A Little Bit Of Luck: Boston Celtics NBA 2K18 MyLeague

[patriotway]

Dallas Mavericks (25-50) at Orlando Magic (37-37)
Apr 2, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Dallas 22 21 24 14 81 Orlando 34 30 21 37 122 Top Performers Dallas Mavericks B. Wright (C): 17 Pts (8-15 FG), 8 Reb, 3 Ast, 4 TO D. Smith Jr. (PG): 16 Pts (6-16 FG), 5 Reb, 7 Ast, 6 TO Orlando Magic E. Fournier (SF): 30 Pts (4-8 3-pt), 6 Reb, 2 Ast A. Gordon (PF): 20 Pts (7-15 FG), 11 Reb, 2 Blk	Team Stats Comparison DAL ORL FG Made-Att 32-77 41-87 3PT Made-Att 7-18 9-29 FT Made-Att 10-16 31-34 Rebounds 39 57 Assists 21 24 Turnovers 19 10 Steals 6 12 Blocks 5 5

The Dallas Mavericks were left with a very thin lineup as a number of players were sidelined due to injuries. Most notable among the injured players were starter Jerami Grant and rookie Damon Vincent. That may have contributed to Dallas' sluggish offense which shot 41 percent in the game. Brandan Wright led the team with 17 points while Harrison Barnes only made 2-of-11 shots for seven points.

The Orlando Magic got to the free throw line a lot and converted 91 percent of their opportunities. Both Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier shot 8-of-9 from the charity stripe with Walker finishing with a team-high 30 points and Walker scoring 19. The Magic also dominated the boards as well with Aaron Gordon and Nerlens Noel leading the way with 11 a piece.

Houston Rockets (46-28) at Golden State Warriors (59-16)
Apr 2, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Houston 27 31 28 28 114 Golden State 30 42 20 28 120 Top Performers Houston Rockets C. Paul (PG): 26 Pts (8-17 FG), 4 Reb, 7 Ast, 3 Stl C. Capela (C): 24 Pts, 5 Reb, 12-14 FG Golden State Warriors S. Curry (PG): 27 Pts (10-17 FG), 6 Reb, 7 Ast K. Thompson (SG): 26 Pts (10-17 FG), 8 Ast, 5 TO	Team Stats Comparison HOU GSW FG Made-Att 42-88 47-79 3PT Made-Att 10-31 10-25 FT Made-Att 20-23 16-23 Rebounds 32 48 Assists 34 34 Turnovers 8 17 Steals 8 3 Blocks 6 3

The Houston Rockets found themselves down 23 points in the first half but fought their way back in the second half. James Harden had a double-double of 22 points and 12 assists, but shot 7-of-27 from the floor. Harden, who did not grab a rebound during the game, wasn't the only Rockets player that struggled on the glass. Center Clint Capela was the team leader in rebounds for the game with five.

The Golden State Warriors did a much better job on the boards outrebounding the Rockets 48-32. Kevin Durant, who finished with 15 points, had a team-high nine rebounds while Jordan Bell was second on the team with eight. Although the Warriors rebounded well, their turnovers kept the Rockets in the game. The Warriors had 17 turnovers compared to just eight from the Rockets.

[patriotway]

Phoenix Suns (34-41) at Los Angeles Clippers (37-39)
Apr 3, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Phoenix 24 25 25 26 100 Los Angeles 36 24 28 23 111 Top Performers Phoenix Suns D. Booker (SG): 27 Pts (9-16 FG), 5 Reb, 5 Ast T. Warren (SF): 15 Pts (5-8 FG), 7 Reb, 2 Ast Los Angeles Clippers A. Rivers (SG): 24 Pts (6-7 3-pt), 2 Reb, 6 Ast P. Beverley (PG): 16 Pts (6-13 FG), 4 Reb, 4 Ast	Team Stats Comparison PHO LAC FG Made-Att 36-75 41-76 3PT Made-Att 9-21 14-29 FT Made-Att 19-27 15-19 Rebounds 41 40 Assists 23 26 Turnovers 11 11 Steals 9 8 Blocks 4 6

The Phoenix Suns largest lead of the game was a single point in the second quarter. Devin Booker had a game-high 27 points on an efficient 9-of-16 from the floor. Booker was also perfect from beyond the arc, going 4-for-4. Overall, the Suns shot a respectable 9-of-21 from distance, but only 70 percent from the free throw line. The Suns' bench went 0-for-6 on their 3-pointers.

