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

[patriotway]

Celtics sharp three-point shooting sinks 76ers

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics meet for the first time since Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. For what could be a potential playoff game, it certainly did not disappoint.

Ben Simmons led all scorers with 28 points to go with his six assists and three rebounds.

The game was close for about three and a half quarters as the 76ers ran their offense to near perfection. The second quarter was the highlight for the 76ers as they shot 62% from the floor and made 4 of their 8 three-point attempts. The offense was led by 76ers forward Ben Simmons. Simmons scored 14 points in the first half and finished with 28 points.

Jayson Tatum had another big night off the bench scoring 17 points while making seven of his eight attempts from the field.

The 76ers saw their small lead evaporate in the third quarter. After Jaylen Brown's two free throws help the Celtics take the lead 65-63, the Celtics never looked back. By the end of the third quarter, the Celtics had a six point lead, a lead they held on to for the remainder of the game. The Celtics second half performance on both the offensive end was thanks to Brown and Gordon Hayward. Both players scored 20 apiece.

Richaun Holmes did not contribute much to the game on offense in his limited time, but he did get 10 rebounds.

The 76ers came back from two 10 point deficits in the first half, but were unable to get a rhythm going again in the second half. They were outscored 44-63 in the final two frames. Boston's defense in the second half bothered Philadelphia as they shot only 39% from the field.

Jaylen Brown was one of three Celtics players to score 20 or more points in the game.

The 76ers performed better in the fourth quarter, but they could not keep up with the Celtics. In the final minutes of the game, the Celtics lead had grown to as much as 19 points. In the end, the Celtics came out on top 114-101, while also increasing their win streak to six games. The six game streak is the longest of the season thus far.

Boston Celtics (6-0) at Philadelphia 76ers (1-3)
Nov 2, 2018 1 2 3 4 Final Boston 25 26 32 31 114 Philadelphia 22 35 19 25 101 Top Performers Boston Celtics K. Irving (PG) - 26 Pts, 4 Reb, 6 ast G. Hayward (SF) - 20 Pts, 4-7 3-pt, 6 Reb Philadelphia 76ers B. Simmons (PF) - 28 Pts, 3 Reb, 6 Ast R. Covington (SF) - 13 Pts, 4 Reb, 7 Ast	Team Stats Comparison BOS PHI FG Made-Att 39-79 42-87 3PT Made-Att 15-28 10-21 FT Made-Att 21-21 7-9 Rebounds 45 39 Assists 23 30 Turnovers 8 8 Steals 6 4 Blocks 2 5
Boston Celtics STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS G. Hayward (SF) 37 8-15 4-7 0-0 6 2 1 1 0 20 K. Irving (PG) 35 8-19 3-4 7-7 4 6 1 0 2 26 D. Dedmon (C) 30 1-4 0-0 0-0 11 5 1 1 0 2 J. Brown (SG) 26 7-14 4-9 2-2 2 2 2 0 0 20 M. Morris (PF) 23 1-1 1-1 4-4 9 1 0 0 1 7 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS J. Tatum 29 7-8 0-0 3-3 4 3 0 0 0 17 M. Smart 26 2-7 1-2 2-2 1 2 2 0 0 8 D. Theis 19 2-5 1-3 0-0 4 1 1 0 1 5 T. Rozier 14 1-4 1-2 2-2 2 1 0 0 0 5 A. Baynes 9 2-2 0-0 0-0 2 0 0 0 0 4 A. Horford -- DID NOT PLAY (REST) -- J. Rodman -- DID NOT PLAY -- S. Ojeleye -- DID NOT PLAY --
Philadelphia 76ers STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS T. Luwawu-Cabarrot (SG) 33 3-8 1-4 0-0 4 2 1 0 0 7 B. Simmons (PF) 33 12-21 0-0 4-6 3 6 1 0 3 28 R. Covington (SF) 32 5-9 3-6 0-0 4 7 0 1 1 13 J. Embiid (C) 29 5-10 0-0 0-0 8 2 0 2 1 10 M. James (PG) 27 3-11 1-1 1-1 2 5 0 0 0 8 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS M. Fultz 24 0-3 0-1 0-0 0 2 0 0 1 0 D. Saric 20 5-9 0-1 0-0 4 3 1 0 2 10 M. Williams 17 4-10 4-7 0-0 2 2 0 0 0 12 R. Holmes 16 2-3 0-0 1-1 10 1 0 1 0 5 R. Lopez 13 2-2 0-0 1-1 2 0 1 1 0 5 F. Korkmaz 2 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 3 J. Anderson -- DID NOT PLAY -- C. Webber -- DID NOT PLAY --

[patriotway]

The NBA season is very long and with only one and a half weeks, it's still too early to tell what direction the league will go. Even so, there are certainly trends that are starting to develop through the first several games.

