was 2-14 from the floor, and couldn't find his touch from beyond the arc. The C's relied on Rondo, while Parker did a good job maintaining him from making plays. At the end of the third, the Spurs had a 10 point lead.

To start the 4th it looked like the Celtics may make a run. 'Sheed started a quick rally by hitting a 3, and Bill Walker had two thunderous dunks. The Spurs were only up 4, when Ginobli hit a big 3 to extend the lead. When the Celtics threatened again, it was once again Ginobli who took over adding another 3 (his 4th of the game), and a lay-up with the foul that clinched the game late in the 4th. The Spurs beat the Celtics by 11 at the AT&T Center, possibly showing that their best basketball is yet to come.