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

[patriotway]

Matchup Preview *|* November 9, 2018
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Boston Celtics (8-0, 3-0 Away)		Los Angeles Lakers (3-5, 3-2 Home)
Stats Comparison 104.6 (13th) Points Per Game 101.2 (20th) 49.6% (3rd) Field Goal % 48.4% (T - 8th) 84.8% (2nd) Free Throw % 76.6% (15th) 41.2% (2nd) 3-Point % 36.1% (12th) 50.4 (3rd) Rebounds 44.7 (T - 25th) 2.3 (30th) Blocks 3.6 (T - 25th) 5.9 (29th) Steals 7.4 (15th) 8.5 (1st) Turnovers 16.4 (T - 28th) 86.1 (1st) PPG Allowed 108.4 (25th) Projected Starters Kyrie Irving Point Guard Lonzo Ball Jaylen Brown Shooting Guard Avery Bradley Gordon Hayward Small Forward Brandon Ingram Marcus Morris Power Forward Larry Nance Jr. Al Horford Center Serge Ibaka Injury Report NONE K. Kuzma/Hyperextended Left Elbow (1-2 Weeks Game Notes LOCATION: Staples Center STREAK: Boston Celtics W8 Los Angeles Lakers L3 LAST FIVE: Boston Celtics 5-0 Los Angeles Lakers 2-3 LAST GAME: Los Angeles Clippers 60 - Boston Celtics 96 Los Angeles Lakers 103 - Portland Trail Blazers 111

[patriotway]

Celtics hold off Lakers in fourth quarter to secure ninth consecutive victory

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- The Boston Celtics head to the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Lakers to start a five-game road trip. Although the Celtics eventually won the game 103-94, the Lakers stuck around for a long time. There were multiple times during the game that Los Angeles was down by 10 or more points. Each time, they were able to claw there way back to within a possession or two. A prime example of this was late in the fourth quarter.

Marcus Morris' two made free throw attempts were part of an 8-0 run to end the game.

The Lakers hit three 3-pointers in the fourth and made 48 percent of their shots compared to the Celtics' 31 percent. After Kyrie Irving's free throws put Boston up 86-73, Los Angeles went on a 21-9 to make it 95-94 with 1:09 left in the game. Irving, who made all 11 of his free throw attempts, led the Celtics on an 8-0 run to close the game.

Shabazz Muhammad makes a tough layup over the outstretched arms of Jayson Tatum.

Avery Bradley, who scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth, helped Los Angeles close the gap, even though they would eventually come up short. As the Lakers attempted their comeback, both Serge Ibaka and Brandon Ingram hit three-point shots in the final quarter. Ibaka was second on the team with 20 points while Ingram finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists.

Gordon Hayward led the Celtics with 21 points while Jayson Tatum led the bench in scoring with 11 points.

The Lakers were outrebounded 51-41 with their smaller lineup, but they were also able to get 10 steals in the game. The small lineup was also able to score in the paint effectively, with a total of 48 points compared to 28 points for the Celtics. This was despite both Ivica Zubac and Miles Plumlee playing a combined 26 minutes in the game. Zubac and Plumlee had four rebounds each coming off the bench.

Daniel Theis was effective in his eight minutes of play, scoring five points and recording one block.

Jayson Tatum, who coming into the game leads the league in three-point percentage with 59.1, made a three-pointer that put Boston up 84-71 with 7:54 left in the game. Tatum finished with 11 points and five rebounds. Marcus Smart also contributed off the bench with 10 points and five assists.

Josh Hart leads a fast break opportunity after swiping the ball from Marcus Smart.

The Celtics continue their five-game west coast road trip with a game against the Los Angeles Clippers next Monday night. The Celtics were able to demolish the Clippers in the TD Garden 96-60.