The Los Angeles Clippers did better on their 3-pointers, shooting 48 percent. Austin Rivers was especially hot from downtown, shooting 6-of-7 and scoring a team-high 24 points. Sam Dekker, who started in place of the injured Danilo Gallinari, played well scoring 16 points to go with five rebounds.

[patriotway]

Milwaukee Bucks
K. Middleton (SF) - Sprained Right Ankle - Day-to-Day


Miami Heat
S. Napier (SG) - Right Hand Fracture - 4/6 Weeks


Charlotte Hornets
M. Teletovic (PF) - Sore Right Foot - Day-to-Day


Orlando Magic
S. Mejri (C) - Broken Right Hand - 4/6 Weeks


Brooklyn Nets
D. Russell (PG) - Back Spasms - Day-to-Day


Detroit Pistons
T. Allen (SG) - Left Shoulder Tendinitis - 6/8 Weeks


Phoenix Suns
G. Yabusele (PF) - Hyperextended Left Knee - Day-to-Day


Washington Wizards
J. Wall (PG) - Bruised Left Hip - 1/2 Weeks

[patriotway]

Week 24 Playoff Standings - Updated: Apr 6, 2019
SEED	EAST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB	GMS. LEFT
1	x - Boston Celtics	52	24	--	6
2	x - Toronto Raptors	51	25	1.0	6
3	x - Philadelphia 76ers	49	28	3.5	5
4	x - Washington Wizards	48	28	4.0	6
5	x - Cleveland Cavaliers	48	28	4.0	6
6	x - Milwaukee Bucks	46	30	6.0	6
7	Orlando Magic	39	37	13.0	6
8	Chicago Bulls	38	38	14.0	6
--	Detroit Pistons	36	40	16.0	6
--	New York Knicks	33	43	19.0	6
--	Indiana Pacers	31	45	21.0	6
--	Miami Heat	28	49	24.5	5
--	Atlanta Hawks	23	54	29.5	5
--	Brooklyn Nets	22	53	29.5	7
--	Charlotte Hornets	19	56	32.5	7

Week 24 Playoff Standings - Updated: Apr 6, 2019
SEED	WEST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB	GMS. LEFT
1	x, z - Golden State Warriors	61	16	--	5
2	x - San Antonio Spurs	51	25	9.5	6
3	x - Houston Rockets	48	28	12.5	6
4	x - Oklahoma City Thunder	47	29	13.5	6
5	New Orleans Pelicans	39	37	21.5	6
6	Portland Trailblazers	39	37	21.5	6
7	Minnesota Timberwolves	37	40	24.0	5
8	Los Angeles Clippers	37	40	24.0	5
--	Utah Jazz	35	41	25.5	6
--	Sacramento Kings	35	41	25.5	6
--	Phoenix Suns	34	42	26.5	6
--	Denver Nuggets	32	45	29.0	5
--	Los Angeles Lakers	29	46	31.0	7
--	Memphis Grizzlies	29	47	31.5	6
--	Dallas Mavericks	26	50	34.5	6

[patriotway]

March Players of the Week
Week	Eastern Conference	Western Conference
Mar 3 - Mar 9	Giannis Antetokounmpo/Milwaukee Bucks	Paul George/Oklahoma City Thunder
Mar 10 - Mar 16	Andre Drummond/Detroit Pistons	Kevin Durant/Golden State Warriors
Mar 17 - Mar - 23	LeBron James/Cleveland Cavaliers	Stephen Curry/Golden State Warriors
Mar 24 - Mar 30	Kristaps Prozingis/New York Knicks	Russell Westbrook/Oklahoma City Thunder

March Players of the Month
Conf	Team	Player	Pts	Reb	Ast
EAST	Milwaukee Bucks	Giannis Antetokounmpo	27.6	11.2	5.3
WEST	Houston Rockets	James Harden	32.5	6.1	7.6

March Rookies of the Month
Conf	Team	Player	Pts	Reb	Ast
EAST	Orlando Magic	Darrell Peterson	6.3	4.4	1.7
WEST	Damon Vincent	Dallas Mavericks	15.4	2.6	2.3

[patriotway]

