Thunder Up! Rebuild in OKC [NBA 2k22]

[RolePlayer]

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

Man what a two-game stretch by Chet those numbers are ridiculous. Putting up 38 against Towns and Gobert is pretty ridiculous. Tough loss versus the T-Wolves but that's a good team.

[R1zzo23]

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

Patrick Williams, Bulls Bully Young Thunder Squad





Against a strong defensive perimeter squad like Chicago, the Thunder made it a point to get the ball to Chet Holmgren (29 pts, 13 reb, 5 ast, 1 blk) early and often. And on the possessions where they didn’t get him the rock he went and got it himself as he ascended above the square to grab this offensive rebound over Lonzo Ball (10 pts, 7 reb, 10 ast, 2 stl) before putting it back for two of his nine first quarter points.



Ball showed off his passing vision as he hits Nikola Vucevic (13 pts, 13 reb, 2 ast, 5 stl, 1 blk) on a beautiful backdoor cut as he loses the rookie Holmgren.



Though he struggled with turnovers, Shail Gilgeous-Alexander (21 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl) did score efficiently on the night including this dunk over Vucevic in the lane.



In one of ihs best games of the season, Luguentz Dort (16 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast) showed some playmaking ability as he finds Max Christie (3 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast) on this cross court pass for the rookie’s only points on the night.



Ball continued to control the game beautifully. After getting a screen and a switch on Holmgren, he got into the lane with a bevy of dribble moves, drawing Darius Bazley (3 pts, 4 reb) into the lane to help before kicking to Patrick Williams (22 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl) for a corner three.



In plenty of demoralizing plays on the night, the Thunder were unable to secure a defensive rebound, allowing Coby White (11 pts, 4 ast) to grab the offensive board. After kicking it to Zach LaVine (23 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast), the All-Star guard had time to collect, set his feet and knock down one of his five three-pointers without a soul running out to contest him.



It wasn’t just scoring and rebounding for Holmgren tonight as he was doing the little things. He set a career-high five assists as the Thunder started running more offense through him at the free throw line as well as taking this charge on Coby White.



Still the master of the mid-range, DeMar DeRozan (16 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast) lost Bazley on a quick move towards the baseline and banks one in off the glass at a nearly impossible angle.



A double screen at the top of the key causes some confusion on the Thunder’s part where everyone went under the picks, leaving LaVine to hit another warm up three-pointer from the top of the key.



Back-to-back triples by Dort early in the 4th quarter kept the Thunder within striking distance while the starting backcourt of SGA and Josh Giddey (11 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk) wait to check back in to cut even further into the lead.



After a Gilgeous-Alexander three-pointer cut the lead to just seven, the Thunder went to pick on a mismatch after a switch with Ball guarding Holmgren. After Chet backed him down, he turned to the rim and went up to hammer home a dunk, but Ball got a clean swipe on the rock.



On the very next possession, the Bulls run LaVine through the closing door double screen at the free throw line. Both Dort and Gilgeous-Alexander got stuck under the screens where LaVine buried his fifth three of the game. Instead of cutting the lead to five on a Holmgren dunk, the Thunder now trailed by 10 just seconds later, effectively putting an end to the game.

[R1zzo23]

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

Very impressive win over LA. The bigs present a little trouble?

We aren't the best defensive team, even with Chet Holmgren manning the paint, but we were able to really slow the Lakers down.

Man what a two-game stretch by Chet those numbers are ridiculous. Putting up 38 against Towns and Gobert is pretty ridiculous. Tough loss versus the T-Wolves but that's a good team.

Encouraging to see Holmgren performing well against two elite bigs like Towns and Gobert, but our offense seems to stagnate a bit when we try too hard to get Holmgren going. We need to find a balance between pounding it inside to him and getting others involved.

[studbucket]

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

4 players in double digits is more well-rounded scoring than you usually get, so that's good, and you won the rebounding battle. That turnover difference probably killed you.

[kibaxx7]

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

Holmgren is ballin'!

[R1zzo23]

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

4 players in double digits is more well-rounded scoring than you usually get, so that's good, and you won the rebounding battle. That turnover difference probably killed you.

Definitely a welcomed sight for us as we aren't used to having more than 3 guys - SGA, Holmgren and Giddey - hitting double-digits outside of the random Tre Mann explosion. I don't know what we were doing offensively in this one but there were times we just threw the ball to the Bulls like they were on our team.

Holmgren is ballin'!

