Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

[R1zzo23]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

Curry, Warriors Toy With Thunder in Blowout Win





Coming into the game, the Thunder knew they had to try their best to contain Stephen Curry (19 pts, 5 reb, 13 ast, 2 stl), but that’s much easier said than done. While he only connected on two of his eight threes on the night, he buried this first one as he used an insane escape dribble to elude Lu Dort (5 pts, 3 reb), create space and bury a triple from the right wing.



While his 19 points won’t wow anyone on any given night, Curry dished out 13 assists including this lob to NBA sophomore James Wiseman (20 pts, 14 reb, 1 blk) who finished with authority at the rim.



Curry does it again as he buries another triple, this time from the left side. Never one to miss a moment to put on a show, he had to make sure the OKC faithful knew that this bucket was, yet again, worth three points.



Lu Dort looked like he was going to carry on his hot shooting from deep in this game as he knocks down a three in front of his own bench. Unfortunately, it was the only one of his nine three-point attempts he would hit on the night as he was ice cold throughout the game.



What injuries? Klay Thompson (22 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl) looked spry as ever on this reverse tomahawk jam over rookie Josh Giddey (15 pts, 8 reb, 9 ast, 2 stl).



With Draymond Green shipped off to San Antonio just hours before this game for Keldon Johnson (9 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl) and Lonnie Walker IV, Andrew Wiggins (20 pts, 13 reb, 5 ast) officially became the third member of Golden State’s “Big Three” and did not disappoint. Whether he was finishing in the lane or banging three of his four three-pointers, he was having his way with the Thunder all night long.



After a shaky start, Darius Bazley (13 pts, 5 reb, 1 blk) showed flashes of what his skill can be as he finished at the rim and as well from the mid range in the final two quarters, including this highlight one-handed slam.



James Wiseman, not known for his defensive prowess, got one of the few stops on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33 pts, 4 reb, 9 ast) on the night with this block on a dunk attempt.



Josh Giddey scored all 15 of his points in the 2nd half, routinely utilizing his immense size and incredible body control to shield off defenders and create scoring lanes for himself.



The hoop and the harm, Curry baits Giddey into biting on a pump fake, gets him up in the air and draws the contact for the and-1 from about 18 feet. The Thunder bench just watched in disbelief as they were witnessing one of the greatest players of their generation just go to work.



While Wiseman got a block on him earlier in the 4th quarter, Shai made sure that Kevon Looney (1 pts, 1 stl) did not as he attacked the rim with an anger that any star would have during a 2-15 season. Staring at the rim at eye level, Gilgeous-Alexander slammed home a two-handed dunk that even got the Warriors bench up on their feet.

[Scuzz]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

Draymond to the Spurs?! Aww man, this is wild lol.

Tough opponent there, but it looks like the Shai show is locked in. How have you been liking Hampton now that he's starting to settle in?

[R1zzo23]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

Valanciunas and Gang Survive Scare from Thunder





The game plan coming into the game was to clog the lane to slow down Zion Williamson (17 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk) but he showed early in the game that when he gets a full head of steam, he was going to muscle his way to the rim regardless.



Or if he got loose off the bounce he was going to put on a show as he cocks one way back as all the defense could do was look on in disbelief as he brought the crowd to its feet yet again.



Perhaps the hottest scorer in the league over the last month, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (35 pts, 6 reb, 11 ast, 1 blk) is becoming a nearly unstoppable scorer as he starts to hit on his jumper with regularity. On this feed from his backcourt mate Josh Giddey (8 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl), Gilgeous-Alexander shows off improved footwork, squares up and drains the triple.



The strong play from Darius Bazley (10 pts, 10 reb, 2 blk) continued in this one as he posted another double-double and played great defense throughout the contest, including this block at the rim on the Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram (7 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl).



Going against a strong defensive team like the Pelicans, the Thunder had to pick their matchups to attack. It started off with Josh Giddey going at Devontae Graham (2 pts, 1 ast, 1-11 FG) in the post and continued with Shai going at the undersized Jose Alvarado (2 pts, 1 reb). With the shot clock ticking down, SGA isolated on the undrafted rookie, accelerated to his right, stopped on a dime and proceeded to knock down a stepback jumper with ease.



The unsung hero of the season so far has to go to Derrick Favors (8 pts, 5 reb). The veteran center has been rock solid in his play both scoring efficiently in the paint and cleaning up the glass. More importantly, perhaps his best asset to the team is his exceptional screen setting as he routinely frees up shooters for open looks like he does here for Tre Mann (11 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl) as he gets a clean look at a three-pointer.



