Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



It was a Lance Stephenson type of night. After winning Game 2 resoundingly (101-89) at the PAC, the Sonics went to Phoenix to face the Suns on their homecourt. There was no fear from Seattle, none at all.

In the first, Seattle came out and established their guards -- particularly Stephenson and Westbrook -- before letting the bench unit get in there. The Sonics super-subs of Gortat and Newman showed up big in the first quarter, closing out the first frame on an 8-0 run and taking a 34-20 lead into the second.

But the Suns weren't even close to done. Tobias Harris came in and hit big shot after big shot to keep the Suns hopes alive, burying the Sonics on his matchup. It didn't matter who was on Harris -- Hartenstein, Gortat, Noel -- Harris was faster, craftier, and absolutely ready to jack up a triple in the face of whatever green jersey came flying at him. Despite Harris' play, the Sonics matched his offense with their own and, behind the superb scoring of Gortat (taking advantage, once more, of Alex Len), the Sonics went into halftime up 65-53.

The third quarter saw no letup from the Sonics. Lance Stephenson rolled out of halftime feeling it and the Sonics fed him, time and time again. Stephenson stepped into jumpers, got tough layups and dunks, played crushing defense on Devon Booker (who finished with 20 points, but only 5 in the second half), and was the fire in the Sonics belly as Seattle roared ahead.

Entering the fourth, the game looked wrapped up as the Sonics led 94-77, but the Suns had one last burst in them. As has often been the case this series, Eric Blesdoe came alive in the fourth and started driving and dishing. But the Sonics were happy to let him work as they locked down the perimeter, forcing Bledsoe (who finished with 16 points, 13 assists) and TJ Warren (14 points), to take it inside.

And when they did, Nerlens Noel and Marcin Gortat (3 and 4 blocks, respectively) sent it back hard. The Sonics kept the Suns at bay and they now take a 2-1 lead in the series as the Suns have to regroup.







Around the NBA

Cleveland has taken a 2-0 series lead out East, as LeBron James (37 points) and Kyrie Irving (23 points), creamed the Bulls 115-101. No matter what Chicago did (and despite a 28 point 10 rebound night from Jimmy Butler), there was no way to slow down the Cavs and they now smell blood in the water as they head to Chicago to try to ice the series.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I bumped up the CPU's defensive sliders by 10 above the default for the Conference Finals and though the results seemed to be good in Game 1 (where I lost -- in OT), the results in Game 3 here leave me wondering. I'm going to leave them this way until the Finals and evaluate till then, but the Suns aren't exactly a great defensive squad so they're probably not the best measure of the adjustment.

Still, if I win a third straight title, I'll have no choice but to up the difficult to HOF (with default or adjusted sliders) or to further give the CPU an advantage on Superstar sliders (all sliders up 10-15 points?).

Really, really hate HOF. It's feels so cheap to me, but no NBA team in the modern era has every won four titles in row (I firmly believe Jordan could have done it had he not retired the first or second time -- those Bulls were loaded with talent that maximized his gifts). I can't go for a four-peat, can I? That feels like a sacred thing that shouldn't be touched.

Anyways, I'll drop a poll at the end of my playoff run to determine what settings to roll with going forward. As always, thanks for the follow and the faith folks.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return


Seattle escaped Phoenix in Game 4 with a close win and came into Game 5 looking to end the series on their homefloor and they did just that. The game started with the Sonics getting Nerlens Noel involved, feeding the big man inside against the injured Tyson Chandler, who suffered a strained back after Game 4 but opted to play anyway.

That decision didn't look the best in the first quarter as Noel rolled inside early, slamming the ball over Chandler and displaying the vigor of youth as Chandler was slow to get up and protect the rim. Seattle took a 32-26 lead going into the second, but that lead didn't hold as the Suns rode Tobias Harris for big minutes, using the mismatch of him against any of the Sonics bigs to secure a big second quarter.