Boston Celtics (9-0) at Los Angeles Lakers (3-6)
Nov 9, 2018 1 2 3 4 Final Boston 23 30 26 24 103 Los Angeles 26 24 17 27 94 Top Performers Boston Celtics G. Hayward (SF) - 21 Pts, 11 Reb, 4 Ast A. Horford (PF) - 14 Pts, 13 Reb Los Angeles Lakers S. Ibaka (PF) - 20 Pts, 9 Reb, 4-6 3Pt A. Bradley (SG) - 21 Pts, 2 Stl	Team Stats Comparison BOS LAL FG Made-Att 37-73 39-91 3PT Made-Att 13-23 10-30 FT Made-Att 22-25 6-8 Rebounds 51 41 Assists 26 23 Turnovers 16 7 Steals 5 10 Blocks 4 3
Boston Celtics STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS G. Hayward (SF) 37 6-15 4-8 5-6 11 4 0 0 1 21 K. Irving (PG) 35 4-9 1-3 11-11 4 7 0 0 3 20 A. Horford (PF) 35 6-9 2-3 0-0 13 1 0 2 1 14 J. Brown (SG) 27 4-10 2-2 0-0 3 3 2 0 0 10 M. Morris (PF) 20 3-4 1-2 2-2 6 0 1 0 1 9 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS J. Tatum 29 4-10 1-2 2-2 5 2 1 0 3 11 M. Smart 22 4-10 1-1 1-2 3 5 0 0 2 10 D. Dedmon 18 1-2 0-0 0-0 5 2 0 1 2 2 T. Rozier 14 0-2 0-1 1-2 1 2 0 0 0 1 D. Theis 8 2-2 1-1 0-0 0 0 1 1 0 5 A. Baynes -- DID NOT PLAY -- J. Rodman -- DID NOT PLAY -- S. Ojeleye -- DID NOT PLAY --
Los Angeles Lakers STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS L. Ball (PG) 34 4-15 2-8 0-0 3 6 1 0 1 10 A. Bradley (SG) 33 8-19 2-7 3-3 1 0 2 0 2 21 B. Ingram (SF) 33 6-16 1-4 1-1 5 5 1 0 1 14 L. Nance Jr. (PF) 30 3-5 0-1 0-0 6 2 1 0 1 6 S. Ibaka (PF) 29 8-15 4-6 0-0 9 1 2 2 1 20 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS J. Clarkson 17 3-8 1-1 2-2 0 2 0 0 1 9 I. Zubac 17 1-1 0-0 0-0 4 2 2 0 0 2 S. Muhammad 16 2-6 0-1 0-2 2 0 0 0 0 4 J. Hart 15 2-4 0-1 0-0 1 2 1 0 0 4 D. Barber 13 0-0 0-0 0-0 6 2 0 0 0 0 M. Plumlee 9 2-2 0-0 0-0 4 1 0 1 0 4 J. Calloway -- DID NOT PLAY -- T. Potter -- DID NOT PLAY --

[patriotway]

Through the first two and a half weeks of the 2018-19 NBA season, the Boston Celtics are looking like an NBA Finals contender. Through their first nine games, their point differential stands at 17.4 which is first in the NBA. The Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks have a point differential of 13.1 and 10.9 respectively. The Warriors have won their last four in a row, while the Bucks have won three in a row.

The Memphis Grizzlies have performed well this season, starting 6-4. In the last week, they were 2-1 with solid wins against the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. Their last game was a blowout loss to the Washington Wizards 135-106. The Wizards, even without Seth Curry, have the fifth best offense in the NBA, scoring 107.1 points per game. Curry will likely miss the rest of the season with a torn achilles tendon. The injury occurred in his second game with the Wizards.

Meanwhile, Devin Booker's absence has caused the Phoenix Sun's offense to hit rock bottom. The Sun's have failed to score more than 90 points in a game since their 91-81 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on October 27. During their current six-game losing streak, they have averaged 79.3 points a game. An injury to Anthony Davis has the New Orleans Pelicans sliding as well. They have loss three straight since Davis broke his right foot against the Denver Nuggets.