The Boston Celtics currently have the best record in the league with a 6-0 record. The Celtics have their defense to thank for the winning streak, which has helped them to a 13.3 point differential. Only two other teams have a point differential of 10 or more. Those teams are the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors. The Thunder have started the season 5-1 and the Warriors are 4-1.

Each of the aforementioned teams has a top-10 scoring defense and a winning record. Though the Phoenix Suns are in the same category, their offense has cooled down considerably. In each of their three losses this week, the Suns have failed to score more than 85 points. Devin Booker being sidelined with an injury hasn't helped then either.

Another team that is struggling coming out of the gate are the defending NBA Champion Houston Rockets. Even though their scoring defense is sixth in the league, their offense is in the bottom third of the league. It is still early in the season and they should have a chance to turn things around.

Despite the 2018-19 season being young, the Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings don't look like they'll have the opportunity to get better. The Hornets and Kings rank 29th and 30th in point differential. This is especially troublesome for the Hornets who are the second worse team in the league on offense.

NBA Eastern Conference Standings - Updated: Nov 4, 2018
TEAM	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
Boston Celtics	6	0	--	1-0	6-0
Washington Wizards	4	2	2.0	2-0	2-2
Cleveland Cavaliers	4	2	2.0	2-0	3-2
Toronto Raptors	3	2	2.5	1-0	2-0
Atlanta Hawks	3	2	2.5	0-1	2-1
Detroit Pistons	3	2	2.5	0-1	2-2
Chicago Bulls	3	2	2.5	0-0	1-1
Brooklyn Nets	3	3	3.0	1-1	2-2
New York Knicks	3	3	3.0	1-1	3-3
Orlando Magic	2	3	3.5	0-0	1-1
Milwaukee Bucks	2	3	3.5	0-1	1-2
Indiana Pacers	2	4	4.0	0-0	1-3
Philadelphia 76ers	1	3	4.0	0-2	1-2
Miami Heat	1	4	4.5	1-1	1-3
Charlotte Hornets	0	5	5.5	0-1	0-4

NBA Western Conference Standings - Updated: Nov 4, 2018
TEAM	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
Oklahoma City Thunder	5	1	--	3-0	5-1
Minnesota Timberwolves	5	1	--	2-1	2-1
Golden State Warriors	4	1	0.5	1-0	4-1
Memphis Grizzlies	4	3	1.5	2-1	3-2
Dallas Mavericks	3	2	1.5	0-0	1-0
Portland Trail Blazers	3	3	2.0	0-0	3-1
Los Angeles Clippers	3	3	2.0	1-2	3-3
Los Angeles Lakers	3	3	2.0	0-2	1-3
New Orleans Pelicans	3	3	2.0	1-0	3-2
San Antonio Spurs	3	3	2.0	2-3	3-3
Phoenix Suns	2	3	2.5	2-0	2-2
Sacramento Kings	2	4	3.0	0-0	0-4
Houston Rockets	2	5	3.5	1-2	2-3
Utah Jazz	1	4	3.5	0-1	0-2
Denver Nuggets	1	5	4.0	0-3	0-4

[patriotway]

2018-19 Week 2 Transactions
Type	Team	Player (POSITION)	Contract
EXTENSION	Utah Jazz	Ricky Rubio (PG)	2 YR, $18.51M
EXTENSION	Miami Heat	Goran Dragic (PG)	2 YR, $13.1M
EXTENSION	Charlotte Hornets	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF)	2 YR, $12.79M

[patriotway]

