From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

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  • trekfan
    Designated Red Shirt
    • Sep 2009
    • 5817

    #196
    Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

    Rapid Reaction: Suns 136, Hornets 96
    By Sam Gray




    The Suns are now 48-16 as the team throttled the Horents (now 31-35), as star forward Omar Pope absolutely demolished the 2019 1st overall pick, Ted Reeves. This was the first matchup all season between the last two 1st overall picks in the NBA and Reeves had done a bit of trash talking leading up the game, claiming his playstyle was “more beneficial to teammates” than someone like Pope.


    I can pass it, I can sling it to my guys, and that’s a key factor in being a great player … some guys don’t have that, some guys just look to score, like Pope in Phoenix,” said Reeves.


    Pope caught wind of that and had no response to the comments verbally, but absolutely showed up the rookie Reeves in embarrassing fashion. Pope frequently matched up on Reeves and flustered the young player, dunking, driving, shooting, and generally playing with Reeves like a cat plays with a mouse. The game broke wide open in the third as Pope came out and dropped an anvil on Charlotte’s hopes, hijacking the game on both offense and defense.


    He was locked in like I’ve only seen a few guys get,” said Coach Kidd. “I thought for a second I was matching McGrady or Kobe out there.”



    Any comments are welcome.
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    • trekfan
      Designated Red Shirt
      • Sep 2009
      • 5817

      #197
      Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

      League Update: Regular Season Finale
      By Sam Gray


      Award Winners:




      Standings:


      Injuries:


      The Non-Playoff Teams:


      The final day brought drama out East for the second year in a row as the Celtics, missing Irving for the last month with a broken toe, needed to win to get into the playoffs — if they lost, the Hawks would sneak into the the final seed with a win of their own. Atlanta had the table set for them and won, but Detroit couldn’t come through with the upset win over the battered Celtics; despite leading 62-54 at the half, the Pistons fell off a cliff in the second and Boston won, sneaking in as an 8th seed and desperately hoping they can survive long enough to get Irving back. Going against the Raptors is a blessing, but how long they’re able to hang on is anyone’s guess.


      Out West, the Spurs pulled it off — in what many speculate is Pop’s final season on the sideline, the Spurs trade for Reggie Jackson at the deadline worked and San Antonio got the final seed. Missing the cut were the Clippers and Pelicans, two teams that traded with each other prior to the deadline to help improve their chances at the postseason — NOLA nearly snuck in there behind the possessed play of Anthony Davis, but missed the cut by just a game.


      Further down the standings in the West are the woeful Nuggets, who fired Mike Malone at the conclusion of the regular season in a not surprising move. Malone was living on borrowed time and despite the love of his players, he simply couldn’t keep up in the West. Another coach given the pink slip was Steve Clifford of the Magic, who has overseen Orlando to the worst record in the NBA in a weak draft.




      The Playoff Teams:


      The West’s bracket is stacked at every seed and the conference is relatively healthy when compared against the East; the Spurs and Suns renew their rivalry, sitting dormant since the Nash/Duncan days, and the LeBron-led Lakers face off against the Warriors in a round one matchup the NBA is drooling over.


      In the East, the Bucks face off against the Knicks as New York hopes to have Kemba Walker back (he who has missed the last eight weeks with an injury) and Cavs face off against their nemesis, the 76ers — Cleveland can’t seem to get away from Philly and for the third year in a row they’ll have to solve the 76ers in order to move onto the next round.


      The Rockets have somehow hung on without Harden and have a very winnable matchup against the Jazz, a team that has succeeded without Gordon Hayward and has had difficulty folding him back into the mix over the last month. Utah will pray that Donovan Mitchell and Hayward can take advantage of their matchups, but going against a veteran squad like the Rockets will be difficult.


      The defending champ Thunder face off against the Mavericks, who themselves fell down the standings thanks to a sprained ankle for DeAndre Jordan. Jordan’s defense is key as the Mavericks need him to hold down the paint in order to have a shot at upsetting the Thunder.