Crazy thing is that I still haven't really learned how to play with him to his max potential! I'm just starting to play him as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll which has been a lot of fun. If I ever learn post moves, he could top 30 points a night effortlessly.

[R1zzo23]

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

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Powers Thunder Past Magic





In the first two and a half minutes of the game, both teams traded misses back-and-forth before this Malik Monk (9 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl) three-pointer broke a combined 0-9 shooting stretch for both teams. This was foreshadowing of an abysmal offensive first half that this game was going to showcase.



With the rookie struggling to get going, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (25 pts, 4 reb, 8 ast, 1 blk) made sure to keep the Thunder afloat. Using his tight handles and able to slither in between Wendell Carter Jr. (8 pts, 14 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk) and Markelle Fultz (20 pts, 4 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl), SGA split the two defenders, jump-stopped out the other side and finished with a strong, contested layup.



Gilgeous-Alexander also did some damage from the mid-range as he elevated over Fultz with under a second left in the shot clock and a hand in his face to score another tough bucket for OKC.



Showing off his advanced footwork on the move, rookie TyTy Washington (9 pts, 2 ast) makes the clean catch and bangs a three all in one fluid motion. With Jalen Suggs out with a broken right ankle, Washington has been getting consistent run and hasn’t disappointed. Once Suggs is back, this Magic backcourt will be incredibly crowded.



Another small scoring guard in Orlando showing off his range, Cole Anthony (10 pts, 1 reb) hits SGA with a beautiful stepback three from the right wing. Got to love the young combo guard paying homage to Tracy McGrady wearing his throwback kicks.



While Shai made the louder, flashier plays, Josh Giddey (21 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl) continued his silent assassin-like play en route to his 21 points on 16 shots. Whether he was scoring over smaller defenders or slipping past Clint Capela (6 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk) on this drive, Giddey was nails throughout the game and kept the Thunder from falling further into an offensive lull in the first half.



In his worst half of his young career, Chet Holmgren (18 pts, 16 reb, 1 blk) didn’t score his first points of this game until there was just a hair under six seconds left in the first half. He got a rare switch on to the much smaller Markelle Fultz and bullied his way into a short lefty hook.



Down the stretch the Thunder’s big three of SGA, Giddey and Holmgren carried Oklahoma City to a win. Gilgeous-Alexander challenged Capela at the rim and looking to stay out of foul trouble, the Magic big man went straight up to avoid contact, giving Shai just enough of an angle to bank it high off the glass for two.



Yet again, Capela seems like he’s lost just enough of a step to not be a factor on the defensive end here as Giddey loses him off the bounce, stops on a dime and elevates for a mid-range jumper before Capela could really contest.



A rare Orlando highlight in the 2nd half came from Markelle Fultz finding Wendell Carter Jr. on a cut for an alley-oop dunk over Darius Bazley (2 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl). While a fun play for the fans to watch it was meaningless in the end since the Thunder won going away by 15 points.

[R1zzo23]

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

[RolePlayer]

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

Finally, a dynasty where the Hornets are good!

[HarkTheSound]

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

Zion and the Pelicans looking like serious Western Conference contenders this year.

[R1zzo23]

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

Finally, a dynasty where the Hornets are good!

Zion and the Pelicans looking like serious Western Conference contenders this year.

The young guns in this league have been really showing out with Luka already making the Finals and Zion and LaMelo dominating already.


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[R1zzo23]

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

Thunder Slam Home Win Against Red-Hot Hornets





The Hornets came to town with arguably the leader in the MVP race in LaMelo Ball (10 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast, 4 stl) who attacked early in the game looking to get the scoring going. He hit this short pullup jumper in the paint, though the shooting efficiency wasn’t there for the game as he connected on just five of his 13 shot attempts.



With the recent trade of PJ Washington to the Miami Heat, Kai Jones (16 pts, 8 reb) was elevated into the starting lineup and ended up leading the team in scoring against the Thunder. A long, active and athletic big man, Jones missed a layup and like a pogostick was back up in the air, corralling said miss and flushing it with ease.



Playing against two rookie big men that can be described as not so fleet of foot, Chet Holmgren utilized his speed, athleticism and footwork to score with ease including this three-pointer that he stepped into like he was a 6’4” sharpshooter.



While James Bouknight (12 pts, 1 ast) came off the bench and tried to score as much as possible, he got a bit loose with his handles and RJ Hampton (5 ast, 3 stl) swiped it for the easy run out finish. Hampton has shown flashes of being a solid perimeter defender while continuing to be a bench distributor to keep the offense flowing.



