"The Game Honors Toughness": Boston Celtics NBA 2K20 MyLeague

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Walker's go-ahead basket helps Celtics edge Cavs in overtime

by Edward Kincade
November 5, 2019

CLEVELAND, OH -- Since All-NBA forward LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Cavaliers have dropped to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. No longer being able to contend for a NBA championship the Cavaliers finished last season with a 19-63 record, their worst finish since the 2010-11 season. In the 2010-11 campaign, they also finished with a 19-63 record. That was also the Cavaliers first season without James as he had left to join the Miami Heat.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson recorded his second double-double of the season.

Many of the players from their championship runs remain on the roster as the Cavaliers attempt to inject young talent into the mix. One of those players, center Tristan Thompson, finished the game against the Boston Celtics with 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Thompson's frontcourt teammate, forward Kevin Love, was not as effective as he would have wanted to be. Playing with a lower back bruise, Love scored nine points on 3-of-9 shooting and to go with five boards.

Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III grabbed 10 boards in 21 minutes off the bench. Forward Jayson Tatum, who finished with 23 points, was second on the team with nine rebounds.

Boston's rebounding effort was more spread out among their starters. Swingman Jaylen Brown tied with backup center Robert Williams III for 10 boards while forward Jayson Tatum was second on the team with nine. Despite ultimately winning the rebounding battle for the game, the Cavaliers were able to mount their comeback thanks in part to outrebounding the Celtics in the second half of the game.

The Cavaliers bench scored 53 points and 23 of them came from guard Jordan Clarkson.

The Cavaliers' rebounding, along with their bench scoring, helped them outscore the Celtics by nine in the final frame to force overtime. The player to lead the Cavaliers second unit in scoring was Jordan Clarkson. The sixth-year guard from San Antonio, Texas scored a team-high 23 points in his 28 minutes off the bench. For comparison the six players to come of the bench for the Celtics scored a total of 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting. Clarkson scored his 23 points on 8-of-15 from the field.

Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman makes a 3-pointer over Celtics guard Kemba Walker during overtime.

During overtime the game remained close and neither team was able to gain a significant advantage. Forward Gordon Hayward connected on an open 3-pointer off Kemba Walker's penetration with 1:12 remaining. Cavalier's forward Cedi Osman answered by draining 3-pointer as the shot clock expired two possessions later. There were still just over 11 seconds left on the clock and the Celtics took full advantage of that. Walker created enough space and managed to sink the go-ahead bucket, leaving .3 seconds on the clock.

NEXT GAME: (November 7, 2019) Boston Celtics @ Charlotte Hornets
(November 8, 2019) Cleveland Cavaliers @ Washington Wizards

NEXT MEETING: (December 9, 2019) Cleveland Cavaliers @ Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics (4-2) at Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3)
Nov 5, 2019 1 2 3 4 OT Final Boston 25 25 22 22 14 108 Cleveland 15 25 23 31 12 106 Top Performers Boston Celtics K. Walker (PG): 29 pts (11-22 fg), 3 reb, 4 ast, 4 to J. Tatum (PF): 23 pts (8-13 fg), 9 reb, 3 ast Cleveland Cavaliers J. Clarkson (SG): 23 pts (3-6 3pt), 3 stl T. Thompson (C): 15 pts (7-8 fg), 13 reb	Team Stats Comparison BOS CLE FG Made-Att 42-86 43-94 3PT Made-Att 10-19 13-31 FT Made-Att 14-19 7-14 Rebounds 52 55 Assists 17 25 Turnovers 17 (14) 14 (14) Steals 9 13 Blocks 3 2
Boston Celtics STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS K. Walker (PG) 39 11-22 3-7 4-5 3 4 0 0 4 29 J. Tatum (PF) 38 8-13 2-2 5-5 9 3 2 0 1 23 J. Brown (SG) 37 6-13 3-4 3-3 10 1 1 0 1 18 G. Hayward (SF) 35 8-20 1-4 2-2 3 1 1 0 4 19 D. Theis (C) 29 3-4 0-0 0-0 8 1 1 1 2 6 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS M. Smart 23 2-5 0-0 0-0 0 3 0 0 0 4 R. Williams III 21 3-4 0-0 0-0 10 1 1 2 1 6 B. Wanamaker 16 1-4 1-1 0-0 1 2 3 0 1 3 R. Langford 13 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 1 0 0 1 0 S, Ojeleye 12 0-0 0-0 0-4 5 0 0 0 1 0 G. Williams 8 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 V. Poirier -- DID NOT PLAY (COACH'S DECISION)-- C. Edwards -- DID NOT PLAY (COACH'S DECISION)--
Cleveland Cavaliers STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS T. Thompson (C) 34 7-8 0-0 1-2 13 2 0 1 0 15 D. Garland (PG) 33 4-13 1-5 1-4 4 6 2 0 3 10 B. Knight (SG) 31 3-11 1-2 0-0 2 2 1 0 1 7 C. Osman (SF) 31 5-14 2-7 0-0 5 1 1 0 1 12 K. Love (PF) 24 3-9 3-5 0-0 5 2 2 0 1 9 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS L. Nance Jr. 28 5-10 1-3 0-0 9 1 2 0 3 11 J. Clarkson 28 8-15 3-6 4-5 1 2 3 0 2 23 J. Henson 22 2-3 0-0 0-1 6 3 2 1 0 4 M. Dellavedova 16 4-5 2-2 0-0 1 3 0 0 1 10 K. Porter Jr. 14 1-4 0-1 1-2 2 1 0 0 0 3 A. McKinnie 9 1-2 0-0 0-0 1 2 0 0 1 2 D. Wade -- DID NOT PLAY (COACH'S DECISION)-- T. Cook -- DID NOT PLAY (COACH'S DECISION)--

