twhittle2308's NBA2K Challenges

[twhittle2308]

Challenge #1 - Key Game (TOR @ HOU)

KEY GAME - Preview

Toronto Raptors (7-0) @ Houston Rockets (4-3)

Matchup Preview | November 11, 2013
	@
Toronto Raptors (7-0, 4-0 Away)		Houston Rockets (4-3, 2-2 Home)
Projected Starters Trey Burke Point Guard Victor Oladipo Ray Allen Shooting Guard Tim Hardaway Jr. Josh Smith Small Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo Kevin Love Power Forward Kelly Olynyk Anderson Varejao Center Vitor Faverani Injury Report Brook Lopez Sprained Toe (1-2 weeks) Michael Carter-Williams Concussion (1-2 weeks) Victor Oladipo Sprained Shoulder (1-2 weeks) Game Notes Last Season - Series tied 1-1 Last Game - HOU 96-103 TOR (December 16, 2012) Player to Watch - Kevin Love (TOR) Key Matchup - Point Guard: Trey Burke (TOR) vs Victor Oladipo (HOU) Other Notes Toronto unbeaten in 7 games Houston unbeaten in 3 games

[twhittle2308]

Challenge #1 - Key Game Review (TOR @ HOU)

KEY GAME - Review

TOR 102-111 HOU: Oladipo's 31 blemishes Toronto's unbeaten start

Tonight, one winning run was ended and other was maintained for another game. The Houston Rockets pulled off the upset win of the night over the Toronto Raptors and ended their 7 game unbeaten run to start the season in the process. In doing so, they piled on their 4th straight win in this hot run since suffering a slow start to the season. On the scoreboard, it will always look as if Houston were always one step ahead on the floor as they lead all but one quarter which was drawn. But the Rockets knew that their lead was vulnerable to an attack at any time and they held their nerve and game to pull off a gutsy win of immense value to the rookie squad.

Victor Oladipo was by far the star of the night for the Rockets as he exploded for 31 points and 8 assists while also being a nuisance on defense with 5 steals and 2 blocks. It was almost as if he was having an MVP-caliber night. Tony Snell proved to be the recipient of a number of Oladipo assists as he went off for 19 points from the bench. Kevin Love and Trey Burke both put in very respectable nights for the Raptors as both secured double-doubles. Love had 18 points and 12 rebounds while Burke recorded 15 points and 10 assists.

The look on Rockets GM Tim Whittle's face when asked about how this win will impact his youthful team said it all. "I'm speechless," he told reporters. "I actually have no words to say about this result. It is fantastic that we can compete with teams and dismantle winning runs like we did tonight. Breaking Portland's 3 game run and now blemishing Toronto's 7-0 start; I don't think we have ever played as well as we did tonight. Kudos obviously to Victor for his MVP-brand performance but both him and I know that he was only part of it; everyone who took to the floor for the Rockets and all of the fans should celebrate tonight's fantastic result because they deserve it.

As stated earlier, Toronto now fall to 7-1 after their first defeat of the season but will be hoping to bounce back straight away to make it 8 from 9 in Memphis as they take on the Grizzlies. Houston travel to Philadelphia as they will put their continued winning run on the line once again against Kevin Durant and the 76ers.