Bazley gets caught ball watching while guarding Zion in the corner. In the blink of an eye, Willamson darts baseline, receives an alley-oop and flushes it for a reverse jam. It’s defensive lapses like this that can cost you a game in the end…



Favors gets himself a highlight of his own. After corralling an offensive rebound on one side of the rim, his momentum carries him underneath as he elevates for the reverse jam as CJ McCollum (23 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast) shows token defensive effort to block the dunk attempt.



McCollum was big down the stretch whether he was hitting his little mid-range leaners from just outside the lane to banging this early clock three over SGA. His ability to shoot the ball was desperately needed in New Orleans to keep some semblance of floor spacing for Zion and Co.



In a back-and-forth battle between the duo of McCollum and Zion against Shai, the Canadian guard took off down the lane and challenged them both at the rim and finished with authority. For the final 12 minutes of this game, it felt like these three were making play after play.



Tre Mann wasn’t afraid to challenge Jaxson Hayes (10 pts, 5 reb, 1 blk) as he shields off the much larger defender and finger rolls the layup off the glass for a huge bucket in the 4th.



Starting to find his comfort zone, R.J. Hampton (7 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast) gets out on the break, accelerates past Alvarado and finishes through traffic. His play continues to be encouraging for the future of this Thunder backcourt.



Hayes wasn’t going to get fooled again on another layup attempt as he nearly clears the backboard to swat this Bazley layup attempt with just minutes remaining int he game.



A huge bucket in the waning moments of the game gives the Pelicans a 2-point lead as Zion flexes on the Thunder.



On the ensuing possession with just under 20 seconds remaining, Gilgeous-Alexander frees himself down the baseline and gets into the paint with a hopstep before rising up for a game-tying dunk as Brandon Ingram was moments too late to legitimately challenge him.



Holding for a final possession, the Pelicans drained the clock with CJ McCollum isolating on the wing against SGA. With Herb Jones at the top of the key, the Thunder had Josh Giddey leave the defensive specialist rookie to double the ball once McCollum made his move to get into his sweet spot from 18-feet out. If Jones were to beat them, that’s something OKC could live with.

McCollum took a contested two with the Thunder backcourt draped all over him. After taking a strange bounce off the iron, the ball found its way to Jonas Valanciunas (20 pts, 20 reb, 1 stl) for his 8th offensive rebound as the big man quickly flipped it up in the air. With the ball leaving his hands with just 0.4 seconds on the clock, he banked it off the glass and in for the buzzer-beating win!

[studbucket]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

Great recap, nice pictures, killer loss, and getting better defensive rebounding has to be a priority for next year.

[XxVal_MarXx]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

Difficult night for the Pelicans, too bad for OKC


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[R1zzo23]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

Draymond to the Spurs?! Aww man, this is wild lol.

Tough opponent there, but it looks like the Shai show is locked in. How have you been liking Hampton now that he's starting to settle in?

Yeah strange deal with the Spurs acquiring Draymond but Keldon Johnson fits in very well with that Warriors lineup and they are very, very tough to stop on offense.

I’ve pretty much gotten the hang of playing with Shai to the point I’m am scoring at will and distributing effectively. If I start to get his floater game down in the lane instead of forcing shots at the rim then he could be borderline unstoppable lol.

Hampton is starting to come into his own. He’s got the 3PT icon when he’s in the game so I get giddy and try to shoot too many threes with him. What I really need to do is get in the lab and practice with his jumper. Once I do that he will be a great addition on offense because his speed off the bounce and on the break has been crazy fun. I’ve got SGA tutoring him so trying to up his badges as well.


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[R1zzo23]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

Difficult night for the Pelicans, too bad for OKC


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk

Pelicans definitely struggled. We took advantage of being able to clog the lane on guys like Zion, Valanciunas, Alvarado and Jones but, in the end, it didn’t matter.

Great recap, nice pictures, killer loss, and getting better defensive rebounding has to be a priority for next year.

Really enjoying the recaps I’m creating with the pics, even when we are constantly losing. Our rebounding is horrendous and the hope is bringing in Chet Holmgren really improves our defensive rebounding immediately. Even with him, we probably need to add another big.