Seattle gave up the lead and went into halftime down 61-58. The locker room at halftime was a heated place according to Lance Stephenson.

Coach lit into us like he was *ucking playing the game, man. He really got in our faces and challenged us to get out there and show the world why we're the SuperSonics and not the *hittySonics. He wasn't joking around.

Hollins was spitting fire at halftime and in the third the Sonics took that fire and threw it at the Suns. The Sonics poured in 45 points to the Suns measly 24 in the third, crushing Phoenix beneath outstanding play from Russell Westbrook and Malik Newman, the two guards finding one another on the break and in the halfcourt offense, sending the Suns scrambling to double-team any time one of them got the ball.

Harris cooled off in the third and the Suns were down big going into the fourth. But Eric Bledsoe wasn't ready to give in yet. Bledsoe and Westbrook engaged in a one-on-one duel in the final frame, taking a "anything you can do, I can do better" mentality with one another and the dueling guards produced some pretty highlights, but Bledose's helped his team close the gap a bit.

Westbrook's helped his team put the nail in the coffin on the Suns and the Sonics won the series behind his fantastic play and night. Seattle now faces the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals, a rematch of the 2016 series that saw Seattle win in five games over the favorite Cavs.

[wonzer21]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

I can smell the championship

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

I can smell the championship

Got to get through Cleveland, first, my friend. LeBron is out for vengeance this time around.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals is in the books and, ladies and gents, we're in for a classic series. LeBron and Kyrie (two of the most unique first names in the NBA), were absolutely on their "A" game this time around and you better believe both teams are aware of the history these Finals might make. The winner of this series will either become the first three-peat champion since the Shaq/Kobe Lakers or bring a title to Cleveland, something that hasn't been done in over half-a-century.

With the eyes of the world watching, the players didn't disappoint. Cleveland came out scorching hot, going up 14-3 in the early part of the first quarter, silencing the PAC and sending betters scrambling to double-down on the Cavs for the series. But Lionel Hollins let his team play through it, refusing to call a timeout, and made an early substitution of Marcin Gortat. The Polish Hammer came in and immediately had the offense begin to roll through him, the Sonics going on an 8-2 run, cutting the Cavs lead to 16-11.

From there, the Sonics began to find their rhythm. Westbrook, in only his second Finals (and first with the Sonics), shook off the nerves and began to take on Irving. He and Kyrie dueled all game for the title of "Best Point Guard" and you'd be hard pressed to choose one, as both finished with a lot of points (in vastly different ways), but only one had double-digit assists -- Westbrook.

The end of the first saw Seattle up 35-27. But in the second the Cavaliers rode their bench (particularly Josh Smith, who finished with 13 points and 7 boards) and King James (28 points, 9 boards, 7 dimes for LeBron) to close the gap at halftime. Seattle only led 59-57, but the momentum was theirs as Westbrook hit a near-halfcourt three to give the Sonics the lead.

In the third, the Cavaliers fed Kyrie Irving while the Sonics gave Westbrook a rest. Irving feasted on Jeremy Lin, so the Sonics switched Newman onto him. That switch slowed Kyrie down a little, but not much as the star guard for the Cavs was stroking it from deep and had no qualms with jacking it up (he went 4-6 for the day). The third ended with Seattle clinging to just a two-point lead as the Sonics entered the fourth up 80-78.

In the final frame, the fireworks really started. Westbrook and Irving took it to one another repeatedly, over and over, and the game became a duel between them; while Westbrook sucked in the attention of the Cavs defense, he dished to the open man. Irving tended to take the shot himself and though that's worked all year for the Cavs, you see the different mindsets in the two players.

Westbrook's passing got Lance and Markieff rolling, and the difference in the depth of the teams showed itself later in the fourth. Irving and LeBron looked a bit more tired than Westbrook and the rest of the starters and the Cavs lost the game, though they could have just as easily won it.