Toronto Raptors (7-1) at Houston Rockets (5-3)
Nov 11, 2013 1 2 3 4 Final Toronto 24 26 20 32 102 Houston 28 28 20 35 111 Top Performers Toronto Raptors Kevin Love - 18 PTS, 12 REB, 2 STL Trey Burke - 15 PTS, 10 AST Houston Rockets Victor Oladipo - 31 PTS, 8 AST, 5 STL, 2 BLK Tony Snell - 19 PTS	Team Stats Comparison TOR HOU FG Made-Att 39-83 43-81 3PT Made-Att 12-27 9-19 FT Made-Att 12-18 16-21 Rebounds 40 44 Assists 25 20 Turnovers 15 12 Steals 7 12 Blocks 1 6
Toronto Raptors STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Trey Burke 39 6-12 1-1 2-2 2 10 0 0 7 15 Ray Allen 30 3-4 2-2 0-0 2 1 1 0 1 8 Josh Smith 34 3-11 2-8 2-2 3 3 1 0 0 10 Kevin Love 33 7-14 4-5 0-1 12 1 2 0 2 18 Anderson Varejao 21 6-10 0-0 4-5 7 3 0 0 2 16 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Dion Waiters 17 5-12 2-6 0-2 2 1 0 0 1 12 James Johnson 16 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 2 1 0 0 2 Brook Lopez 14 4-7 0-0 2-2 3 1 0 1 1 10 Ian Mahinmi 13 1-1 0-0 1-2 6 1 1 0 0 3 Jordan Crawford 11 3-9 1-4 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 7 Jan Vesely 9 0-0 0-0 0-0 2 0 0 0 0 0 Armon Johnson 7 0-2 0-1 1-2 1 1 0 0 1 1
Houston Rockets STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Victor Oladipo 35 13-21 2-5 3-3 2 8 5 2 3 31 Tim Hardawar Jr. 33 6-12 1-4 2-2 5 0 2 0 3 15 Giannis Antetokounmpo 36 3-7 2-5 2-2 9 2 0 0 0 10 Kelly Olynyk 31 4-8 0-0 0-2 6 2 1 1 2 8 Vitor Faverani 30 3-6 0-0 3-4 6 1 1 2 1 9 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Gorgui Dieng 19 5-7 0-0 1-2 7 1 0 1 0 11 Alessandro Gentile 18 3-5 1-2 0-0 1 1 1 0 0 7 Lorenzo Brown 17 0-2 0-0 0-0 1 5 2 0 1 0 Tony Snell 17 6-11 3-3 4-4 3 0 0 0 2 19 Royce White 9 0-2 0-0 1-2 4 0 0 0 0 1 Tony Mitchell -- DID NOT PLAY -- Michael Carter-Williams -- DID NOT PLAY --

[twhittle2308]

Challenge #1 - Team News: Significant depth added with 3 signings

TEAM NEWS

Houston add significant depth to roster with 3 signings

New Rockets signings Nemanja Nedovic (left), Erik Murphy (center) and Ognjen Kuzmic (right)

Just days after snapping the Toronto Raptors' 7 game winning streak in what was called the best performance of the season so far, the Houston Rockets have consolidated on the result by adding some much needed depth to their roster with the signings of 1 backcourt and 2 frontcourt players from free agency. PG Nemanja Nedovic, PF Erik Murphy and C Ognjen Kuzmic have all been signed to 1 year deals to further complement the continuing allrookie roster that Houston are putting on the floor this season.

Nedovic was drafted with the 30th pick of the 2013 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors but was not picked up by any team in the pre-season draft. Murphy was a 2nd Round selection in the same draft as the Chicago Bulls drafted him with the 49th pick. Kuzmic was the 52nd pick in the 2012 NBA Draft of the Golden State Warriors but was not signed to rookie terms until the start of the 2013-14 season before the pre-season draft.

These new signings mean that space needed to be made in the active roster to accommodate the new signings. As a result, PF Tony Mitchell was waived as part of the signings made. He made 1 appearance for the Rockets scoring 2 points and grabbing 1 rebound in a brief 1 minute stint.

********************

Houston Rockets Roster (Updated: Nov 16, 2013)
#	NAME	POS	AGE	HT	WT	SALARY
14	Giannis Antetokounmpo	SF	18	6'10"	205	$1,790,000
7	Lorenzo Brown	PG	23	6'5"	186	$1,550,000
1	Michael Carter-Williams	PG	22	6'6"	185	$2,200,000
17	Gorgui Dieng	C	23	6'11"	238	$1,350,000
38	Vitor Faverani	C	25	6'11"	260	$2,000,000
25	Alessandro Gentile	SG	21	6'5"	227	$1,890,000
2	Tim Hardaway Jr.	SG	21	6'6"	205	$1,200,000
53	Ognjen Kuzmic	C	23	7'0"	251	$1,250,000
31	Erik Murphy	PF	23	6'10"	230	$540,000
8	Nemanja Nedovic	PG	22	6'3"	192	$1,500,000
5	Victor Oladipo	SG	21	6'4"	215	$4,760,000
41	Kelly Olynyk	PF	22	7'0"	238	$1,990,000
20	Tony Snell	SF	22	6'7"	200	$1,410,000
35	Royce White	PF	22	6'8"	260	$1,720,000

