The Pain Blazers | Blazers News | Bombs Away!

[Justine.]

Settings


Game: NBA 2K12 (PC)
Season Length: 82 Games
Playoffs: 7-7-7-7
Team Chemistry: On
Player Roles: On
Progressive Fatigue: On
Trade Deadline: On
Allow CPU Trades: Off (On when month of January comes)
Preseason Games: On
Play D-League Games: Off

Roster: Alby's (Trade Deadline Roster)
Sliders: Own
Draft Class: Nick's 2012 Draft class, generated for succeeding years
Quarter Length: 12 Minutes
Sim Quarter Length: 12 Minutes
Player FG%: Real Player %
Free Throw: Real Player %

[Justine.]

2011-2012 Team Roster



G | Raymond Felton | 6-1, 205 lbs | North Carolina
G | Wesley Matthews | 6-5, 220 lbs | Marquette
F | Nicolas Batum | 6-8, 200 lbs | France
F | LaMarcus Aldridge | 6-11, 240 lbs | Texas
C | Joel Przybilla | 7-1, 245 lbs | Minnesota



G | Jamal Crawford | 6-5, 200 lbs | Michigan
F | J.J. Hickson | 6-9, 242 lbs | North Carolina State
G | Jonny Flynn | 6-0, 185 lbs | Syracuse
G | Nolan Smith | 6-2, 185 lbs | Duke
F | Luke Babbitt | 6-9, 225 lbs | Nevada
F | Craig Smith | 6-7, 265 lbs | Boston College
C | Kurt Thomas | 6-9, 230 lbs | TCU
G | Elliot Williams | 6-5, 180 lbs | Memphis



C | Hasheem Thabeet | 7-3, 260 lbs | Connecticut
F | Shawne Williams | 6-9, 230 lbs | Memphis

2011-2012 Team Staff



Head Coach | Nate McMillan | 4 Years/$7.00M
Offense: B | Defense: B | Teacher: B | Potential: B



Assistant Coach | Bernie Bickerstaff | 2 Years/$500K
Offense: B | Defense: B | Teacher: C | Potential: B

NBA Scout | Johnny Malone | 3 Years/$3.00M
Level: D | Potential: C

Prospect Scout | Bobby Mason | 3 Years/$175K
Level: D | Potential: C



Trainer | Jay Jensen | 1 Year/$300K
Level: D | Potential: C

[Justine.]

NEWS & RECAPS

Season 2011-2012 (Year 1)

• Trail Blazers Season Recap 2011-2012
• NBA Season Recap 2011-2012
• 2012 NBA Playoffs: 1st Round Recap | Western Conference
• 2012 NBA Playoffs: 1st Round Recap | Eastern Conference
• 2012 NBA Playoffs: 2nd Round Recap | Western Conference
• 2012 NBA Playoffs: 2nd Round Recap | Eastern Conference
• 2012 NBA Playoffs: Conference Finals Recap | Western Conference
• 2012 NBA Playoffs: Conference Finals Recap | Eastern Conference
• 2012 NBA Playoffs: NBA Finals Recap
  
  Season 2012-2013 (Year 2)
• Blazers News: Blazers hire Olshey; introduces Porter
• 2012 NBA Draft Lottery
• ESPN: Around the League: Kidd retires, Spoelstra's extension, Lowry traded, NBA Mock Draft, Smith declines player option
• Blazers News: Blazers extend qualifying offer to Batum, Crawford exercises player option
• ESPN: Around the League: Raptors sign Valanciunas, Bynum's option, Maggette and Gordon swapped teams, Rockets sign Motiejunas, Budinger traded to Knicks
• NBA Draft 2012
• Blazers News: Blazers re-signed Felton and Hickson
• ESPN: Around the League | Players resigning; Hawes, Garnett, Kaman, Duncan
• ESPN: Around the League | Free Agency | Mayo to Celtics, Landry signs with Warriors, Camby returns to New York, Beasley to Cavs, Young and 76ers agree
• ESPN: Around the League | Free Agency | Nash will return to Dallas; adds Randolph to roster
• ESPN: Around the League | Free Agency | Clippers keep Billups, Ilyasova sign with Nets, Fields to Raptors, Hinrich rejoin Bulls, Wolves sign Roy to two-year deal
• ESPN: Around the League | Free Agency | Williams re-sign with Nets, Dragic and Gordon to Nets, Green re-sign with Celtics
• Blazers News: Blazers sign Novak, Blazers retain Batum after matching offer

[Justine.]