      Suns’ News:


      The Suns are back in the postseason as a first seed, the first time they’ve done that since the 2004-05 season. More than that, everyone on the team is contributing and biggest contributor (outside of Pope and Griffin) is Malcolm Brogdon, who put up 17.2 PPG, 7.1 APG, and became the founding member of the 50/50/90 club — something never done before in NBA history, Brogdon shot 51% from the field, 50% from deep, and 97% from the line.


      It’s truly an honor to have my name in the record books like that,” said Brogdon. “I join a lot of great players and I hope I’m remembered that way when my career is over.”


      (Random number generator has assigned me Games 2 and 5. Let’s see what the Spurs do.)
      Any comments are welcome.
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      • trekfan
        Designated Red Shirt
        • Sep 2009
        • 5817

        #198
        Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

        Rapid Reaction: Suns 130, Spurs 107
        By Sam Gray







        The Suns recovered from a heartbreaking game 1 loss (ending on a last-second buzzer-beater from Reggie Jackson) and answered the bell with a dominant performance, showing the NBA — and the Spurs — just how good they can be. Omar Pope led all scorers with 37 points, 22 at the half, as he controlled the game from start to finish. Pope got a huge helping hand from Griffin, Hezonja, and Hammons, as the Suns put the Spurs into a blender.



        We didn’t make shots,” said Pop after the game. “You don’t make shots, you lose. The end.”









        Around the League:



        The Boston Celtics are down 2-0 and Irving still doesn’t look ready to come back. “He’s not healing as fast as the doctors would like,” said one source. “He’s frustrated, the team is down, and I wouldn’t bet any amount of money on them to make it out of the first round.”



        The Knicks are tied 1-1 with the Bucks after a surprising game 2 win, the Cavs are tied 1-1 with the 76ers, the Warriors are down 2-0 against the Lakers (LeBron is feasting on Golden State without Durant), and the Rockets are down 2-0 against the Jazz. Dallas has lost Dennis Smith for their series against the Thunder with a sprained knee and are down 1-0, while the Heat and Wizards are tied 1-1 out East.

        Any comments are welcome.
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        • RMJH4
          Retro NBA Nut
          • Jul 2008
          • 1611

          #199
          Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

          Sheesh man, you have been ripping through this season! Excellent record to win the West. Once I heard Harden was down again, I knew you had it on lock. Some crazy big margins of victory over teams like 76ers, Celtics and Hornets. You're looking like a new version of the Warriors with your big 4 of Pope, Griffin, Brogdon, Hezonja and maybe now 5 with Hammons!!

          Really exciting to see Pope make the All Star game and 3rd Team All NBA, but where is the love for Blake 2k?!

          At least Coach Kidd won Coach of the Year, what a come back for him too. Even if it wasn't picked by record he certainly had to win it.

          Great start to the playoffs, I thought the Spurs might take one when I saw the matchups, but after game one, I think we could bring out the brushes...

          Christmas might come way too early for NBA fans with the Warriors - Lakers series in the first round, followed by a meeting with the Suns... wow, great job so far this year!
          Nowhere to Hide - Mike Hobbs Story.

          Comment

          • trekfan
            Designated Red Shirt
            • Sep 2009
            • 5817

            #200
            Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

            Originally posted by seaboh
            Sheesh man, you have been ripping through this season! Excellent record to win the West. Once I heard Harden was down again, I knew you had it on lock. Some crazy big margins of victory over teams like 76ers, Celtics and Hornets. You're looking like a new version of the Warriors with your big 4 of Pope, Griffin, Brogdon, Hezonja and maybe now 5 with Hammons!!

            Really exciting to see Pope make the All Star game and 3rd Team All NBA, but where is the love for Blake 2k?!

            At least Coach Kidd won Coach of the Year, what a come back for him too. Even if it wasn't picked by record he certainly had to win it.

            Great start to the playoffs, I thought the Spurs might take one when I saw the matchups, but after game one, I think we could bring out the brushes...