[twhittle2308]

MyGM Update

My MyGM has been upgraded from Level 5 to Level 10. The following upgrades have been made:

• Ability to Change Ticket/Parking Prices
• Ability to Change Food Concession Prices
• Ability to Purchase Facilities
• Ability to Purchase Program Vendor Kiosks and Set/Change Prices
• Ability to Purchase Souvenir Kiosks and Set/Change Prices

[twhittle2308]

Re: twhittle2308's NBA2K Challenges

So how are people finding the challenge and the thread so far? I know it's been quite a mess trying to get a good format sorted and I'm not really all that far into it yet but I'm trying to get a good format with a lot of potential storylines to follow to make the challenge worth keeping posted with.

Any and all feedback would be awesome and keep following for more updates as I'm sure you already are!

[twhittle2308]

Challenge #1 - Key Game (MIN @ HOU)

KEY GAME - Preview

Minnesota Timberwolves (10-4) @ Houston Rockets (7-6)

Matchup Preview | November 23, 2013
	@
Minnesota Timberwolves (10-4, 4-2 Away)		Houston Rockets (7-6, 3-4 Home)
Projected Starters Tony Parker Point Guard Nemanja Nedovic Jarrett Jack Shooting Guard Victor Oladipo Rudy Gay Small Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo Patrick Patterson Power Forward Kelly Olynyk Jonas Valančiūnas Center Gorgui Dieng Injury Report Louis Williams Torn Meniscus (1-2 weeks) Michael Carter-Williams Concussion (Day-to-Day) Game Notes Last Season - Rockets won series 2-1 Last Game - MIN 100-108 HOU (March 15, 2013) Player to Watch - Tony Parker (MIN) Key Matchup - Center: Jonas Valančiūnas (MIN) vs Gorgui Dieng (HOU) Other Notes Minnesota #1 in West, 8-2 in last 10 games Houston snapped 3 game losing run against Dallas

[twhittle2308]

Challenge #1 - Key Game Review (MIN @ HOU)

KEY GAME - Review

MIN 94-85 HOU: Rockets struggles continue as they fall to Timberwolves

After an indifferent start to the season followed by a 5 game winning run, the struggles continue for the Houston Rockets as they lost their 4th game from their past 5 outings at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. This sudden poor run of form is starting to ask plenty of questions about the direction and potential of this Rockets team with some even calling for the head of coach Kevin McHale. They are, however, expecting the long-awaited return of star PG Michael Carter-Williams next game after recovering from a concussion suffered on opening night. If he can't help to resolve the problem, then changes will no doubt be made higher up the chain.

Rudy Gay was on fire for the Timberwolves tonight putting up 30 points as well as contributing with 8 rebounds and 6 assists; the Rockets were practically powerless against him as he powered Minnesota to their 4th straight win. Jonas Valančiūnas was once again a dominant presence in the paint scoring 10 points and grabbing 12 boards. For the Rockets, Nemanja Nedovic is quickly proving himself to be a capable replacement for Carter-Williams putting up consecutive starting lineup performances. Tonight he put up 17 points as well as scoring 8 dimes and grabbing 5 rebounds with 2 steals on defense. Kelly Olynyk was solid down low as he scored 14 points with 8 rebounds.

Rockets GM Tim Whittle was quick to express his disappointment at the current run of form by his team but stopped short of suggesting that wholesale changes will be made. He told reporters that "it is a shame that our run of form has not been so good over the past couple of games but it must be said once again that these guys are all rookies. None of them have any prior experience in the NBA, let alone playing with each other before this season so it is expected that they would be lacking in chemistry and awareness on the court. However, we have proven that we can produce the goods consistently so I'm not conceding that we can no longer compete and hopefully we can turn it around next game supported by Michael's return."