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[patriotway]

Orlando Magic
Pos	Player	Injury	Duration	Status
SG	Evan Fournier	Sprained Left Toe	1-2 Weeks	OUT

Dallas Mavericks
Pos	Player	Injury	Duration	Status
PG	J.J. Barea	Bruised Right Knee	Day-to-Day	HURT

Indiana Pacers
Pos	Player	Injury	Duration	Status
PF	T.J. Leaf	Hyperextended Right Knee	Day-to-Day	HURT

San Antonio Spurs
Pos	Player	Injury	Duration	Stauts
PG	Dejounte Murray	Twisted Left Ankle	Day-to-Day	HURT

Portland Trail Blazers
Pos	Player	Injury	Duration	Stauts
C	Hassan Whiteside	Twisted Left Ankle	Day-to-Day	HURT

[patriotway]

Could Gobert's time in Utah be coming to an end?

by Gail Bear
November 5, 2019

SALT LAKE CITY, UT -- The Utah Jazz have qualified for the playoffs in each of the last three seasons thanks in part to their defense. Since the 2016-17 season, the Jazz's defensive rating and scoring defense have been in the top five in the league. The anchor of that defense has been center Rudy Gobert. The seven-year Frenchman has been selected to 1st Team All-Defense for three consecutive years along with being named defensive player of the year for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

The Jazz organization recognized that they had a special player on their hands and made sure keep Gobert in Utah. Just days into the 2016-17 season the Jazz signed Gobert to a 4-year, $102M contract. Now in the third year of that contract Gobert is averaging 15.1 points, 13.7 rebounds and two blocks per game. Both Gobert and third-year guard Donovan Mitchell have made a good offensive/defensive combo for Utah.

According to sources close to the organization, time may be running out on what they can get out of their two stars. The reason being that, despite Gobert's limitations in this area, he wants to be more involved in the offense. Being in the league for seven seasons has not done much for Gobert's offensive game though. The 7'1" center has a poor jumpshot and his post presence on offense is lacking to say the least. With centers expected to space the floor in today's NBA, Gobert is more of a throwback to a previous era of NBA centers.

A majority of Gobert's shots are within eight feet of the rim and he converts 65.1 percent of those attempts. Outside of eight feet from the basket, Gobert's attempts plummet. Between eight and 16 feet, Gobert has 29 attempts and makes nearly 50 percent of those shots. In the 16-24 foot area Gobert has only eight attempts and has made four of them. When he steps outside the arc, Gobert is 1-for-4 this season. However, those four attempts are the most he's had in a single season and this is just through seven games. Meanwhile, other starting centers in the NBA average four to five 3-point attempts per game.

As it stands right now Gobert's offensive game is not polished enough to warrant more of a role on offense. He's most effective on defense and rebounding. Being 27 years old means that there is room for growth. He's also still under contract through the 2020-21 season. If the reports are true and he wants to test free agency when his contract is up, that could put the Jazz organization in a difficult position. Losing a player like Gobert without getting anything in return would be devastating. There are a few scenarios that could play out between now and when Gobert's contract expires and the Jazz have to be ready for anything.

[patriotway]

Sacramento Kings (5-3) at Toronto Raptors (5-2)
Nov 6, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Sacramento 26 29 20 18 93 Toronto 26 24 26 29 105 Top Performers Sacramento Kings T. Ariza (SF): 16 pts (4-7 3pt), 5 reb SAC outscored 44-22 in the paint Toronto Raptors S. Ibaka (C): 23 pts (8-12 fg), 11 reb, 3 stl TOR's 4th consecutive win (97.0 papg during stretch)	Team Stats Comparison SAC TOR FG Made-Att 33-88 39-91 3PT Made-Att 16-38 11-38 FT Made-Att 11-16 16-19 Rebounds 49 62 Assists 20 30 Turnovers 13 13 Steals 5 7 Blocks 2 2

by Steve Hammond
November 6, 2019

TORONTO, ON -- Sacramento Kings' guard Buddy Hield had a difficult time scoring his team-high 18 points their loss to the Toronto Raptors. Those 18 points came on 7-of-19 shooting. Hield, like the rest of Kings' players, had a difficult time on offense. Even though they made 42 percent of their three-point attempts, they shot under 40 percent overall. Veteran forward Trevor Ariza did provide a spark off the bench scoring 16 points while shooting 4-of-7 from three-point range.