Seattle leads the series 1-0.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



Game 2 ended in an overtime loss for Seattle, a tough pill to swallow considering Seattle had the lead heading into the fourth. But a poor quarter (scoring only 19 points) doomed Seattle as Cleveland tied the series up thanks to an outstanding 42 point night from Kyrie Irving (Westbrook had a triple-double of 28 points, 10 boards, 14 dimes). Momentum on the Cavs side, you had to expect a dog fight as the Cavs took to their homefloor. This game had everything you could have imagined -- including another overtime.

Round three of this series opened up with Cleveland and the Sonics playing -- dare I say it -- defense. Both teams came up with steals and blocks in the first and second quarters to slow down the scoring and it looked like Cleveland had Seattle where they wanted them, playing a slow, grind it out defensive game.

Despite a 48-46 lead heading into halftime, you couldn't say Seattle was winning -- only that they were winning for now. The Sonics came out in the third quarter determined to get the pace of the game back up and, predictably, they decided the best way to do that was to feed Russell Westbrook. And Westbrook put on a performance for the ages.

The second half of the game became another duel between Irving and Westbrook. The Sonics took a lead into the fourth and it looked like the Cavs were going to fall then and there as Irving looked gassed towards the end. But Iman Shumpert, he of little offensive highlights, hit two back-breaking triples in the final 20 seconds to send the game into overtime.

In OT, the Sonics lost the tip and the Cavs got up early, but the Sonics didn't panic; they let their MVP and All-Star carry them to the finish line with his scoring as Lance Stephenson provided a fantastic amount of passing (12 assists, many in the overtime period). In the end, despite Irving's 40 points, six assist night (on 17-29 shooting), the Cavs lost because Westbrook put on a Finals performance for the ages, scoring 51 points and dishing 11 assists on 22-29 shooting.

Seattle leads the series 2-1.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return


Game 4 in Cleveland was a bad loss for Seattle, as the Cavs stifled their offense and allowed the Sonics to only score 14 points in the first quarter and 18 points in the fourth quarter. In this game, Seattle was back at home and needed to make a statement. With Westbrook getting slightly outplayed by Irving in Game 4, Sonics players and fans alike were looking to him to make that statement.

Russell Westbrook didn't disappoint.

Early, things looked bad for Seattle. An early Cleveland lead ballooned into a massive one as the Cavaliers took a 38-25 lead into the second quarter, establishing LeBron and Kyrie early, leaving the Sonics grasping for straws as they tried to slow either of them down. There wasn't much success as the score indicates.

The second quarter saw a reversal of fortune as the Sonics second-unit, led by Malik Newman (who had a huge game off the bench with 17 points, 10 dimes and going 3-7 from deep -- the majority of his scoring taking place in the second) cut the lead to single digits. Then Westbrook came back in and the two guard tandem orchestrated the offense beautifully. Down only 65-60 at the half, the tide seemed to be turning.

The third quarter saw both teams lock in and the Cavs lead vanished, both squads trading the lead back and forth seven times in the quarter alone. No separation could be had as neither squad could find any consistent scoring from their benches. Entering the fourth, the game was all knotted up 95-95.

Offense was the course of the day and the offenses of both teams were humming and hot in the final frame. LeBron and Irving dueled against Westbrook, Morris, and Newman as the fourth saw both teams throw everything at one another. Tough jumpers, hard fouls, and devastating dunks characterized one of the tensest and most exciting quarters of basketball I've ever seen.

It came down to the final seconds, as this series often has, and the Sonics chose then to play its best defense -- Nerlens Noel coming up with a huge block to send the ball into the hands of Cole Aldrich, who clanked a jumper off the rim as time expired.

Seattle is up 3-2 in the series, with a chance to close it out in Cleveland for the second time in three years.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return


Leading 3-2, the championship in sight, the Sonics had their best game of the Finals. Balanced scoring, solid defense, and big plays characterized a game that saw the Cavs valiantly try to prolong the series.