Minnesota continue on to Indiana to face off against Carmelo Anthony's Pacers as they hold a 1.5 game lead in the West over the Denver Nuggets. The Rockets, meanwhile, hit the road for a quick pit stop in Memphis as they will be wanting to turn around their form against the Southwest-leading Grizzlies.

Minnesota Timberwolves (11-4) at Houston Rockets (7-7)
Nov 23, 2013 1 2 3 4 Final Minnesota 26 17 26 25 94 Houston 25 17 20 23 85 Top Performers Minnesota Timberwolves Rudy Gay - 30 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST Jonas Valančiūnas - 10 PTS, 12 REB Houston Rockets Nemanja Nedovic - 17 PTS, 8 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL Kelly Olynyk - 14 PTS, 8 REB	Team Stats Comparison MIN HOU FG Made-Att 38-78 34-89 3PT Made-Att 4-17 9-34 FT Made-Att 14-16 8-11 Rebounds 53 37 Assists 27 17 Turnovers 16 9 Steals 4 10 Blocks 4 4
Minnesota Timberwolves STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Tony Parker 40 5-9 0-1 0-0 5 8 1 0 1 10 Jarrett Jack 36 6-10 0-2 0-0 1 3 0 1 1 12 Rudy Gay 38 12-22 2-3 4-4 8 6 1 0 4 30 Patrick Patterson 33 4-8 1-3 0-0 10 3 0 1 2 9 Jonas Valančiūnas 31 3-4 0-0 4-4 12 3 0 1 3 10 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Ersan Ilyasova 20 2-6 0-1 5-6 6 0 0 0 1 9 Ben McLemore 13 1-4 1-2 1-2 4 2 2 0 0 4 Carlos Delfino 11 1-2 0-0 0-0 4 2 0 1 0 2 Festus Ezeli 9 2-3 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 0 1 4 Ish Smith 9 1-7 0-3 0-0 1 0 0 0 2 2 Reggie Bullock 7 1-3 0-2 0-0 1 0 0 0 1 2 Louis Williams -- DID NOT PLAY --
Houston Rockets STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Nemanja Nedovic 36 6-19 2-11 3-3 5 8 2 1 0 17 Victor Oladipo 33 4-13 2-8 0-0 6 2 0 0 1 10 Giannis Antetokounmpo 37 3-8 1-3 0-0 3 1 4 1 1 7 Kelly Olynyk 33 7-13 0-0 0-0 8 0 0 0 3 14 Gorgui Dieng 33 4-6 0-0 3-6 3 0 1 0 1 11 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Tim Hardaway Jr. 26 3-10 1-5 0-0 0 3 1 1 1 7 Alessandro Gentile 18 4-12 3-5 0-0 2 1 0 0 1 11 Vitor Faverani 16 3-6 0-0 2-2 7 0 0 1 0 8 Lorenzo Brown 13 0-2 0-2 0-0 3 2 2 0 1 0 Royce White -- DID NOT PLAY -- Tony Snell -- DID NOT PLAY -- Erik Murphy -- DID NOT PLAY --

[twhittle2308]

Challenge #1 - Developing Story (Duncan's Quest for #5: Update 1)

DEVELOPING STORY

Tim Duncan announces retirement

At the beginning of the season, the San Antonio Spurs hoped that they would get a one-team career out of star forward Tim Duncan when they re-drafted him in the pre-season draft. As of today, only a trade before February's deadline would prevent that from happening as Duncan announced today that this season will be his last in the NBA.

Duncan was originally drafted with the #1 pick in the 1997 draft by San Antonio out of Wake Forest. He has gone on to enjoy an illustrious with current career averages of 20.1 PPG, 11.2 RPG and 2.2 BPG. All 5 of the Spurs' Finals appearances have come during the Duncan era with only last season's series against the Miami Heat failing to produce the goods.

With the pre-season draft occurring before this season, San Antonio once again have one of the strongest squads in the league and Duncan is putting up stellar numbers to support his quest for what will now be his final assault at a 5th NBA title. He currently averages 19.2 PPG, 12.7 RPG and 1.7 BPG as the Spurs have made their way to 7-6 for the season.