Matchup Preview *|* April 7, 2019
	@
Detroit Pistons (36-40, 16-22 Away)		Utah Jazz (35-41, 21-16 Home)
Projected Starters Reggie Jackson Point Guard Ricky Rubio Luke Kennard Shooting Guard Rodney Hood Stanley Jackson Small Forward Joe Ingles Tobias Harris Power Forward Derrick Favors Andre Drummond Center Greg Monroe Injury Report T. Allen/Left Shoulder Tendinitis D. Mitchell/Spinal Injury (1-2 Months)

Both the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz have narrow paths to the playoffs with just a week and a half remaining in the regular season. Both teams have the ninth best record in their respective conferences. This game, like many comes down to how well players do with their individual matchups. For Detroit, they are missing their top defender in Tony Allen who has a shoulder injury. Allen would matchup against Utah's two-guards Rodney Hood and Troy Daniels. Hood leads the Jazz in scoring, averaging 15.7 points.

Utah will also be without an important player as Donovan Mitchell has been sideline with a spinal injury. Without Mitchell, who averages 14.5 points, Utah's offense had been dismal, putting up 97.7 over the last 18 games. Even though center Greg Monroe produces 14.3 points, his offensive production may be stymied by Pistons center Andre Drummond. This game may be decided by who puts forth a better effort on the defensive end and that would favor Utah. Utah has the ninth best scoring defense in the league, averaging 102.0 points.

Matchup Preview *|* April 9, 2019
	@
Toronto Raptors (51-25, 21-17 Away)		Cleveland Cavaliers (48-28, 24-13 Home)
Projected Starters Kyle Lowry Point Guard Isaiah Thomas DeMar DeRozan Shooting Guard Kyle Korver C.J. Miles Small Forward LeBron James Julius Randle Power Forward Frank Kaminsky Jonas Valaciunas Center Brook Lopez Injury Report L. Nogueira/Torn Right Elbow Ligament (1-2 Weeks) Z. Randolph/Torn Right ACL (SEASON) K. Lowry/Left Shin Splints (1-2 Weeks) K. Love/Torn Left ACL (SEASON)

The Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers are separated by just three games in the Eastern Conference and Toronto is just one game behind the current number one seed. In order for Toronto to have a shot at that top spot, they will have to hold off other conference opponents like this one. For this game, Toronto has one primary task, stop LeBron James and Isaiah Thomas. Both players average over 20 points and are the driving force of the Cavaliers. Stopping James will be a tall task for C.J. Miles who isn't known for his defense.

The Cavaliers may also find one of their matchups very unfavorable, as veteran guard Kyle Korver may have to face one of the league's top scorers in DeMar DeRozan. Many of the players on Cleveland are lacking in their defensive abilities, which is why the team is 24th in scoring defense with 106.3 points per game allowed. Cleveland may have to put James against Toronto wingman DeRozan in order to slow down the Raptor's fourth ranked scoring offense.

Matchup Preview *|* April 12, 2019
	@
New Orleans Pelicans (39-37, 21-17 Away)		Los Angeles Clippers (37-40, 22-16 Home)
Projected Starters Jrue Holiday Point Guard Patrick Beverley E'Twaun Moore Shooting Guard Louis Williams Darius Miller Small Forward Sam Dekker Anthony Davis Power Forward Blake Griffin DeMarcus Cousins Center Al Jefferson Injury Report N. Bjelica/Pulled Lower Back Muscle (Day-to-Day) M. Teodosic/dislocated Right Patella (8-10 Weeks) D. Miller/Bruised Right Hip (Day-to-Day) D. Jordan/Torn Left MCL (6-8 Weeks) D. Gallinari/Strained Right MCL (1-2 Weeks)

By the time this game comes around later in the week, the New Orleans Pelicans may have both Darius Miller and Nemanja Bjelica back. The combination of Bjelica, Anthony Davis and Nikola Mirotic gives New Orleans a trio of power forwards that are able to pull defenders away from the basket. That will be important as the power forwards of the Los Angeles Clippers do not defend well on the perimeter.

On top of worrying about defending New Orleans' shooting bigs, the Clippers also have to worry about their depth. Danilo Gallinari's MCL injury, though not severe, leaves the Clippers short-handed. That means the Clippers may have to put three guards on the court. While the Clippers have guards like Austin Rivers and Louis Williams that are capable of scoring, they will be at a disadvantage if the Pelicans use some of their versatile bigs like Bjelica and Mirotic at the three spot.