Memphis Grizzlies
J. Green (PF) - Bruised Left Hip - Day-to-Day

Miami Heat
G. Dragic (PG) - Right Shin Splints - Day-to-Day


Los Angeles Lakers
K. Kuzma (PF) - Hyperextended Left Elbow - 2/4 Weeks


Detroit Pistons
R. Jackson (PG) - Left Knee Tendinitis - 4/6 Weeks


Toronto Raptors
O. Anunoby (SF) - High Left Ankle Sprain - 6/8 Weeks
K. Lowry (PG) - Broken Left Hand - 4/6 Weeks


Portland Trail Blazers
J. Green (SF) - Pulled Lower Back Muscle - Day-to-Day


Washington Wizards
T. Robinson (PF) - Pulled Left Hamstring - 1/2 Weeks
M. Morris (PF) - Deep Left Thigh Bruise - Day-to-Day

[patriotway]

Eastern Conference Player of the Week

Player/Team MPG FG 3PT FT RPG APG SPG BPG TOPG PPG Andre Drummond/Detroit Pistons 39.0 18-28 0-0 3-4 11.5 4 2.5 3.0 5.5 19.5

Western Conference Player of the Week

Player/Team MPG FG 3PT FT RPG APG SPG BPG TOPG PPG Stephen Curry/Golden State Warriors 41.5 28-50 13-27 9-10 4.5 8.5 2.0 0.0 1.5 39.0

[patriotway]

Matchup Preview *|* November 4, 2018
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Charlotte Hornets (0-5, 0-2 Away)		Atlanta Hawks (3-2, 1-2 Home)
Projected Starters Jeremy Lamb Point Guard Dennis Schroder Alec Burks Shooting Guard Kent Bazemore Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Small Forward Taurean Prince Terrence Jones Power Forward Tyler Cavanaugh Rudy Gobert Center Jusuf Nurkic Injury Report NONE G. Green/Torn Right Meniscus (1-2 Months) K. Felder/Twisted Right Knee (1-2 Weeks)

The Atlanta Hawks appear to be the most likely opponent that the Charlotte Hornets can pick up a win against. The Hawks 109.4 points allowed per game is 26th in the league. They also allow 41.2 field goals per game which puts them at 26th in the league.

Unfortunately, the Hornets aren't much better on the defensive side. They rank in the bottom third of the league in points allowed with 106.2 per game. Their offense also is second to last in the league at 90.6 points per game.
While getting a win against the Hawks won't be easy, it's not impossible.

Matchup Preview *|* November 5, 2018
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Denver Nuggets (1-5, 1-2 Away)		Miami Heat (1-4, 0-4 Home)
Projected Starters Jamal Murray Point Guard Josh Richardson Gary Harris Shooting Guard Dion Waiters Thabo Sefolosha Small Forward Justice Winslow Paul Millsap Power Forward James Johnson Nikola Jokic Center Hassan Whiteside Injury Report M. Gortat/Spinal Injury (4-6 Months) S. Napier/Bruised Right Hip (1-2 Weeks) T. Johnson/Sprained Right Wrist (1-2 Weeks) G. Dragic/Right Shin Splints (Day-to-Day)

Another team struggling to win games are the Denver Nuggets, having only won one out of their first five. The best chance they have this week in getting a win is when they visit the injury-riddled Miami Heat.

The Heat have had a rash of injuries to their guards and will be starting small forward Josh Richardson at point guard. Goran Dragic, Shabazz Napier, and Tyler Johnson are all sidelined with injuries.

Matchup Preview *|* November 5, 2018
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Houston Rockets (2-5, 0-2 Away)		Oklahoma City Thunder (5-1, 3-0 Home)
Projected Starters Chris Paul Point Guard Russell Westbrook James Harden Shooting Guard Dwayne Wade P.J. Tucker Small Forward Paul George Dirk Nowitzki Power Forward Ersan Ilyasova Clint Capela Center Joffrey Lauvergne Injury Report R. Anderson/Torn Left Calf Muscle (4-6 Weeks) T. McConnell/Left Arm Hairline Fracture (2-4 Weeks) A. Abrines/Right Hand Fracture (2-4 Weeks) P. Gasol/Sprained Right Achilles (1-2 Weeks)

The Houston Rockets have had possibly the hardest schedule to start the year. Through their first seven games, they have played the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs two times. They have also had the misfortune of playing a hot Memphis Grizzlies team that is currently second in the league with 116.6 points per game.