With retirement looming and the Spurs' incredible conversion of Finals appearances to Championships, will Duncan retire a 5-time NBA Champion or will his team falter in their quest to reach the heights of the great Spurs teams of past seasons?

[twhittle2308]

Monthly Wrap - October/November 2013 (Part 1: Results and Standings)

MONTHLY WRAP

October/November 2013 - Results and Standings

Houston Rockets Results - October/November 2013
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Oct 30	vs Charlotte Bobcats	L 108-85
Nov 1	vs Dallas Mavericks	L 114-108
Nov 2	at Utah Jazz	W 103-97
Nov 4	at Los Angeles Clippers	L 92-87
Nov 5	at Portland Trail Blazers	W 90-81
Nov 7	vs Los Angeles Lakers	W 97-88
Nov 9	vs Los Angeles Clippers	W 105-93
Nov 11	vs Toronto Raptors	W 111-102
Nov 13	at Philadelphia 76ers	W 96-83
Nov 14	at New York Knicks	L 92-88
Nov 16	vs Denver Nuggets	L 96-89
Nov 19	vs Boston Celtics	L 106-88
Nov 20	at Dallas Mavericks	W 93-88
Nov 23	vs Minnesota Timberwolves	L 94-85
Nov 25	at Memphis Grizzlies	L 101-91
Nov 27	vs Atlanta Hawks	W 101-100
Nov 29	vs Brooklyn Nets	L 98-95
Nov 30	at San Antonio Spurs	W 94-85

********************

NBA Standings - Updated: Dec 1, 2013
EASTERN CONFERENCE	W	L	GB		WESTERN CONFERENCE	W	L	GB
Toronto Raptors *	13	2	--	|1|	Minnesota Timberwolves *	12	6	--
Chicago Bulls *	12	3	1.0	|2|	Denver Nuggets	10	5	0.5
Detroit Pistons	11	5	2.5	|3|	Phoenix Suns *	9	8	2.5
Charlotte Bobcats *	11	6	3.0	|4|	Dallas Mavericks *	9	9	3.0
Washington Wizards	9	8	5.0	|5|	Los Angeles Lakers	9	8	2.5
Cleveland Cavaliers	9	8	5.0	|6|	Memphis Grizzlies	8	8	3.0
Brooklyn Nets	9	8	5.0	|7|	Sacramento Kings	7	7	3.0
Milwaukee Bucks	8	8	5.5	|8|	Oklahoma City Thunder	7	7	3.0
Boston Celtics	9	10	6.0	|9|	Houston Rockets	9	9	3.0
Philadelphia 76ers	8	9	6.0	|10|	San Antonio Spurs	8	9	3.5
New York Knicks	7	8	6.0	|11|	Los Angeles Clippers	7	10	4.5
Atlanta Hawks	7	11	7.5	|12|	Utah Jazz	7	11	5.0
Indiana Pacers	6	10	7.5	|13|	Portland Trail Blazers	6	10	5.0
Orlando Magic	6	10	7.5	|14|	Golden State Warriors	6	11	5.5
Miami Heat	5	11	8.5	|15|	New Orleans Pelicans	3	12	7.5

[twhittle2308]

Monthly Wrap - October/November 2013 (Part 2: League Leaders)