            Christmas might come way too early for NBA fans with the Warriors - Lakers series in the first round, followed by a meeting with the Suns... wow, great job so far this year!

            Much thanks! Yeah, I really was feeling it this season -- playing with Blake has been fun. Update on that series and the rest of the series soon. The Suns look like legit title contenders, but they're gonna have to get by LeBron or Golden State ... neither or a pushover ... and then meet up with whomever survives on the other side of the bracket.



            Gonna be a fascinating postseason. We have the potential of a Coach Kidd special in the Finals, Bucks vs. Suns ... what a matchup that would be.
            Any comments are welcome.
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            • trekfan
              Designated Red Shirt
              • Sep 2009
              • 5817

              #201
              Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

              Rapid Reaction: Suns 119, Spurs 101
              By Sam Gray




              The Suns finished off the Spurs at home in Game 5, taking down San Antonio in a tough win. Despite the score saying otherwise, the Suns and Spurs battled all throughout the game entering the fourth — where Phoenix put down San Antonio, once and for all, thanks to Omar Pope slashing his way to the rim repeatedly, causing Whiteside to foul-out early in the final frame.


              I just wanted to attack them, go after it, from beginning to end,” said Pope. “My teammates were there to back me up, everyone stepped up in this series and we’re ready. We’re ready right now.”


              The Suns celebrated the win on the court and in the locker room, but it was a more muted celebration than last season — a sign of a maturing team and more mature players at key positions. The real work, the real test, awaits in the second round




              Around the League:


              And it’s in the second round where the Suns will encounter a familiar foe — LeBron James. The Lakers shockingly swept Golden State, whom seemed to self-destruct as the series went on. LA dominated each game, led by LeBron (putting up 27 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 11.1 APG) and got admirable help off the bench from Carmelo, who shot over 50% from deep and the field for the entire series.


              The Thunder and Jazz both swept their opponents, Utah upsetting the Rockets thanks to the return of Gordon Hayward to all-star form. Hayward, having missed most of the season, abused the Rockets’ wings (especially without James Harden) and Houston is left asking themselves why they bothered this season. OKC took care of the Mavericks easily without Dennis Smith, and Dallas has interesting decisions to make on both DeAndre Jordan and Harrison Barnes — free agents that will demand plenty of money, but may only be worth it in Dallas.


              Out East, only the Bucks have secured their spot in round two, beating the battered Knicks 4-1. Everywhere else, the Wizards are up 3-2 on Miami, while the 76ers again lead the Cavs 3-2 in their series, and the Celtics are down 3-2 against the Raptors.


              Any comments are welcome.
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              • trekfan
                Designated Red Shirt
                • Sep 2009
                • 5817

                #202
                Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

                League Update: The Playoffs, Round 2
                By Sam Gray


                The Bracket:


                Injuries:


                Round 1 Recap:


                The West saw a bunch of easy series with little drama — the Suns took the Spurs in five, the Lakers dominated the Warriors in four, the Jazz beat up on the James Harden-less (and much older) Rockets in four, and the Thunder put the Mavericks (without Dennis Smith and a banged up DeAndre Jordan) down in four. The West side of the bracket wasn’t filled with many upsets — other than the Rockets and Warriors going down so easily (Golden State, especially, was shocking), that conference was without drama


                The East was not. The only “easy” series was the Bucks against the Knicks, where New York managed to steal one game before injuries to Lance Stephenson and Kyle O’Quinn took away key players in a series where every inch mattered more. The Knicks bowed out early for the second year in a row, and it’ll be interesting to see what New York does in the summer to get past the first round.


                Elsewhere, the Wizards and Heat battled to the death in seven games, Washington barely eeking out a game 7 win thanks to Jeff Green — who scored 24 points to lead the Wizards. With Wall banged up and Cousins in foul trouble, the Wizards got a big boost from Green. The Celtics fell to the Raptors in six, the injury to Kyrie Irving dooming Boston as Irving was never fully right in the series.


