Welcome Back: Buffalo's Return to the Association | A Bigjdotcom01 Production

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GAME #28 - 2017-18 SEASON
Stallions Stumble in Utah
Buffalo Falls Behind Early, Can't Make it All the Way Back.

Gordon Hayward had a couple of electrifying dunks.

3/31/18
Salt Lake City, UT (AP) - The Buffalo Stallions saw their modest two game winning streak come to a halt on Saturday night in Salt Lake City as they fell 122-107 to the Utah Jazz. Derrick Favors scored 26 points and added 18 rebounds as the Jazz moved closer to locking up a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Derrick Favors scored a game high 26 points for the Jazz.

Utah (15-11) came out of the gates much like Buffalo did in their previous game at Memphis. The Jazz dominated the first quarter and grabbed a 40-21 lead after the opening quarter.

Utaj would lead by as many as 22 in the first half and went into the break up 67-45. The Jazz shot 52% from the field in the first half, while holding Buffalo, the league's best shooting team, to a dreadful 37%. The Jazz also outrebounded the Stallions 30-23 as Derrick Favors scored 13 of his game high 26 in the first half. Michael Carter-Williams led Buffalo with 14.

The third quarter was a different story though. The Stallions came out red-hot, opening the second half on a 21-6 run to cut the Jazz lead to 73-66 midway through the third. They would outscore the Jazz 39-20 to get to within 87-84 after three quarters.

But they could never get over the hump, and a 9-0 Utah run capped off by back-to-back Gordon Hayward dunks allowed the Jazz to cruise to the 15 point win.

Otto Porter led Buffalo with 23 points, with MCW scoring 22, and adding nine assists. Dwight Powell scored 16 points and grabbed nine boards.

The Stallions will travel cross country to play in Boston (14-14) tomorrow evening in a big Atlantic Division matchup with big playoff implications on the line.

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New York, NY (AP) - The National Basketball Association is in the stretch run with just two weeks left in the regular season. The playoff races are tight in both conferences with only three spots locked up in the Eastern Conference and four in the Western Conference. Twelve teams in each conference are still alive to qualify for the playoffs.

Here are a look at the teams still alive in the Eastern Conference and their remaining schedules:
Milwaukee (16-13): vs. Minnesota (15-13), vs. Cleveland (20-8)
Indiana (16-13): vs Minnesota (15-13), @ Buffalo (16-13)
Buffalo (15-13): @ Boston (14-14), vs. Indiana (16-13), @ New York (8-19)
Boston (14-14): vs. Buffalo (15-13), vs Utah (16-11), vs. New York (8-19)
Charlotte (13-14): vs. Seattle (15-14), vs. Golden State (21-8), @ Utah (16-11), @ L.A. Lakers (6-22)
Miami (13-15): @ Oklahoma CIty (11-18), vs. Philadelphia (12-15), @ Washington (8-21)
Philadelphia (12-15): @ Memphis (14-14), @ Miami (13-15), vs. L.A. CLippers (16-12), @ Atlanta (11-18)
Orlando (11-15): @ Denver (17-11), @ Utah (16-11), vs. Minn (15-13), vs. Sac (13-15), @ N Jersey (9-18)
Detroit (12-17): vs. Sacramento (13-15), vs. Dallas (7-21)

Here is a look at the standings and league leaders through the end of March.

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GAME #29 - 2017-18 SEASON
Stallions Rout Celtics
Buffalo Edge Closer to Playoff Berth with Victory

Michael Carter-Williams poured in 42 points to lead all scorers

4/1/18
Boston, MA (AP) - The calender changed to April and that means that the playoffs are right around the corner. On Sunday night, the Buffalo Stallions dominated the Boston Celtics, winning 125-112 to edge closer to a playoff berth and push the Celtics into a perilous position with just two games remaining in the season. Michael Carter-Williams put the Stallions on his back, scoring 42 points and dishing out 11 assists to pace Buffalo.

MCW and the Stallions are close to clinching a playoff berth in their inaugural season.

Buffalo (16-13) was coming off back-to-back games, having lost last night in Utah, then travelling overnight to play a huge Eastern Conference Atlantic Division game on Sunday night. But they looked like the fresher team, taking a 64-61 lead into the half.

The Stallions opened the second half on a 14-0 run to blow this one wide open. Michael Carter-Williams scored 11 points in the run, hitting a trio of three pointers. He scored 19 in the third quarter as Buffalo stretched their lead to 101-82.

They would cruise to their sixteenth win on the season, and handing Boston their 15th loss. The win pushed the Stallions all the way into 4th place in the conference, tied with Milwaukee and Indiana.

Otto Porter scored 18 points, while Dwight Powell added 17 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Alex Len had a huge night. He scored 15 points, grabbed a season high 21 rebounds. He also had three steals and blocked two shots to help lead the Stallions to the victory.

Al Holford led Boston (14-15) with 34 points and 17 rebounds. Isaiah Thomas scored 24 points and dished out seven assists. The loss dropped Boston into a tie for seventh in the Eastern Conference with Charlotte. The Miami Heat trail both teams by just a half game. Charlotte has four games left and Miami has three remaining, while Boston has just two games left.