NBA Eastern Conference Standings - Updated: Nov 10, 2018
TEAM	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
Boston Celtics	9	0	--	1-0	6-0
Chicago Bulls	6	3	3.0	1-0	3-1
Washington Wizards	6	3	3.0	2-0	3-3
Cleveland Cavaliers	6	3	3.0	2-1	5-3
Detroit Pistons	6	3	3.0	1-1	4-3
Milwaukee Bucks	5	3	3.5	0-1	3-2
New York Knicks	5	4	4.0	1-1	3-3
Toronto Raptors	4	4	4.5	1-0	2-0
Atlanta Hawks	4	5	5.0	0-2	2-3
Brooklyn Nets	4	5	5.0	1-1	3-3
Indiana Pacers	3	7	6.5	0-1	1-4
Philadelphia 76ers	2	6	6.5	0-2	0-3
Miami Heat	2	6	6.5	1-1	1-4
Orlando Magic	2	6	6.5	0-0	1-2
Charlotte Hornets	1	8	8.0	1-1	1-5

NBA Western Conference Standings - Updated: Nov 10, 2018
TEAM	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
Golden State Warriors	8	1	--	1-0	4-1
Portland Trail Blazers	6	3	2.0	1-0	5-1
San Antonio Spurs	6	3	2.0	2-3	4-3
Oklahoma City Thunder	6	3	2.0	3-1	6-2
Memphis Grizzlies	6	4	2.5	2-1	3-2
Minnesota Timberwolves	5	3	2.5	2-1	2-1
Los Angeles Clippers	5	4	3.0	1-2	3-3
Sacramento Kings	5	5	3.5	1-0	2-5
Dallas Mavericks	4	5	4.0	0-0	2-0
New Orleans Pelicans	4	6	4.5	1-1	3-4
Houston Rockets	4	7	5.0	2-2	4-5
Los Angeles Lakers	3	6	5.0	0-2	1-4
Denver Nuggets	3	6	5.0	0-3	2-4
Utah Jazz	3	7	5.5	0-1	0-3
Phoenix Suns	2	6	5.5	2-1	2-5

[patriotway]

Milwaukee Bucks
E. Bledsoe (PG) - Strained Left Quad - 1/2 Weeks


Memphis Grizzlies
T. Ariza (SF) - Broken Left Ankle - 4/6 Weeks


Charlotte Hornets
A. Burks (SG) - Broken Right Ankle - 8/10 Weeks


Orlando Magic
A. Harrison (PG) - Bruised Ribs - Day-to-Day


Denver Nuggets
J. Murray (PG) - Bruised Right Hip - Day-to-Day


Indiana Pacers
M. Turner (C) - Twisted Right Ankle - Day-to-Day


New Orleans Pelicans
A. Blakeney (SG) - Hyperextended Left Knee - Day-to-Day


Houston Rockets
C. Paul (PG) - Hyperextended Right Knee - 1/2 Weeks

[patriotway]

Eastern Conference Player of the Week

Player/Team MPG FG 3PT FT RPG APG SPG BPG TOPG PPG Giannis Antetokounmpo/Milwaukee Bucks 40.3 35-62 4-9 20-22 10.6 6.3 1.6 2.3 3.0 31.3

Western Conference Player of the Week

Player/Team MPG FG 3PT FT RPG APG SPG BPG TOPG PPG James Harden/Houston Rockets 36.3 42-77 19-44 24-28 6.5 8.3 2.0 0.5 3.0 31.6

[patriotway]

Matchup Preview *|* November 11, 2018
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Miami Heat (2-6, 1-1 Away)		Phoenix Suns (2-6, 1-5 Home)
Projected Starters Goran Dragic Point Guard Wade Baldwin Dion Waiters Shooting Guard Phillip Robinson James Johnson Small Forward T.J. Warren Kelly Olynyk Power Forward Jared Dudley Hassan Whiteside Center Dragan Bender Injury Report S. Napier/Bruised Right Hip (1-2 Weeks) D. Booker/Torn Left Calf Muscle (4-6 Weeks) T. Johnson/Sprained Right Wrist (Day-to-Day) A. Len/Sprained Left Finger (Day-to-Day) D. Reed/Hyperextended Left Elbow (Day-to-Day)

Having Goran Dragic back for the Miami Heat should give the team a decided advantage against the Phoenix Suns. The only thing that can help out the Suns is their scoring defense. At 97.4 points per game, the Suns rank fifth in the NBA in that category. Without their leading scorer in Devin Booker or their top rebounder, Alex Len, the Suns may continue to struggle.