MONTHLY WRAP

October/November 2013 - League Leaders

NBA League Leaders - Updated: Dec 1, 2013
Scoring		PPG	Rebounds		RPG
	1. Stephen Curry	33.8		1. Andre Drummond	12,4
	2. James Harden	28.2		2. LaMarcus Aldridge	12.2
	3. LeBron James	27.9		3. Tim Duncan	11.9
	4. Al Jefferson	27.0		4. Al Jefferson	11.3
	5. Paul George	25.7		5. Jonas Valančiūnas	10.9
Assists		APG	Steals		SPG
	1. Jose Calderon	10.0		1. Victor Oladipo (R)	2.4
	2. Rajon Rondo	9.4		2. Chris Paul	2.3
	3. Deron Williams	8.9		3. Rajon Rondo	2.3
	4. Stephen Curry	8.6		4. Anthony Davis	2.1
	5. Isaiah Thomas	8.3		5. Jrue Holiday	2.1
Blocks		BPG	Field Goal Percentage		FG%
	1. Andre Drummond	2.4		1. Norris Cole	.663
	2. Andrew Bogut	2.4		2. JaVale McGee	.642
	3. Anthony Davis	2.3		3. Kenneth Faried	.582
	4. Al Horford	2.1		4. Andre Drummond	.570
	5. Marc Gasol	2.0		5. Dwight Howard	.560
3-Point Percentage		3PT%	Free Throw Percentage		FT%
	1. Chris Bosh	.592		1. Ryan Anderson	1.000
	2. Donetas Motiejunas	.563		2. Kevin Durant	.959
	3. Tony Snell (R)	.553		3. J.J. Redick	.946
	4. Shane Battier	.549		4. Kevin Martin	.942
	5. Kevin Love	.544		5. Trey Burke (R)	.938

Qualification Criteria:

• P, R, A, S, B - At least 70% of team games played
• FG% - On pace for 300 FGM
• 3PT% - On pace for 82 3PTM
• FT% - On pace for 125 FTM

[twhittle2308]

Challenge #1 - Monthly Wrap: October/November 2013 (Part 3 - Awards)

MONTHLY WRAP

October/November 2013 - Awards

Players of the Week
Week 1: Stephen Curry (CLE) and LaMarcus Aldridge (LAC)
Week 2: LeBron James (MIL) and Paul George (SAC)
Week 3: Stephen Curry (CLE) and Al Jefferson (GSW)
Week 4: Kevin Durant (PHI) and Patrick Beverley (UTA)
Week 5: Stephen Curry (CLE) and James Harden (PHX)


********************


Players of the Month

Stephen Curry (CLE) and Al Jefferson (GSW)


********************

Rookies of the Month

Trey Burke (TOR) and Victor Oladipo (HOU)

[twhittle2308]

Re: twhittle2308's NBA2K Challenges

I must apologise for the slow speed in which these updates are coming. Partially because I'm flat out at uni and work right now and partially because I'm having every game play so that I can earn the VC required to eventually upgrade my GM and get the subsequent PS4 trophy. Hope you guys are all understanding of that, when the VC is all ready to go, updates should come more often as I choose to sim games more than play them.

As always, feedback is always appreciated and if any alternate information is wanted, do let me know!

Coming up soon should be an update to the story I am following relating to the race for Rookie of the Year.

[twhittle2308]

Challenge #1 - Developing Story (Rookie of the Year: Update 1)

DEVELOPING STORY

Oladipo, Burke early frontrunners for ROTY

2 Rookies of the Month, 2 early frontrunners for Rookie of the Year. Victor Oladipo and Trey Burke have assumed early control in the race for Rookie of the Year as expected after they were named the November Rookies of the Month for the West and East respectively. Both play pivotal roles for their teams: Oladipo being the star of the rookie Houston Rockets squad and Burke running the point for the Toronto Raptors. Both have had exceptional starts to the season by putting up very solid numbers across the board.

By stats alone, Oladipo would be the clear early favourite for ROTY after his display during the first month of the season. In 18 games thus far, he has put up 16.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 7.2 APG and 2.4 SPG. This ranks him 1st amongst rookies in scoring, assists and steals (the latter of which he is also #1 in the NBA) and 7th in rebounding.

Burke has by far been the best rookie from the East with most of the top performers coming from the Rockets. The Raptors point guard has played 15 games with 16.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 5.9 APG shooting 93.8% from the line. This ranks him 1st from the line, 2nd in scoring, 3rd in assists and 15th in rebounding.

Despite the fact that there can only be two Rookies of the Month each month, this Rookie of the Year race is far from a two-horse race even with the early domination of Oladipo. Recent showings from teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Michael Carter-Williams have certainly put their names into the early conversation.