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[RolePlayer]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

I got a bit to catch up on but this looks great

[R1zzo23]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

I got a bit to catch up on but this looks great

Glad to have one of the greats following, RP! We are moving along slowly but surely. I am not a fan of simming games so we went to a 29-game schedule to be able to play them all out.


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[R1zzo23]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

Giannis, Bucks Swat Away Pesky Thunder Squad





”Force Giannis to shoot!” they say. Well the reigning NBA champion did just that on his first possession as Giannis Antetokounmpo (36 pts, 20 reb, 8 ast, 5 blk) hit a mid range jumper to open the game’s scoring. How do you stop the best driver in the game when he’s knocking down jumpers? Answer: you don’t.



Matched up against one of the best perimeter defenders in the game in Jrue Holiday (12 pts, 2 reb, 10 ast, 2 stl), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (28 pts, 7 reb, 9 ast) decided to try to get others involved early to get some of the defensive attention off of him. In the first quarter alone the 6’6” combo guard dished out five assists including this one to Lu Dort (11 pts, 1 ast) who hit one of his three three-pointers on the night.



If Shai had a matchup that they weren’t going to attack throughout the game, Josh Giddey (23 pts, 7 reb, 9 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk) had the advantage in his as Grayson Allen (14 pts, 1 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl) was tasked with checking the rookie. Routinely, Giddey used his size, strength and ball skills to get to any spot on the court he wanted. Here, he knocked down a rare three as he found himself wide open on the wing.



Clearly feeling his oats in this one with a three-pointer already under his belt along with some slick dimes, Giddey glasses Pat Connaughton (8 pts, 1 ast) as the Australian rookie shows off some sneaky hops to record one of his two blocks on the game.



Veteran Serge Ibaka (6 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk) plays to the crowd after swatting SGA’s layup attempt into the 3rd row. Like Dikembe Mutombo with his finger wag, Ibaka shows the crowd the thumbs up and then emphatically hits them with the thumbs down to let the Thunder know “not in my house!”



As has been the issue routinely throughout the season, the Thunder struggle mightily on the glass giving up offensive rebounds seemingly by the dozens. Bobby Portis Jr. (9 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast) tracks this miss as three members of the Thunder are too busy ball watching hoping that someone will grab the board themself.



After getting blocked on his last drive to the rim, Shai wasn’t going to be deterred again as he drove the lane on Jevon Carter (2 pts, 4 ast, 2 stl) and punched one home on the defensive specialist. On his way back up the floor, SGA celebrated with an aerial punch of his own to try to pump his guys up.



Can you just hear Mark Jackson saying “it’s a grown man's game!” as Jrue Holiday drives the lane, drops a shoulder while also dropping Josh Giddey before pulling up for the 6-foot leaner.



No respect given here as Darius Bazley (2 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl) sags way into the paint as Giannis dribbled the ball up the floor. With ten feet of space, the Bucks’ superstar drained a three as he stared down Bazley.



The 4th quarter saw the Milwaukee Bucks execute like the title team that they are while the Thunder made mistake after mistake. On consecutive possessions, Aleksej Pokusevski (9 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk) got lost on a series of screens leaving Khris Middleton (19 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast) open for three, making the road team pay each time. The Robin to Giannis’ Batman, Middleton drained four of his five triple attempts on the night.



As we said after the last game, Derrick Favors (10 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk) continues to be an unsung hero. On a couple different occasions, Favors’ hustle down the floor got him into an advantageous matchup in the paint and he took advantage of his size over smaller defenders. On this post against Middleton, Favors gave a nifty spin from the right block back to the paint and finished with a soft, left-handed hook.

[studbucket]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

Is that Giddey's best game of the year? Honestly, that's an encouraging team-wide performance against a dominant team. The SGA celebration picture is my favorite

[R1zzo23]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

Is that Giddey's best game of the year? Honestly, that's an encouraging team-wide performance against a dominant team. The SGA celebration picture is my favorite

That has to be Giddey's best game of the season. He had his fingerprints all over our success that game and I'm starting to learn how to be a crafty scorer with him. He hit a floater that, if he develops that, is going to make him tough to stop for opposing 2-guards with his height.

Haha, glad you enjoyed the SGA pic! I find myself watching players after big plays to see their reactions because they usually lead to a great snapshot.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

[R1zzo23]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

Dort, Thunder Put On Show for Indiana’s Terry McLaurin, Secure 3rd Win





Not typically the way the assist goes on this team but Darius Bazley (13 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk) is the one kicking it to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (29 pts, 7 reb, 11 ast) for his only three-pointer on the game. SGA scored 13 in the first quarter alone and looked like he was on a mission to drop another 50-burger this season, but he was slowed down by the Pacers considerably.