For the Heat to win, they'll have to defend the three-point line better. After eight games, they rank second-to-last, allowing opponents to shoot 42.1 percent from beyond the arc. The Suns have players like Jared Dudley and Dragan Bender that can take advantage of that. If Hassan Whiteside is drawn away from the basket to defend Bender, that can open up the lane for Suns players to score inside.

Matchup Preview *|* November 11, 2018
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Oklahoma City Thunder (6-3, 2-1 Away)		Memphis Grizzlies (6-4, 3-0 Home)
Projected Starters Russell Westbrook Point Guard Mike Conley Dwayne Wade Shooting Guard Tyreke Evans Paul George Small Forward Dillon Brooks Ersan Ilyasova Power Forward John Collins Joffrey Lauvergne Center Marc Gasol Injury Report T. McConnell/Left Arm Hairline Fracture (2-4 Weeks) N. Vucevic/Lower Right Leg Stress Fracture (6-8 Weeks) A. Abrines/Right Hand Fracture (1-2 Weeks) T. Ariza/Broken Left Ankle (4-6 Weeks) P. Gasol/Strained Right Achilles (Day-to-Day) J. Green/Bruised Left Hip (Day-to-Day)

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies feature two offensively efficient point guards in Russell Westbrook and Mike Conley. Defensively, the Thunder are a much better team. That may help them slow down Conley in this game, although Tyreke Evans still has to be accounted for in the Grizzlies' offense.

The Grizzlies will have the tougher task of not only having to deal with Westbrook, but Paul George as well. Westbrook averages 28.6 points a game while George has 24.7. Those numbers may go up against the Grizzlies defense which ranks 25th in the NBA.

Matchup Preview *|* November 13, 2018
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San Antonio Spurs (6-3, 1-2 Away)		Portland Trailblazers (6-4, 5-0 Home)
Projected Starters Tony Parker Point Guard Damian Lillard Danny Green Shooting Guard Marco Belinelli Kawhi Leonard Small Forward Jeff Green LaMarcus Aldridge Power Forward Jon Leuer Steven Adams Center Tarik Black Injury Report D. Bertrans/Torn Left Achilles (2-4 Months) C. McCollum/Bruised Right Knee (Day-to-Day)

By the time the San Antonio Spurs play the Portland Trail Blazers, the Trail Blazer's streak may be over. If not, Portland will be putting a seven game streak on the line at home against the Spurs. Overall, the Trail Blazers have a tough week ahead as they will also play the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Boston Celtics. However, all three games this week for the Trail Blazers are at home.

The Spurs start the week with an easier opponent in the Los Angeles Lakers before their game against Portland. Like Portland, San Antonio has a chance to extend a winning streak before the two teams meet. While Portland has the comfort of playing all of their games this week at home, San Antonio's games are all on the road.

Matchup Preview *|* November 15, 2018
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Los Angeles Lakers (3-6, 0-3 Away)		Orlando Magic (2-6, 1-3 Home)
Projected Starters Lonzo Ball Point Guard Kemba Walker Avery Bradley Shooting Guard Evan Fournier Brandon Ingram Small Forward Joe Johnson Serge Ibaka Power Forward Darrell Peterson Miles Plumlee Center Salah Mejri Injury Report K. Kuzma/Hyperextended Left Elbow (1-2 Weeks) A. Gordon/Torn Left Achilles (2-4 Months) J. Isaac/Torn Right Calf Muscle (2-4 Weeks) A. Harrison/Bruised Rib (Day-to-Day)

Both the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic have streaks of their own, but not ones that will gain positive recognition. The Lakers have lost their last four while the Magic have lost their last five. Orlando's current losing streak was started with a loss in Los Angeles as they fell 89-97 to the Lakers. On top of Orlando's current misfortune, there are rumors that guard Kemba Walker wants to test free agency.