                Cleveland fell, again, to Philly for the third year in a row and the Cavs can’t seem to get around the 76ers. Without Rodney Hood, Cleveland had to rely on Toby Clement (10th overall, 2018), who showed up up until the last two games, where he was held out with a knee injury. Cleveland soon after and the Cavs have to be pleased at Clement’s play but concerned they’ll never get past the 76ers.


                Round 2 Preview:


                Out West, it’s the sequel meeting between LeBron’s Lakers and Pope’s Suns; last year the Suns took out LeBron in seven games as the King nearly came back from a 3-1 deficit against the young Suns. The Lakers went out and grabbed Carmelo for their bench, and Antony’s scoring has been a huge boost for the Lakers. The Suns went out and grabbed Griffin and Brogdon, forming the PB&G combo that’s led the Suns to their best record in over a decade. Something has to give and LeBron, already past his previous tormentors in Golden State, will likely be looking for revenge here.


                In the second series, the defending champion Thunder will meet the Jazz as the former division rivals duke it out for superiority. Westbrook is playing at a high level and the Jazz, for the first time all season, are mostly healthy — missing only key reserve Alec Burks (out since early March). Gordon Hayward dominated the series against the Rockets as Houston had no wing to contain him, but OKC will not have that issue with PG13 and Andre Roberson prowling the perimeter. It’ll come down to seeing if Donovan Mitchell can excel against Dion Waiters and if Rubio can hold Westbrook to a sane amount of scoring.


                In the East, the Bucks face the Wizards but Washington’s Wall is banged up — which should let former college-teammate Eric Bledsoe blast by him in game 1. Milwaukee has the Greek Freak and that advantage will be pronounced for this matchup as Giannis goes against Jeff Green and Otto Porter. The Wizards can count on Boogie to make his presence felt in the post, but can Wall and Boogie do enough against a deep Bucks squad? That’s the question that will decide the series.


                In the East’s other series, the 76ers match up against the Raptors; Toronto is down Poetl, a big man with the size to face Embiid/Simmons/Saric, and will have to rely on their versatile defenders (Anunoby, Siakam) to keep Philly from dominating them with size alone. The 76ers, despite being only the 6th seed, are the second-most dangerous team left in the East and are looking for their third straight ECF berth — if they can get there, Philly is confident they can get back to the Finals. It’ll be up to Embiid to carry his team there.




                (The random number generator has assigned me Games 3 and 4 of the series. Time to dethrone the King for the second year in a row.)


                Any comments are welcome.
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                • trekfan
                  Designated Red Shirt
                  • Sep 2009
                  • 5817

                  #203
                  Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

                  League Update: The Playoffs, Round 2 -- Suns lead Lakers 2-0, 76ers Simmons Out 2-4 weeks
                  By Sam Gray



                  The Bracket:



                  Round 2 News:



                  The Suns are up 2-0 on the Lakers after back-to-back 10+ point wins; Phoenix’s youth, overwhelmed last season against LeBron after going up 3-1, looks much more composed with veterans Malcolm Brogdon and Blake Griffin in the fold. The Thunder are surprisingly down 2-1 against the Jazz as Utah stole the first two games on the road thanks to Donovan Mitchell; OKC took Game 3 in dominating fashion and this series could get much more interesting than many expected.



                  In the East, the big news is Ben Simmons — he’s out 2-4 weeks with a sprained ankle and with Philly up 2-1 (losing Game 3 in Philly), the momentum of the series is teetering back towards Toronto, who took advantage of Simmons absence. In the Milwaukee/Washington series, the Wizards throttled the Bucks 124-101 in Milwaukee behind John Wall and Markieef Morris — with big help off the bench from Boban after Boogie fouled out.