Antetokounmpo has had a brilliant all-round month and has firmly positioned himself on almost every rookie leaderboard. He is currently 1st in rebounding, 2nd in blocks, 3rd in scoring and steals and 4th from both the field and the line. Carter-Williams, on the other hand, has erupted in good form since returning from a concussion suffered on opening night. In the 4 games since his return, he averages 24.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.3 SPG and 1.3 BPG.

If they can keep up their form, both will be in the running for next month's award. But can they continue their run and challenge for Rookie of the Year honours?

********************

NBA Rookie Leaders - Updated: Dec 1, 2013
Scoring		PPG	Rebounds		RPG
	1. Victor Oladipo	16.9		1. Giannis Antetokounmpo	6.7
	2. Trey Burke	16.4		2. Kelly Olynyk	6.6
	3. Giannis Antetokounmpo	12.0		3. Cody Zeller	6.4
	4. Vitor Faverani	10.7		4. Vitor Faverani	6.4
	5. Kelly Olynyk	10.4		5. Carrick Felix	6.1
Assists		APG	Steals		SPG
	1. Victor Oladipo	7.2		1. Victor Oladipo	2.4
	2. Nick Calathes	6.0		2. Nick Calathes	1.9
	3. Trey Burke	5.9		3. Giannis Antetokounmpo	1.3
	4. Lorenzo Brown	4.1		4. Vitor Faverani	1.0
	5. Nemanja Nedovic	3.4		5. Kelly Olynyk	1.0
Blocks		BPG	Field Goal Percentage		FG%
	1. Cody Zeller	1.3		1. Gorgui Dieng	.585
	2. Giannis Antetokounmpo	1.1		2. Tony Snell	.507
	3. Kelly Olynyk	0.8		3. Vitor Faverani	.490
	4. Carrick Felix	0.5		4. Giannis Antetokounmpo	.489
	5. Vitor Faverani	0.5		5. Kelly Olynyk	.462
3-Point Percentage		3PT%	Free Throw Percentage		FT%
	1. Dionte Christmas	.600		1. Trey Burke	.938
	2. Luigi Datome	.563		2. Tim Hardaway Jr.	.938
	3. Tony Snell	.553		3. Gal Mekel	.938
	4. Shane Larkin	.500		4. Giannis Antetokounmpo	.880
	5. Dennis Schroder	.500		5. Cody Zeller	.875

Qualification Criteria:

• P - On pace for 35 games/700 points
• R - On pace for 35 games/400 rebounds
• A - On pace for 35 games/200 assists
• S - On pace for 35 games/63 steals
• B - On pace for 35 games/50 blocks
• FG% - On pace for 150 FGM
• 3PT% - On pace for 27 3PTM
• FT% - On pace for 63 FTM

[twhittle2308]

Challenge #1 - Key Game (PHX @ HOU)

KEY GAME - Preview

Phoenix Suns (10-8) @ Houston Rockets (10-9)

Matchup Preview | December 4, 2013
	@
Phoenix Suns (10-8, 4-6 Away)		Houston Rockets (10-9, 4-6 Home)
Projected Starters Mario Chalmers Point Guard Michael Carter-Williams James Harden Shooting Guard Victor Oladipo Andre Iguodala Small Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo Channing Frye Power Forward Kelly Olynyk Marc Gasol Center Gorgui Dieng Injury Report Nenê Torn Ligament Elbow (2-4 weeks) Game Notes Last Season - Series tied 2-2 Last Game - HOU 112-119 PHX (April 15, 2013) Player to Watch - James Harden (PHX) Key Matchup - Small Forward: Andre Iguodala (PHX) vs Giannis Antetokounmpo (HOU) Other Notes Phoenix's James Harden makes first return to Houston Houston 3-2 since Michael Carter-Williams' return

[twhittle2308]

Challenge #1 - Key Game Review (PHX @ HOU)

KEY GAME - Review

PHX 89-96 HOU: Rockets spoil Harden's return to Houston

This game was always billed to be a big game when it approached both teams in their schedules. James Harden was making his return to Houston as a member of the Phoenix Suns. The Houston Rockets were seeking to continue a good run of games since the return of Michael Carter-Williams from a concussion. Both teams were sitting in very healthy positions in the Western Conference standings. But there could only be one winner and tonight, the Rockets prevailed in front of their home faithful. It was a win but it was by no means easy with the game in the balance right up until the dying seconds of the 4th quarter.