The Lakers have a number of decisions to make this coming offseason as well. As for this game, the Lakers will want to repeat some of what they did well in their first game against Orlando. One of them was holding the Magic to just 17 percent from the three-point line and 38 percent shooting. What the Lakers can't do if they expect to win is commit 22 turnovers and score only 26 points in the paint.

Matchup Preview *|* November 16, 2018
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Chicago Bulls (6-3, 4-1 Away)		Milwaukee Bucks (5-3, 3-1 Home)
Projected Starters Kris Dunn Point Guard Malcolm Brogdon Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Shooting Guard Khris Middleton Carmelo Anthony Small Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo Lauri Markkanen Power Forward Jabari Parker Kyle O'Quinn Center John Henson Injury Report NONE E. Bledsoe/Strained Left Quad (1-2 Weeks) M. Dellavedova/Twisted Left Knee (1-2 Weeks)

The Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls have both performed well to start the 2018-19 season. One thing that has aided the Bucks is their shooting. As a team, they make just over 50 percent of their shots and almost 40 percent of their three-pointers. One area they'll want to improve in is their bench scoring. The Buck's bench accounts for 28 percent of the team's offense.

Offensively, nothing stands out for Chicago besides Carmelo Anthony. His average of 27.4 points leads the team. No other player averages more than 11 points on the team. One thing they do very well is defend three point shots. So far, only 28 percent of their opponents' three-point shots have fallen. That puts them second in the NBA behind the Boston Celtics. The Bulls will need to bring that defense with them, especially since the Bucks are a great 3-point shooting team this season.

[patriotway]

Week 4 NBA.com Power Rankings
RK (LW)	Team	Record	Next Game
1 (1)	Boston Celtics	9-0	@ Los Angeles Clippers (11/11)
2 (3)	Golden State Warriors	8-1	vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (11/13)
3 (10)	Milwaukee Bucks	5-3	@ Toronto Raptors (11/13)
4 (2)	Oklahoma City Thunder	6-3	@ Memphis Grizzlies (11/11)
5 (7)	Washington Wizards	6-3	@ Cleveland Cavaliers (11/11)
6 (18)	San Antonio Spurs	6-3	@ Los Angeles Lakers (11/11)
7 (5)	Cleveland Cavaliers	6-3	vs. Washington Wizards (11/11)
8 (6)	Memphis Grizzlies	6-4	vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (11/11)
9 (15)	Portland Trailblazers	6-3	vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (11/11)
10 (8)	Detroit Pistons	6-3	@ Cleveland Cavaliers (11/13)
11 (12)	Chicago Bulls	6-3	@ Philadelphia 76ers (11/11)
12 (13)	New York Knicks	5-4	@ Charlotte Hornets (11/11)
13 (4)	Minnesota Timberwolves	5-3	@ Portland Trail Blazers (11/11)
14 (17)	Los Angeles Clippers	5-4	@ Dallas Mavericks (11/11)
15 (22)	Houston Rockets	4-7	@ Orlando Magic (11/13)
16 (9)	Toronto Raptors	4-4	vs. Orlando Magic (11/11)
17 (16)	Dallas Mavericks	4-5	vs. Los Angeles Clippers (11/11)
18 (11)	New Orleans Pelicans	4-6	@ Chicago Bulls (11/13)
19 (27)	Sacramento Kings	5-5	vs. Miami Heat (11/12)
20 (14)	Atlanta Hawks	4-5	@ Denver Nuggets (11/11)
21 (26)	Utah Jazz	3-7	vs. Boston Celtics (11/13)
22 (29)	Denver Nuggets	3-6	vs. Atlanta Hawks (11/11)
23 (21)	Brooklyn Nets	4-5	@ Oklahoma City Thunder (11/13)
24 (20)	Indiana Pacers	3-7	vs. Chicago Bulls (11/14)
25 (25)	Philadelphia 76ers	2-6	vs. Chicago Bulls (11/11)
26 (23)	Los Angeles Lakers	3-6	vs. San Antonio Spurs (11/11)
27 (19)	Orlando Magic	2-6	@ Toronto Raptors (11/11)
28 (28)	Miami Heat	2-6	@ Phoenix Suns (11/11)
29 (24)	Phoenix Suns	2-6	vs. Miami Heat (11/11)
30 (30)	Charlotte Hornets	1-8	vs. New York Knicks (11/11)