RESERVED

[Red Rocket]

Get LA 20/10.

Good luck dude. Was a huge follower of your Thunder Up! Association. Hope this can be just as good.

[Justine.]

Time To Move On

The Portland Trail Blazers have dealt with an endless series of injuries in recent years, and this year they decided to move on. On December of 2011, the Trail Blazers decided to use their amnesty clause to waive their injury-riddled guard Brandon Roy, this move was made in order to make room for Jamal Crawford. Amid of this, Roy also announced his retirement that shocked the league. They also waived their No. 1 overall draft pick way back in 2007, Greg Oden due to chronic knee problems.

Rebuilding Period

This season showed that there's no denying the fact that the Portland Trail Blazers are transitioning for a rebuilding period. In this year's trade deadline, they traded forward Gerald Wallace to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for some draft picks. They also managed to ship their defensive center Marcus Camby to the Houston Rockets for Jonny Flynn and Hasheem Thabeet.

Same 'Ol Problems

Seems that their star forward LaMarcus Aldridge got a spell of his own. Aldridge finish the 2011-2012 season and just played a career-low 51 games, missing games due to an ankle sprain. As a result, he was not recognized again as an All-Star this year. French forward Nicolas Batum also missed plenty of games due to injuries. Trail Blazers is known for this kind of problems and up to right they are still searching for solutions.

Missing The Playoffs

At the end of the season, the Portland Trail Blazers have missed the playoffs for the first time in four years. Portland finished with a losing record of 35-47, second worst in the West. But the future is looking bright. They've got a huge salary cap space to sign a big free agent this summer that could take them to the next level, plus they are expecting a high spot in this year's Draft lottery. With all the correct moves that the management will do, the Trail Blazers will find a quick way back to the playoffs.

Player Statistics

Portland Trail Blazers Season Statistics 2011-2012

[sunsfan13]

Make Batum an all-star

I Don't like the Blazers, but will be following this for sure. GL.

[Lamrock]

Best of luck, good sir. Unlike the above poster, I like the Blazers.

[Justine.]

Get LA 20/10.

Good luck dude. Was a huge follower of your Thunder Up! Association. Hope this can be just as good.

Thanks man. Obviously, LMA would be my main man and I hope I can get him that kind of numbers.

Make Batum an all-star

I Don't like the Blazers, but will be following this for sure. GL.

Batum All-Star? Unlikely. The East are stacked with forwards, (LeBron, Melo, etc.) I would be happy if he can do the dirty work, rebounds, defense, pressuring matchups just like in real life. I do like Batum. Thank you for following.

Best of luck, good sir. Unlike the above poster, I like the Blazers.

Thanks man. Hope you'll like this one and will not disappoint your favorite team.


As you all can see, I simmed the '11-'12 season and will start with '12-'13. Here's hoping this will turn out good and can be my best story.

[Justine.]

Sitting Back On Top

Once again, the Boston Celtics have found themselves on top of the league, where they belong few years ago.

The Celtics ended the season with a record of 59-23, they finished 1st in both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference, and had the league's best record. Entering the postseason, they earned themselves a home-court advantage throughout the Playoffs.

The resurgence from their perennial All-Stars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett helped them to earn the feat. Sharpshooter Ray Allen is still making his shots while Rajon Rondo's all-around play is a huge factor. The team's tenacious defense also stood out agian, leading the league by just allowing 88.5 points for the opponent.

They bested teams like the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat in the East, who notched the 2nd and 3rd spot respectively.

It is now the perfect time for the Celtics to win their 18th championship, because clearly, the chance of them winning it all is slowly running out.

2011-2012 NBA Regular Season Standings

Note: z - clinched conference | y - clinched division | x - clinched playoff berth