Carter-Williams was the top performer for the winning Rockets tonight as he put a respectable effort on the court to help his team to victory. He scored 17 points as well as making an impact on defense with 7 rebounds and 3 steals. He was supported by a good all-round effort from Giannis Antetokounmpo who put up 13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. Harden definitely made the most of his return to Houston as he piled on 27 points with 6 rebounds to go with it. His wingman Andre Iguodala also contributed healthily with 17 points and 9 rebounds.

Rockets GM Tim Whittle had very few words to say and were very much along the lines of 'the results explain themselves.' "I think tonight was a clear indication of what we can do as a team; we may not have put as many on the board as we would have wanted to, but we got the win and we suppressed a stronger opponent with the result. We expected Harden to have a big game tonight which he did but thankfully our team had the will to respond to his big night and it got us what we wanted."

Phoenix head back home after tonight's game with a record of 10-9 for the season. They face off against the Toronto Raptors with the goal to prevent their record being neutralised. Tonight's win marks 3 straight for the Rockets and 11-9 for the season. They will entertain the Golden State Warriors in their next fixture.

Phoenix Suns (10-9) at Houston Rockets (11-9)
Dec 4, 2013 1 2 3 4 Final Phoenix 21 19 20 29 89 Houston 20 25 18 33 96 Top Performers Phoenix Suns James Harden - 27 PTS, 6 REB Andre Iguodala - 17 PTS, 9 REB Houston Rockets Michael Carter-Williams - 17 PTS, 7 REB, 3 STL Giannis Antetokounmpo - 13 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL	Team Stats Comparison PHO HOU FG Made-Att 36-85 34-81 3PT Made-Att 9-25 9-30 FT Made-Att 8-14 19-28 Rebounds 48 52 Assists 15 23 Turnovers 15 14 Steals 7 9 Blocks 2 3
Phoenix Suns STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Mario Chalmers 32 2-4 0-0 1-1 2 4 3 1 3 5 James Harden 34 11-23 3-10 2-2 6 2 0 0 1 27 Andre Iguodala 40 7-14 3-5 0-1 9 3 1 0 2 17 Channing Frye 32 1-4 0-1 0-0 5 1 2 0 2 2 Marc Gasol 32 4-14 0-0 2-4 8 0 1 0 3 10 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Steve Nash 17 4-7 2-4 0-0 10 1 1 0 0 0 JaVale McGee 15 1-4 0-0 0-0 7 2 0 0 0 2 Kent Bazemore 13 3-6 0-1 1-2 1 0 0 0 4 7 Jae Crowder 13 2-6 1-4 0-0 4 0 0 0 0 5 Pero Antic 10 0-2 0-0 0-0 5 0 0 0 0 0 Darius Morris 8 1-1 0-0 2-4 0 2 0 1 0 4 Nenê -- DID NOT PLAY --
Houston Rockets STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Michael Carter-Williams 34 3-10 2-7 9-10 7 2 3 1 4 17 Victor Oladipo 34 1-8 1-5 4-8 5 7 1 1 2 7 Giannis Antetokounmpo 36 5-10 1-3 2-2 6 5 2 0 4 13 Kelly Olynyk 34 5-14 0-0 0-0 9 0 0 0 2 10 Gorgui Dieng 24 6-7 0-0 4-6 8 1 1 0 0 16 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Vitor Faverani 25 7-10 0-0 0-0 8 0 0 1 2 14 Tim Hardaway Jr. 22 3-10 1-5 0-0 4 3 1 0 0 7 Nemanja Nedovic 20 4-12 4-10 0-0 3 2 0 0 0 12 Royce White 15 0-0 0-0 0-2 2 3 1 0 0 0 Alessandro Gentile 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ognjen Kuzmic 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lorenzo Brown -- DID NOT PLAY --