                  Any comments are welcome.
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                  • trekfan
                    Designated Red Shirt
                    • Sep 2009
                    • 5817

                    #204
                    Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

                    Rapid Reaction: Suns 150, Lakers 147
                    By Sam Gray




                    The Suns beat the Lakers in a double-OT classic that was one Kyle Kuzma shot away from heading to another overtime; the game was neck and neck from the tip as both LeBron and Pope came out firing. Pope put up lots of points early before cooling off in the second half, while LeBron got hotter as the game went along — but even then, it took a last-second LeBron triple from the corner (with tight coverage from Pope) to go to OT.


                    In the first OT, the Lakers managed to claw out a five-point lead before a Blake Griffin and-1, plus a pair of Brogdon free throws (he was an assassin at the line all night long) tied it up. The Lakers seized up on offense in the final minute as the Suns scored on a Pope and-1, took another three-point lead, but then watched as Carmelo hit a fading triple with 20 seconds left to tie the game. Phoenix was unable to score the ball and the game went into OT number two.


                    In the final overtime, the Suns came out aggressive and gambled on defense — Pope, with five fouls already, was playing conservative and had been since the end of regulation, but Blake Griffin came up with a huge steal and then a monster dunk on the other end, stepping up as the Lakers focused heavily on Pope — Brogdon was called upon multiple times to sink free throws as Zubac and Ball fouled out early in the second OT, leaving the Lakers putting out Carmelo and Trey Burke; ultimately, it was their lack of defense that doomed LA as the Lakers couldn’t keep Pope from getting inside, where he had the crucial and-1 with under 10 seconds left in the game, giving the Suns another three-point lead. The Lakers could not tie the game as a Kyle Kuzma triple clanked off the backrim and Phoenix survived their toughest playoff test yet.




                    Any comments are welcome.
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                    • trekfan
                      Designated Red Shirt
                      • Sep 2009
                      • 5817

                      #205
                      Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

                      Rapid Reaction: Suns 120, Lakers 111
                      By Sam Gray




                      The Phoenix Suns are heading to the WCF for the first time since 2010 — but it sure didn’t look that way after two quarters. Phoenix came out determined to avoid a letdown and outperformed the Lakers in the first in every measure; LA could not or would not slow down Omar Pope, who had 12 points at the end of one and was accurate from all levels of the court. In the second, the Suns bench came in and got creamed by the Lakers second-unit, led by Carmelo Anthony, as the Lakers faithful roared to live and LA put up a 44 point quarter — taking a 71-60 halftime lead and making it appear like they were going to survive for another day.


                      Halftime was all about reminding them how they got here,” said assistant coach — and noted Laker rival — Paul Pierce. “I could sense our guys were tight, and that *hit wasn’t going to win the game; we had to loosen up, we had to go for the kill shot. Whittle them down, death by a thousand cuts.”


                      The Suns came out of the half on a 19-6 run, stunning the Lakers and taking the lead. LA couldn’t sub in people fast enough as they attempted to stem the tide, but not even LeBron — held to only 17 points — could do enough. James was noticeably tired and less aggressive than usual, earning zero free throws all night long. By contrast, Pope got to the line six times, hit five, and finished with 35 points on 13-21 shooting.


                      The Lakers mounted a late comeback in the final three minutes, trying to narrow the lead, but Phoenix held off the late charge and walked out of Staples Center with a series win — and a spot in the WCF.


                      We’re real,” said Pope. “Every single one of us is here and we’re not some pretend team, not a bunch of fakers … we’re out here, all to bring a title to a place that deserves it. That’s our goal and we’re closer to making it a reality tonight.”



                      Any comments are welcome.
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                      • trekfan
                        Designated Red Shirt
                        • Sep 2009
                        • 5817

                        #206
                        Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale







                        Ch. 7


                        The celebrations had been going on since they boarded their private jet. It was hard not to celebrate, hard to remember that they still had to win eight more games to claim a title … because what they did, what they accomplished, felt like they had already won it all.


                        They had down LeBron and the Lakers, the team that had swept the Warriors — the famed, death-dealing Warriors — and Omar had helped them do that. He and Blake had led the team, in its crucial, most important moments, to victory. Game 3 was an agonizing win, a double-OT classic that was a torture chamber — every time he thought they had won it, someone on the Lakers would hit an impossible shot to keep them alive.