[patriotway]

Week 25 NBA.com Power Rankings
RK (LW)	Team	Record	Next Game
1 (1)	Golden State Warriors	61-16	@ Los Angeles Lakers (4/7)
2 (2)	Boston Celtics	52-24	vs. Indiana Pacers (4/7)
3 (3)	Toronto Raptors	51-25	@ Cleveland Cavaliers (4/9)
4 (4)	Houston Rockets	48-28	@ Cleveland Cavaliers (4/7)
5 (5)	Cleveland Cavaliers	48-28	vs. Houston Rockets (4/7)
6 (8)	Milwaukee Bucks	46-30	vs. Orlando Magic (4/7)
7 (7)	Washington Wizards	48-28	vs. Charlotte Hornets (4/7)
8 (6)	San Antonio Spurs	51-25	@ Portland Trailblazers (4/7)
9 (10)	Philadelphia 76ers	49-28	vs. Charlotte Hornets (4/9)
10 (9)	Oklahoma City Thunder	47-29	@ Denver Nuggets (4/7)
11 (14)	Orlando Magic	39-37	@ Milwaukee Bucks (4/7)
12 (12)	New Orleans Pelicans	39-37	vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (4/7)
13 (11)	Chicago Bulls	38-38	@ Phoenix Suns (4/7)
14 (13)	Utah Jazz	35-41	vs. Detroit Pistons (4/7)
15 (15)	Minnesota Timberwolves	37-40	@ New Orleans Pelicans (4/7)
16 (18)	Detroit Pistons	36-40	@ Utah Jazz (4/7)
17 (16)	Sacramento Kings	35-41	vs. Los Angeles Clippers (4/7)
18 (21)	Portland Trailblazers	39-37	vs. San Antonio Spurs (4/7)
19 (17)	Los Angeles Clippers	37-40	@ Sacramento Kings (4/7)
20 (19)	New York Knicks	33-43	@ Detroit Pistons (4/9)
21 (20)	Denver Nuggets	32-45	vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (4/7)
22 (22)	Phoenix Suns	34-42	vs. Chicago Bulls (4/7)
23 (25)	Memphis Grizzlies	29-47	vs. Dallas Mavericks (4/7)
24 (23)	Miami Heat	28-49	vs. Washington Wizards (4/9)
25 (24)	Indiana Pacers	31-45	@ Boston Celtics (4/7)
26 (26)	Los Angeles Lakers	29-46	vs. Golden State Warriors (4/7)
27 (27)	Dallas Mavericks	26-50	vs. Memphis Grizzlies (4/7)
28 (28)	Brooklyn Nets	22-53	@ Atlanta Hawks (4/7)
29 (29)	Atlanta Hawks	23-54	vs. Brooklyn Nets (4/7)
30 (30)	Charlotte Hornets	19-56	@ Washington Wizards (4/7)

[patriotway]

Detroit Pistons (36-41) at Utah Jazz (36-41)
Apr 7, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Detroit 32 22 23 29 106 Utah 31 30 36 28 125 Top Performers Detroit Pistons A. Drummond (C): 15 Pts (5-12 FG), 10 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 Stl K. Anderson (SF): 12 Pts (5-9 FG), 4 Reb, 5 Ast,, 5 Stl, 4 TO Utah Jazz R. Hood (SG): 32 Pts (14-20 FG), 3 Reb, 4 Ast G. Monroe (C): 22 Pts (10-15 FG), 6 Reb, 8 Ast	Team Stats Comparison DET UTH FG Made-Att 38-83 52-87 3PT Made-Att 9-20 16-31 FT Made-Att 21-28 5-6 Rebounds 34 51 Assists 29 42 Turnovers 13 18 Steals 13 10 Blocks 2 8

The Detroit Pistons didn't have a problem scoring. It was their defense that let them down. Big advantages in free throws and bench scoring weren't enough to tip things in Detroit's favor. The Pistons were 21-of-28 from the free throw line with Andre Drummond leading that charge. Unfortunately, he only made 5-of-10 of his free throws. The Piston's could have used a boost from Tobias Harris who went 3-of-14 from the floor for eight points.

The Utah Jazz did a good enough job defending the Pistons, holding them to 46 percent shooting. It was their offense that seemed unstoppable as they made 60 percent of their shots. Their offense, which was led by Rodney Hood's game-high 32 points, helped them build a 28-point lead. Ricky Rubio was also a big part of Utah's success on offense as he finished the game with 19 points and 13 assists.