The Raptors bench, led by center Serge Ibaka's 23 points, had an outstanding night. They accounted for more than half of the points scored as they tallied 58 on 56 percent shooting. However, the Raptors' starting backcourt of Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet struggled. They were a combined 5-of-25 from the floor for 15 points, four rebounds and seven assists.

NEXT GAME: (November 8, 2019) Sacramento Kings (5-3) @ Atlanta Hawks (3-4)
(NOvember 8, 2019) Toronto Raptors (5-2) @ New Orleans Pelicans (3-4)

NEXT MEETING: (March 8, 2020) Sacramento Kings @ Toronto Raptors

Philadelphia 76ers (4-3) at Utah Jazz (3-5)
Nov 6, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Philadelphia 28 25 35 24 112 Utah 21 19 27 29 96 Top Performers Philadelphia 76ers B. Simmons (PG): 35 pts (13-19 fg), 7 reb, 3 stl PHI bench outscored 47-29 Utah Jazz E. Mudiay (PG): 23 pts (5-13 3pt), 4 ast UTA held to 100 or fewer points in last 3 games (all losses)	Team Stats Comparison PHI UTH FG Made-Att 36-85 35-93 3PT Made-Att 9-31 15-47 FT Made-Att 31-42 11-14 Rebounds 60 56 Assists 24 23 Turnovers 15 16 Steals 9 6 Blocks 5 2

by Gail Bear
November 6, 2019

SALT LAKE CITY, UT -- The Philadelphia 76ers dispelled the notion that they are a horrible road team by dominating the Utah Jazz in Wednesday night's 112-96 win. The 76ers led for the entire night and had a lead as big as 30 points. They were able to do this despite shooting a little over 40 percent from the field and just under 30 percent from beyond the arc. The 76ers' bench didn't impact the game much at all either. While forward James Ennis III did have 16 points in 17 minutes off the bench that unit had a combined 29 points on 7-of-25 shooting.

Third-year guard Donovan Mitchell's team-high 28 points were not enough to make this a close game for the Jazz. Mitchell's night was not as good as his 28 points would imply as he also had a season-high seven turnovers. Turnovers along with the entire Jazz lineup committing fouls did not help either. The Jazz had 31 fouls and coming into the game they committed about 20 per game.

NEXT GAME: (November 8, 2019) Philadelphia 76ers (4-3) @ Denver Nuggets (6-1)
(November 8, 2019) Milwaukee Bucks (4-4) @ Utah Jazz (3-5)

NEXT MEETING: (December 2, 2019) Utah Jazz @ Philadelphia 76ers

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GAME RESULTS CONT'D

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Chicago Bulls
Pos	Player	Injury	Duration	Status
C	Wendell Carter Jr.	Bruised Left Hip	1-2 Weeks	HURT

Orlando Magic
Pos	Player	Injury	Duration	Status
C	Nikola Vucevic	Left Knee Tenidinits	2-4 Weeks	OUT

Dallas Mavericks
Pos	Player	Injury	Duration	Status
SG	Tim Hardaway Jr.	Sore Back/Sore Left Hamstring	Day-to-Day	HURT

Indiana Pacers
Pos	Player	Injury	Duration	Status
PG	T.J. McConnell	Bruised Rib	Day-to-Day	HURT

Toronto Raptors
Pos	Player	Injury	Duration	Stauts
C	Marc Gasol	Twisted Left Ankle	1-2 Weeks	HURT

Houston Rockets
Pos	Player	Injury	Duration	Status
SF	Thabo Sefolosha	Bruised Right Forearm	Day-to-Day	HURT

[patriotway]

Matchup Preview *|* November 7, 2019
	@
Boston Celtics (4-2, 2-1 Away)		Charlotte Hornets (2-5, 2-1 Home)
Projected Starters Kemba Walker Point Guard Terry Rozier III Jaylen Brown Shooting Guard Dwayne Bacon Gordon Hayward Small Forward Miles Bridges Jayson Tatum Power Forward P.J. Washington Daniel Thies Center Cody Zeller Injury Report E. Kanter/Sore Knee (Day-to-Day) N. Batum/Hand Fracture (1-2 Weeks) Game Notes LOCATION: SPECTRUM CENTER - Charlotte, NC STREAK: Boston Celtics W1 Charlotte Hornets W1 LAST GAME: Boston Celtics 108 - Cleveland Cavaliers 106 OT Indiana Pacers 95 - Charlotte Hornets 102 LAST MEETING: (March 23, 2019) Boston Celtics 117 - Charlotte Hornets 124