                        LeBron refused to lose. He refused to concede, he refused to shy away from the moment, and the King went out swinging … the Lakers lost, but Omar was sure as *uck that the Lakers had another one of those in them. LA had the experience to dig deep.


                        Tonight’s game saw the Lakers do that in the first half, and then give way to exhaustion in the second half. They couldn’t keep up with the Suns; they couldn’t keep up with him.


                        A loud pop and more laughter erupted from behind him as another bottle of champagne was opened, Brian pouring out glasses to anyone who had one, even if it was mostly filled. “Huzzah!” he yelled as he put on a fake-*ss British accent and began to tell the tale of how the mighty Suns took down the evil Lakers.


                        Omar couldn’t help but smile, took his empty glass, and headed towards his drunk friend — he could worry about the next series when they landed. Right now, they were high above the clouds and their worries were below … it was well-earned.


                        ****


                        Would you look at that?” Regina leaned in closer to her window, watching as the lights across from them slowed down, the plane braking on the runway and approaching a normal speed. The airport in Phoenix was lit up, as per usual, but the private hanger where they were going to park wasn’t as empty as usual.


                        There were airport employees gathered there, waiting, some with Suns gear on, and as they parked, the crowd broke out into cheers.


                        Cheers. For her. For the team. For their success.


                        She thought it’d be a long time before they ever saw something like this. Especially her … there was still a segment of the Phoenix faithful that blamed her for the lives lost. Truth be told, there was still a part of her that agreed with them … but there was little time for guilt and hand-wringing in the world of business.


                        As the doors to the plane opened, the cheers grew louder.


                        So, this is what it feels like.


                        ****


                        The team bus was being given an escort through the town and everywhere they went, horns honked, lights flashed, and people cheered. The city of Phoenix was ecstatic for the Suns … excited for them, in love with them again.


                        It was bound to happen, he knew. Sam had fallen back in love with them again and knew the city would soon follow. It was like that in sports, fans and teams fell in and out of love with one another, a marriage of convenience and circumstance that in good times felt like the best thing ever.


                        This was a good time. This was a high point, a possible apex, and though Sam usually didn’t write teams/players off — that was the surest way to look like an *ss — it seemed that the Warriors weren’t going to be as good or dominant moving forward. It seemed like LeBron, despite being a world-beater still, just was half a step slower.


                        It seemed like the Pope had succeeded the King … heretical as that was.


                        Omar Pope has officially become a superstar, he scrawled in his notes with a smirk.
                        Any comments are welcome.
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                        • georgiafan
                          Hall Of Fame
                          • Jul 2002
                          • 11101

                          #207
                          Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

                          nice to still see this going strong keep up the good work
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                          • trekfan
                            Designated Red Shirt
                            • Sep 2009
                            • 5817

                            #208
                            Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

                            Originally posted by georgiafan
                            nice to still see this going strong keep up the good work

                            Thanks! Really enjoying the postseason this year, it's been tense (those games against the Lakers, MAN, that double-OT classic).


                            Round 2 recap to come in the near future, where we'll see who the Suns get in the WCF.
                            Any comments are welcome.
                            Texas Two-Step (2K20 Alt History)
                            Orange And Blue Forever (NCAA 14 Dynasty)
                            You Don't Know Jack (2K18 Pacers Dynasty - Complete)
                            Second Coming (2K16 Sonics MyLeague - Complete)
                            The Gold Standard (2K13 Dynasty - Complete)

                            Comment

                            • trekfan
                              Designated Red Shirt
                              • Sep 2009
                              • 5817

                              #209
                              Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

                              League Update: The Playoffs, Conference Finals
                              By Sam Gray



                              The Bracket:




                              Injuries:





                              Round 2 Recap:



                              The West saw another pair of title favorites bite the dust as the Lakers lost in a close sweep, while the Thunder — fully loaded, uninjured — were taken out in Game 7 by the Jazz in OT as Utah prevailed, thanks to huge nights from Mitchell and Hayward (both scored 28 points) and a huge helping of points from Gobert (26) and Rubio (18 points, 11 dimes). The Thunder were stunned to lose the game in such a fashion, at home even, and will watch the rest of the playoffs from their couches.