In the first, the Sonics came out and established themselves with offense, giving it to anyone: whether your name was Westbrook, Morris, Stephenson, or whatever, the ball was going to the open man and the shot was going to be taken. The ball movement and tight defense helped Seattle secure a 27-20 lead at the end of the quarter.

But the Cavaliers weren't about to fold so early. Led by LeBron (34 points on 15-33 shooting, 3-5 from deep), the Cavaliers ran their offense through the once (and future?) savior of the franchise. Cleveland closed the gap, took a lead, and the Sonics just barely managed to hang on and tie it all up, 53 all at the half.

In the third quarter, the Sonics began to pull away again, this time seeing Malik Newman (17 points, 7 assists) and Markieff Morris (19 points, 10 boards), come up with some nice plays, the two players finding a chemistry that hasn't been displayed much during the season. With the defense worried about the contributions of anyone on the floor, Cleveland was unable to shut down the lane (but they did allow Seattle to shoot an abysmal 3-14 from deep). The Sonics went into fourth up 83-76.

In the final quarter, with their season on the line, the Cavs let LeBron and Kyrie try to win the game -- and the two nearly did! Kyrie, quiet at that point, came out firing in the fourth, scoring 25 points by the end of the game (with 5 boards and 8 assists) and the Cavs fought back, clawed to get closer. Every time they did, the Sonics answered (usually with Markieff Morris, who was full of answers this game), and Cleveland was kicked away.

The end was a familiar sight for Cleveland: another team celebrating a championship at the Q. For the third time in four years, the Cavaliers made the Finals and lost the title on their homefloor.



"I don't have words," said a clearly emotional Westbrook, who was the happiest I've ever seen him after the game.

Seattle has now etched itself into the history books, becoming only the fourth team in NBA history to three-peat, the first to do it since the Lakers over 15 years ago, and the only one to do it with three different starting point guards in each of the title runs.



Russell Westbrook was named Finals MVP for his play and the Seattle SuperSonics are -- one more time -- your NBA champs.

Go Sonics.

[JazzMan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Another title for Seattle? Dynasty. Russell had himself quite the series it looks like.

[wonzer21]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Two word: Russel Westbrook

[BookWork123]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

One thing you could do to make it more difficult in the playoffs is sim to the first elimination game and play from there. I don't know if you already do that or not. Also, nice win!


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[BlindSideNZ]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Congrats on the three peat a huge achievement! I'm curious to see what happens next. Because there is most definitely a target on seattles back!

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

One thing you could do to make it more difficult in the playoffs is sim to the first elimination game and play from there. I don't know if you already do that or not. Also, nice win!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I sim the even numbered playoff games and play the odd ones. I have yet to have anyone put me in a spot for elimination ... though the Cavs were close. Man, a few shots go a different way and Cleveland has their first title. It was a really, really close series and the scores and play scream it.

Thanks to everyone else for the congratulations. I've won three-straight and feel like I got really challenged this time around. But what do you guys think? Do I need to ...

A. Bump up the difficulty to HOF from here on.

B. Further tweak the SuperStar sliders up for the CPU (as I did during the playoff run from the conference Finals onward).

C. Bump the difficulty to HOF and tweak them so the CPU's advantage isn't so pronounced.

D. Leave everything as is.

E. Other (whatever suggestion you got)


I really liked the way the Finals played out here, felt very close to life. I think the highlights speak to that, but the idea of getting a four-peat isn't appealing to me at all -- it's not done in the modern game. Only the Celtics did it (with an insane streak of titles between 1959-1966) and they had freakin' Bill Russell.

Let me know what think. I don't want this to get stale (it wasn't for me this playoff run -- there was some serious pulse-pounding moments there), but I don't want to seem like I'm dominating the league for domination's sake.

[JazzMan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Perhaps something happens to Max, causing him to miss this upcoming season and you must sim the year.

It's a huge step, but it would guarantee to shake things up.