Those pesky offensive rebounds continue to rear their ugly head against the Thunder as Myles Turner (14 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk) comes soaring in for the putback dunk off a Gordon Hayward (18 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk) miss from the right wing.



Seemingly getting more and more comfortable finding his flow on the floor, R.J. Hampton (11 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) took off down the lane in traffic, finishing with a finesse, up-and-under scoop layup with three Pacers defending. His ability to play three positions on the floor has allowed the Thunder some serious lineup flexibility.



The best shooter on the floor, Buddy Hield (8 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl) found himself wide open from the left wing. Luckily for the Thunder he had a foot on the line so they only surrendered two points on this 25-foot practice jumper for the Bahamian sharpshooter.



Pushing the pace, SGA is able to thread a pass through two defenders to find Lu Dort (14 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl) for a stop-and-pop triple off the break. These types of quick buckets are rare to come by for the Thunder so any chance they have to get out and run they try to take full advantage of.



Josh Giddey (11 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl) continued to play his all-around game in Indianapolis as he forced a 2nd defender to guard him after blowing by reserve big man Jalen Smith (8 pts, 5 reb, 1 blk) on the wing. Giddey went on to drop a no-look dime to Derrick Favors (16 pts, 13 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk) that even Smith’s Rex Specs couldn’t help him see!



It was a duel between two of the premier young guards in the league with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander going back and forth with Tyrese Haliburton (12 pts, 9 reb, 12 ast) all game long. The most jaw-dropping play between the two was this one-handed slam as Shai got the sophomore on his hip just inside the arc on the left wing, exploded for separation and elevated for the jam.



Inspired by his teammate's dunk, Josh Giddey decides to catch a body as he baptizes Gordon Hayward at the rim for the hoop and the harm. Giddey’s athleticism has been on display the last couple games with highlight plays starting to become part of the routine for the rookie.



There is nothing sneaky about this rookie’s athleticism as Isaiah Jackson (10 pts, 7 reb) nearly jumps out of the gym for this alley-oop finish over Favors and Dort.



Haliburton starts to put his stamp on the game in the 4th quarter as he victimizes Tre Mann (2 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast) on back-to-back possessions resulting in consecutive three-pointers, putting the Pacers ahead by seven with just under five minutes.



After subbing SGA in for Mann, the Thunder star tells Haliburton to pick on someone his own size as he drives on the Pacer guard, floats away from the hoop and buries the tough, contested mid-range J in his face, not only completing a comeback but giving the Thunder a 2-point lead with just 1:12 remaining in the game.

Unphased, Haliburton would return the favor with a floater in the lane of his own to tie the game up yet again, this time with under a minute remaining.



With all eyes on Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder ran their flow freelance set to perfection which resulted in Lu Dort getting a flare screen away from the ball from Darius Bazley. Putting full faith in his teammates, Shai delivers a dime from cross court in which Dort snatches, rises and fires a 20-foot mid-range jumper that finds nothing but the net! Thunder take the lead by 2!



In a hurry for a quick bucket, Gordon Hayward pushes the pace and tries to finish around Darius Bazley at the rim. The Thunder big man does a great job cutting off the angle down the lane to force a tough, leaning layup that goes wide of the goal but Myles Turner is there yet again to clean up the mess and get an easy putback layup to tie it up with 14 seconds left.



After watching Turner celebrate, SGA knew he wanted a piece of the big, lumbering big man on the final possession. A timeout allowed the Thunder to advance the ball to half court. On the ensuing inbounds, Gilgeous-Alexander was at the right wing before having Derrick Favors come set a screen. Using his big man, he got Turner to switch on to the ball, strung the former Longhorn out wide into an isolation and accelerated down the lane. Attempting to finish an acrobatic layup, Turner could do nothing but foul to stop an easy finish.

Isolated on the free throw line, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stood there as cool as ice and proceeded to dash the Pacers’ hopes of a win by knocking down both free throws with ease. An 80-foot prayer by Malcolm Brogdon went unanswered as the Thunder collected just their 3rd win of the season!

[studbucket]

Re: Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

Is that actually Terry McLaurin? Does 2k22 have celebs on the sideline?

Good win. Indiana is not a bad team. Cool to see your team growing, and you weren't terribly outrebounded.