                              The East saw the Bucks easily handle the Wizards, 4-1, and Washington was unable to match the depth of Milwaukee as they were run roughshod over. In the other series, the Raptors took the 76ers in seven games, the injury to Ben Simmons ultimately dooming Philly in a Ga,e 7 they lost by 15 points, where only Embiid scored over 20 and the other “star” of their team, Fultz, scored just 7 points on 2-9 shooting. There will be big questions in regards to Fultz’s long-term position on the team this summer.



                              Conference Finals Preview:



                              The WCF comes down between two unlikely foes — the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz, a pair of teams that haven’t met for a playoff series since 1991 — it’s been a long time for both these teams, franchises that have historically struggled to get to the Finals (Phoenix got there twice in 1977 and 1993, while the Jazz did it in 1997 and 1998). Both squads made huge moves over the summer to get them deep into the playoffs, as Phoenix brought in Brogdon and Griffin, while the Jazz traded for Gordon Hayward. It’s going to be a duel between both teams all series long, as both have the right mix of veteran and youthful talent.



                              In the East, the Bucks and Raptors have met up finally, a course that both teams seemed to be on all season long. Milwaukee, much like Phoenix, will be well-rested for this series and possess the Greek Freak, the best singular-talent left in these playoffs, but don’t looks past Toronto — the Raptors have gotten very steady play from their starters and their bench (led by Wayne Ellington) and are an even-keeled team. Milwaukee, by comparison, is heavily reliant on its starters to score — no bench player is close to double-digits in scoring and that could be the Bucks weakness, a chink in the armor the Wizards were unable to take advantage of.



                              (The random number generator has assigned me Games 3 and 7 of the series. Oh lord, I hope the sim engine is kind.)

                              Any comments are welcome.
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                              Orange And Blue Forever (NCAA 14 Dynasty)
                              You Don't Know Jack (2K18 Pacers Dynasty - Complete)
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                              • trekfan
                                Designated Red Shirt
                                • Sep 2009
                                • 5817

                                #210
                                Re: From the Ashes: A Phoenix Tale

                                Rapid Reaction: Suns 130, Jazz 90
                                By Sam Gray




                                The Phoenix Suns are up 3-0 on the Utah Jazz after a dominating Game 3 performance, where the Jazz were held to a 14 point third quarter against the Suns 34 — Phoenix delivered the killing blow in the third and cruised the rest of the game. At the half, the Suns were only up 55-44, but at the start of the third Omar Pope — who had over 20 points at that juncture — repeatedly found Brian Hammons, his former college teammate, for open looks on three straight possessions, all open triples, and the Suns were blazing.


                                The Jazz could not contain Pope or Griffin, and their efforts to do so resulted in open looks for other players — the Suns are now one win away from getting back to the Finals for the first time since Charles Barkley led them there in 1993.




                                Around the League:


                                The Raptors are up 3-0 on the Bucks in, perhaps, the biggest surprise of the playoffs as Milwaukee has not been able to figure out a way to stop the Toronto bench unit, who’s eviscerating the Bucks second unit consistently. The Raptors are one win away from their first ever Finals berth and the first ever NBA Finals between two teams based in two different countries — a boon to the league’s growing global ambitions.
                                Any comments are welcome.
                                Texas Two-Step (2K20 Alt History)
                                Orange And Blue Forever (NCAA 14 Dynasty)
                                You Don't Know Jack (2K18 Pacers Dynasty - Complete)
                                Second Coming (2K16 Sonics MyLeague - Complete)
                                The Gold Standard (2K13 Dynasty - Complete)

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