[patriotway]

Miami Heat (2-7) at Phoenix Suns (3-6)
Nov 11, 2018 1 2 3 4 Final Miami 20 20 23 21 84 Phoenix 26 22 19 28 95 Top Performers Miami Heat Goran Dragic (PG): 17 Pts, 5 Ast, 4 TO Dion Waiters (SG): 15 Pts, 6 Ast Phoenix Suns T.J. Warren (SF): 19 Pts (7-15 FG), 3 Reb Wade Baldwin (PG): 11 Pts, 4 Reb, 5 Ast, 9-10 FT	Team Stats Comparison MIA PHO FG Made-Att 36-84 30-69 3PT Made-Att 10-24 7-22 FT Made-Att 2-2 28-38 Rebounds 47 40 Assists 24 21 Turnovers 15 10 Steals 9 5 Blocks 3 6

Even though the Miami Heat had seven more offensive rebounds than the Phoenix Suns and outscored them 10-4 in second chance points, the Heat were still down by 20 at one point in the game. Hassan Whiteside, who was responsible for the difference in offensive rebounds, fouled out of the game with 10 points and 16 total rebounds. As a team, the Heat had 25 fouls. Those fouls allowed the Suns to take 38 free throw attempts compared to the two that the Heat had in the game.

Wade Baldwin had the most free throw attempts on the Suns with 10 while he struggled with his shooting. Baldwin was 1 for 5 from the field. Baldwin was one of the few players to have an inefficient night. Tyler Ulis scored 14 points on 5 of 6 shooting. Brandon Knight had eight points, four assists and two rebounds in the 13 minutes he played.

Oklahoma City Thunder (7-3) at Memphis Grizzlies (6-5)
Nov 11, 2018 1 2 3 4 Final Oklahoma City 39 18 34 14 105 Memphis 27 24 21 31 103 Top Performers Oklahoma City Thunder Russell Westbrook (PG): 26 Pts, 11 Ast, 8 Reb, 9-15 FT Paul George (SF): 22 Pts, 5 Reb, 3 Ast Memphis Grizzlies Mike Conley (PG): 26 Pts, 6 Ast, 5 Reb, 4-9 3-Pt Tyreke Evans (SG): 21 Pts, 10 Reb, 8 Ast	Team Stats Comparison OKC MEM FG Made-Att 37-81 39-82 3PT Made-Att 12-26 12-29 FT Made-Att 19-33 13-16 Rebounds 36 51 Assists 29 28 Turnovers 10 22 Steals 8 5 Blocks 4 4

The Memphis Grizzlies overcome a 19-point deficit and outscored the Oklahoma City Thunder 31-14 in the fourth quarter, but still come up short, 103-105. Both Mike Conley and Russell Westbrook of the Grizzlies and Thunder respectively, led all scorers with 26 points each. The Grizzlies found themselves facing such a large deficit because of their 22 turnovers. Conley and Tyreke Evans were responsible for 10 of them.

The Thunder as a team only had 10 turnovers in the game. Ersan Ilyasova had a season-high 17 points for the Thunder while also getting seven rebounds. The Thunder also shot more twice as many free throws as the Grizzlies did, but only made 58 percent of their attempts.

Dillon Brooks, who started in place of the injured Trevor Ariza, had seven points, six rebounds and three assists. Brooks made all four of his free throw attempts, but missed six of his seven attempts from the floor.