Things won't get better when they face the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have been one of the better teams in the league in terms of scoring defense. Only the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns have been better. The Thunder's defense has also been great at limiting opponents field goal makes and attempts per game. Thus far, they are in the top three in both categories.

Matchup Preview *|* November 7, 2018
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Washington Wizards (4-2, 3-2 Away)		Brooklyn Nets (3-3, 1-1 Home)
Projected Starters John Wall Point Guard Jeremy Lin Bradley Beal Shooting Guard Allen Crabbe Otto Porter Small Forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Kelly Oubre Jr. Power Forward Chris Bosh Mason Plumlee Center Cody Zeller Injury Report S. Curry/Torn Left Achilles (6-8 Months) S. Dinwiddie/High Left Ankle Sprain (4-6 Weeks) T. Robinson/Pulled Left Hamstring (1-2 Weeks) D. Russell/Twisted Left Knee (2-4 Weeks) M. Morris/Deep Left Thigh Bruise (Day-to-Day) W. Ellington/Bruised Right Hip (1-2 Weeks) T. Satoransky/Back Spasms (Day-to-Day) C. Levert/Twisted Left Knee (Day-to-Day)

Both the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets have had to deal with their fair share of injuries this season. What's unique to the Nets situation is that all of their injuries have struck at the backcourt. With the Wizards coming to town, they'll have to hope to survive long enough to get some of their guards back. Caris Levert is on track to return the earliest, but in the meantime, Jeremy Lin and Allen Crabbe will have to hold down the one and two spots for the Nets.

The Wizards also have to make some adjustments to their roster with both power forwards not able to play. Kelly Oubre Jr. will have the task of going against veteran forward Chris Bosh of the Nets. The Wizards first round pick Doug Marshall may get some time on the court because of the injuries and their lack of depth at center. Ian Mahinmi is also an option for the team if Marshall isn't ready to contribute.

[patriotway]

Matchup Preview *|* November 4, 2018
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Utah Jazz (1-4, 1-2 Away)		Boston Celtics (6-0, 3-0 Home)
Stats Comparison 96.6 (28th) Points Per Game 106.5 (11th) 41.7% (30th) Field Goal % 50.9% (2nd) 89.6% (1st) Free Throw % 85.7% (2nd) 34.4% (21st) 3-Point % 42.8% (1st) 43.2 (27th) Rebounds 47.8 (T - 10th) 3.2 (28th) Blocks 2.0 (30th) 11.4 (1st) Steals 5.3 (30th) 14.4 (20th) Turnovers 9.3 (1st) 102.0 (9th) PPG Allowed 93.2 (2nd) Projected Starters Ricky Rubio Point Guard Kyrie Irving Rodney Hood Shooting Guard Jaylen Brown Omri Casspi Small Forward Gordon Hayward Jonas Jerebko Power Forward Marcus Morris Greg Monroe Center Al Horford Injury Report T. Daniels/Torn Right Hamstring (6-8 Weeks) NONE D. Favors/ Pulled Right Hamstring (1-2 Weeks) Game Notes LOCATION: TD Garden STREAK: Utah Jazz L1 Boston Celtics W6 LAST FIVE: Utah Jazz 1-4 Boston Celtics 5-0 LAST GAME: Utah Jazz 98 - Washington Wizards 105 Boston Celtics 114 - Philadelphia 76ers 101

[patriotway]

Celtics silence Jazz, increase winning streak to seven games

Ever since their nail-biting win against the Chicago Bulls, the Boston Celtics have only had one game decided by less than 10 points. In their other five wins, the average margin of victory is 20.4 points per game. That includes a 30-point win over the Charlotte Hornets and a 32-point win over their most recent opponent, the Utah Jazz. Out of their first seven opponents, only the Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, and Bulls have a winning record.

Greg Monroe gave the Boston Celtics trouble all night scoring 18 points and getting 11 rebounds.

The Celtics can only play the opponents on their schedule, and so far, they are taking advantage of their opponents' weak performances. On their way to the blowout 102-70 win, the Celtics shot nearly 50 percent from the field compared to 36 percent for the Jazz. Greg Monroe was the most productive player for the Jazz Tuesday night, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Omri Casspi also had a decent night with 15 points and six rebounds. Casspi and Monroe were the only players to get more than 10 points in the game.