Buffalo will face Indiana (16-13) next Monday night in a huge game for both teams. This is also a possible first round playoff matchup.

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GAME #30 - 2017-18 SEASON
Stallions Clinch
Buffalo Rallies Late to Clinch Playoff Berth

Otto Porter and the Buffalo Stallions are headed to the Playoffs in their expansion season.

4/9/18
Buffalo, NY (AP) - The Buffalo Stallions did what few people thought they could achieve this season, and that was clinching a playoff berth in their expansion season in the NBA. On Tuesday evening, they rallied late to slip past the Indiana Pacers 104-99 to clinch a playoff berth as they improved to (17-13).

Paul George was tough for Buffalo to contain in this one.

Michael Carter-Williams led the way, scoring a game high 27 points, while dishing out 13 assists.

Indiana (16-15) finished their regular season, and with some other results, also clinched a playoff berth on Tuesday evening. The loss was the Pacers seventh straight after winning 11 straight earlier in the season. In this one, the Pacers got off to a quick start, led by superstar Paul George. The Pacers led by as many as 14 in the first half, taking a 56-46 lead into the break. George had 14 first half points as the Pacers looked like the better team.

After the Stallions closed the gap early in the third, a 8-0 Pacers run, capped with a George dunk, put the Pacers up 67-53.

But this Stallions team then went inside, pounding the ball into their big men and it paid off as they slowly chipped away at that Pacer lead. A 13-4 run cut the Pacer lead to 71-66 with 4:02 left in the third, and the Pacers took just a 77-74 lead into the fourth.

The Pacers led 99-92 with 3:41 left, and would not score another point. The Stallions scored the final 12 points. Otto Porter scored the first six points, two on steals and fast break dunks. A Nik Stauskas layup put the Stallions up 100-99 with :49.5 left. Alex Len then stole the ball and fed MCW for an open 15 footer that he nailed to put Buffalo up by three. After MCW missed two free throws, another empty Pacer possession allowed Nik Stauskas to seal it with a pair of free throws with :06.5 left in regulation.

Buffalo outrebounded the Pacers 64-47 and won despite turning the ball over 18 times.

Indiana was led by Paul George who scored 25 and grabbed eight assists. Alex Len grabbed 21 rebounds for the second straight game for Buffalo, and he added 15 points.

The Stallions, who are tied with Milwaukee for fourth in the Eastern Conference, can clinch home court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs, on Friday night at Madison Square Garden in New York if they can defeat the Knicks. The Stallions will open the playoffs against the Bucks next Wednesday night either in Milwaukee or Buffalo.

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GAME #31 - 2017-18 SEASON
Stallions Crush Knicks
Stallions End Season Winning Five of Final Six

Alex Len throws one down hard in the Stallions win.

4/12/18
New York, NY (AP) - The Buffalo Stallions finished the 2017-18 regular season off in style with a 120-103 rout of the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Michael Carter-Williams led the way, scoring a game high 30 points as the Stallions clinched the four seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs that begin on Wednesday evening.

Michael Carter-Williams led all scorers with 30 points.

Buffalo (18-13) heads into the playoffs on a roll, winning five of their final six games. This one was even through early into the second quarter, when the Stallions went on a 14-4 run to open up a 46-36 lead. They would never trail again.

Michael Carter-Williams scored 30 points to lead all scorers, but also dished out a season high 19 assists and just missed out on a triple-double as he finished with nine rebounds. Otto Porter scored 20 points and Nik Stauskas added 18 in the victory.

Derrick Rose led the Knicks (9-21) with 23 points. He added 10 assists. Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points before leaving the game midway through the final quarter with a foot injury. Kristaps Porzingis, an upcoming free agent, scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Up next for Buffalo is a matchup with Milwaukee in a first round best-of-five playoff series that begins on Wednesday at the KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo. For New York, it is the offseason after a very disappointing season in which they missed the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season, the third longest streak in franchise history.

[Slyone14]

Loving this bro, everything is done so well. Please keep it up.

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Quote: Originally Posted by Slyone14

Loving this bro, everything is done so well. Please keep it up.

Thanks! I am really loving 2k17. I really wish they would bring back College Hoops, but I know that is unlikely....

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New York, NY (AP) - The 2017-18 NBA regular season has come to an end and the playoffs begin on Wednesday evening. Lebron James won the League MVP award, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the best record in the Eastern Conference. Steve Kerr won his third consecutive NBA Coach of the Year award, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 23-8 record and the top seed out West.

Here are the award winners:
MVP: LeBron James (Cleveland)
ROTY: Jayson Tatum (Atlanta)
6TH MAN: Jared Sullinger (Toronto)
DPOTY: LeBron James (Cleveland)
MIP: Bobby Portis (Chicago)
COTY: Steve Kerr (Golden State)

Here is a look at the final league standings, league leaders and All-NBA teams.