Rookie point guard Ousmane Dieng (14 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk) used his size and strength to muscle through Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (21 pts, 3 reb, 12 ast, 2 stl) and finish at the rim. It’s not often that another point guard is bigger and stronger than SGA but Dieng proved to be quite the matchup tonight.



LaMelo Ball was able to break Aleksej Pokusevski (4 pts, 5 reb, 1 stl, 2 blk) off the dribble and finish with one of the many dunks by the Hornets.



Late into the shot clock, SGA finds himself bailing the team out yet again as he drilled his mid range jumper with rookie Kendall Brown (6 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast) and Montrezl Harrell (8 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl) running out at him.



Ball shows off his elite court vision as he drove left, elevated and founds a cutting Kai Jones as he slipped behind Darius Bazley (10 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk) for yet another dunk. If the Hornets were kept off the rim, chances are they were missing their shot.



Holmgren tried to take rookie center Kofi Cockburn (12 pts, 12 reb, 1 stl, 2 blk) down to the block to score one in close but was denied at the top of his shot as he got swatted into the first row.



While Ball was a pest on defense as evidenced by his four steals, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t afraid to attack him off the dribble. While LaMelo was able to stay with him, SGA’s ball and body control allowed him to finish around the young Hornet point guard.



Ball to Jones again as he finds the cutter on the baseline for this alley-oop dunk over Josh Giddey (11 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl) for the highlight reel poster.



The unsung hero so far this season might be Luguentz Dort (16 pts, 2 reb, 5 ast) as he has shown a more well-rounded offensive game both scoring and distributing. Connecting on half of his 14 field goals, Dort finished the game off with this leaning two-handed slam with just under two minutes left in the game.

[R1zzo23]

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

Full disclosure: I think that was the most complete game I have played with this Thunder squad since I started this franchise. I was making all the right reads, hitting jumpers with most of the team, playing defensive rotations precisely. Damn that game felt good!


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[R1zzo23]

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

Lu Dort and Thunder Silence Philly Faithful





Playing without All-NBA center Joel Embiid, James Harden (24 pts, 9 reb, 11 ast, 3 stl) willingly took on the scoring load for his team as he looked to turn back the clock to his Houston days.



Harden was cookin’ early as he poured in 10 points on seven shots in just 6 minutes and 15 seconds of play to open the game. It looked like we were about to get a vintage Harden performance of yesteryear, but the Thunder defense started to clamp down as he only hit six of his final 17 shot attempts.



This Philadelphia defense was as soft as a baby’s bottom and the Thunder abused them in the paint. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (20 pts, 5 reb, 14 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk) blew past Matisse Thybulle (5 pts, 2 stl) and went right at Charles Bassey (9 pts, 13 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl) to finish an acrobatic layup on the baseline.



Keeping up with the goal of attacking the rim, Josh Giddey (20 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast) continued his strong scoring outings with another 20-point outing on 9-14 shooting as he used his height and length to score easily against Tyrese Maxey (15 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl).



With the game tied right before the half, SGA hit a short learner over the outstretched arm of James Harden to beat the clock and give the Thunder a two-point advantage.



After hitting SGA with a euro step, Harden looked to finish with a scoop layup. Clearly unaware that Chet Holmgren (38 pts, 24 reb, 3 blk) was lurking, the rookie center rose up and just grabbed the weak layup attempt out of the air and immediately started the break out to Giddey.



With the perimeter defenders of Philly unable to keep the ball handlers out of the paint, Holmgren was on the receiving end of many feeds from SGA and Giddey and finished with ease at the rim over and over again.



Maxey is elevated into the 2nd star role with Embiid out and performed admirably with 15 points including this crazy one-legged runner. If Harden would have deferred more to the young combo guard rather than trying to do it all himself there’s no doubt the 76ers would have been more competitive.



Giddey got out on the run as much as possible and generated a lot of secondary assists, but seeing that Holmgren clearly beat Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (12 pts, 4 ast, 1 stl) down the floor, hit him with a high fastball and Chet flushed it, though he gave the Thunder organization a scare as he crashed to the ground and into the stanchion.



The quiet and reserved Giddey was feeling it today and after hitting Tyrese Maxey with a stepback jumper for two gave a rare flex for the ladies.



With SGA running the break and Philly trying to block off the paint, the All-NBA guard drew two defenders and found Lu Dort (9 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl) in the corner who banged his third three of the game.

[R1zzo23]

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

Just a heads up that I’m on a flight to Aruba today, won’t be back until Sunday and then back to work starting Monday. Excited to get back to this next week but updates will be a bit slower going forward.


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