Omri Casspi was the only other player besides Greg Monroe to score more than 10 points for the Utah Jazz.

Jonas Jerbko, starting in place of the injured Derrick Favors, could not find the bottom of the net. Jerebko only made one of his five field goal attempts and had six rebounds in the 36 minutes he played. Rodney Hood found himself in a similar situation as he finished the game 3 of 14 and missed all of his five 3-point attempts.

Al Horford and Jayson Tatum were among the six Celtics players to score in double figures. Horford had 12 points while Tatum had 17 off the bench.

The Celtics did not have the same issues in the game. Gordon Hayward led the Celtics in scoring, making 7 of 10 attempts from the field for 17 points. The other four starters also scored in double figures as well. None of them shot less than 50 percent in the game. Al Horford finished with 12 points and nine rebounds while Kyrie Irving had a quiet night with 14 points and eight assists.

Marcus Morris scored all of his 10 points in the fourth quarter.

The Celtics were behind 4-6 until Horford hit a three-pointer on an assist from Irving with 9:47 in the first quarter. After that point, the Celtics never trailed. By the end of the first quarter, the Celtics led 32-17. The next two quarters remain close in terms of scoring until the fourth quarter. The Celtics clamped down on defense and held the Jazz to just 12 points in the quarter.

Utah Jazz (1-5) at Boston Celtics (7-0)
Nov 4, 2018 1 2 3 4 Final Utah 17 21 20 12 70 Boston 32 22 21 27 102 Top Performers Utah Jazz G. Monroe (C) - 18 Pts, 11 Reb, 6-7 FT O. Casspi (SF) - 15 Pts, 6 Reb Boston Celtics G. Hayward (SF) - 17 Pts (7-10 FG), 4 Reb, 4 Ast J. Brown (SG) - 15 Pts (5-8 FG), 5 Reb	Team Stats Comparison UTH BOS FG Made-Att 31-85 38-79 3PT Made-Att 2-19 9-23 FT Made-Att 6-7 17-20 Rebounds 40 51 Assists 10 25 Turnovers 6 6 Steals 5 6 Blocks 1 0
Utah Jazz STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS J. Jerebko (PF) 36 1-5 0-2 0-0 6 2 0 0 0 2 R. Hood (SG) 34 3-14 0-5 0-0 3 0 0 1 0 6 G. Monroe (C) 31 6-13 0-0 6-7 11 2 0 0 0 18 R. Rubio (PG) 30 2-6 0-2 0-0 6 4 1 0 2 4 O. Casspi (SF) 30 7-15 1-3 0-0 6 0 1 0 1 15 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS D. Augustin 18 2-7 0-1 0-0 2 1 1 0 1 4 D. Mitchell 17 4-12 0-3 0-0 2 0 2 0 1 8 J. Bayless 17 2-6 0-1 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 4 J. Ingles 16 3-5 1-2 0-0 2 1 0 0 0 7 T. Bradley 16 1-2 0-0 0-0 2 1 0 0 0 2 W. McCoy -- DID NOT PLAY -- D. Exum -- DID NOT PLAY -- D. Favors -- DID NOT PLAY (INJURY)--
Boston Celtics STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS G. Hayward (SF) 33 7-10 1-1 2-2 4 4 2 0 0 17 K. Irving (PG) 31 6-13 0-2 2-2 2 8 0 0 1 14 J. Brown (SG) 24 5-8 1-2 4-6 5 2 1 0 1 15 A. Horford (PF) 24 4-6 1-2 3-3 9 3 3 0 0 12 M. Morris (PF) 22 3-5 1-2 3-4 5 0 0 0 0 10 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS J. Tatum 28 7-17 3-8 0-0 6 1 0 0 1 17 M. Smart 25 2-4 2-3 0-0 2 1 1 0 1 6 D. Theis 20 2-8 0-2 0-0 6 2 0 0 1 4 D. Dedmon 18 1-3 0-0 1-1 9 2 0 0 1 3 T. Rozier 18 0-3 0-1 2-2 2 2 0 0 1 2 J. Rodman 2 1-2 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 0 0 2 S. Ojeleye 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 A. Baynes -- DID NOT PLAY --