2011-2012 NBA League Leaders

Injuries

Updated: April 20,2012


• Brandon Bass | Broken Back | Out | 1-2 weeks
  
• Nate Robinson | Sprained Knee | Out | 1-2 weeks
• David Lee | Torn Hand Ligament | Out | 4-6 weeks
• Paul George | Broken Jaw | Out | Day-to-Day
• Blake Griffin | Sore Knee | Hurt | Day-to-Day
• Caron Butler | Sprained Foot | Out | Day-to-Day
• Andrew Bynum | Sprained Knee | Out | 2-4 weeks
• Kobe Bryant | Broken Arm | Out | 6-8 weeks
• Matt Barnes | Torn MCL | Out | 6-8 months
• Gilbert Arenas | Sore Knee | Hurt | 4-6 months
• Zach Randolph | Torn MCL | Out | 6-8 months
• Ekpe Udoh | Torn MCL | Out | 4-6 months
• Carmelo Anthony | Broken Arm | Out | 4-6 weeks
• Thabo Sefolosha | Dislocated Finger | Hurt | Day-to-Day
• Jameer Nelson | Seperated Shoulder | Out | Day-to-Day
• Spencer Hawes | Torn MCL | Out | 6-8 months
• Manu Ginobili | Sprained Wrist | Hurt | 1-2 weeks
• Danny Green | Sore Knee | Out | 6-8 months
• Boris Diaw | Strained Groin | Hurt | Day-to-Day
• Kawhi Leonard | Sprained Wrist | Hurt | 1-2 weeks

Awards

2012 NBA All-Stars



2011-2012 Most Valuable Player



Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder is the winner of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2011-12 NBA Most Valuable Player.

The 23-year-old Durant lead the Thunder to a 52-30 record and No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

The 5-year swingman totaled totaled 1,074 points including 85 first place votes, from a panel of 122 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five for third, three for fourth and one for each fifth-place vote received.

Durant bested out the other candidates for the award, including Miami's duo of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and the tandem of Boston's Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo.

Durant, the only Thunder to win award, loses his scoring title this year to LeBron, averaged 29.1 points, and career-highs in rebounds (9.4), assists (3.9), steals (1.7), blocks (1.3), solidifying his best season of his career.

2011-2012 Defensive Player of the Year



Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic is the recipient of the 2011-12 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. Howard becomes the first player in league history to earn the honor for four straight seasons; he's also the third player next to Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace to win the award four times.

Other candidates for the award includes Atlanta's Josh Smith who finished second, Detroit's Greg Monroe, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, and Boston's Kevin Garnett.

The 6-foot-11 center led the league with 12.7 rebounds, second in the league with 1.7 blocks. With Howard manning the middle, the Magic allowed 93.9 ppg, ranking tenth in that category.

2011-2012 Rookie of the Year



Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers is the recipient of the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the 2011-12 NBA Rookie of the Year.

Detroit's Brandon Knight finished second and Sacramento's Isaiah Thomas third. Other candidates are Minnesota's Ricky Rubio and New Jersey's MarShon Brooks.

Among first-year players, Irving ranked first in scoring (20.0 ppg), field goal percentage (.486) and free throw percentage (.882), while placing second in assists (5.0) and steals (1.3).

The top selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, Irving joins Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson and, LeBron James as the only No. 1 overall draft picks to average at least 18.0 points and 5.0 assists. In addition, he is one of only six rookies in league history to average at least 18.0 points, 5.0 assists, and 1.0 steal while shooting at least .450 from the field, joining Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Alvan Adams, Grant Hill, and Tyreke Evans.

2011-2012 Sixth Man of the Year



The Philadelphia 76ers' Lou Williams is the winner of the 2011-12 NBA Sixth Man Award as the league's best player in a reserve role. Williams, who led all NBA reserves in scoring (16.0 ppg), came off the bench in 75 of 79 games he appeared in, he's also the 76ers' leading scorer.

Toronto's Jerryd Bayless finished second, New York's Iman Shumpert came in third. Other candidates are Houston's Goran Dragic and Charlotte's Kemba Walker.

In order to be eligible for this award, players had to have come off the bench in more games than they started.

2011-2012 Most Improved Player



Greg Monroe of the Detroit Pistons is the winner of 2011-12 NBA Most Improved Player Award. The annual award is presented to a player who has made a significant improvement from the previous season.

Jeff Teague of the Atlanta Hawks and Shannon Brown of the Phoenix Suns finished second and third, respectively. Other candidates are Oklahoma City's James Harden and Philadelphia's Evan Turner.

Monroe is just on his second year in the league and the youngest to earn the award established career highs in scoring (16.1 ppg), rebounds (9.7 rpg), steals (2.0) and blocks (1.2). He increases his scoring from the previous season by 6.7 ppg and his rebounds by 2.2 rpg.

2011-2012 Coach of the Year



Boston's Doc Rivers is the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2011-12 NBA Coach of the Year. Rivers also won the award in the year 2000.

In his 8th season as head coach of the Celtics, Rivers guided Boston to a league-leading 59-23 record.

The Coach of the Year Award is named after legendary coach and Hall of Famer Red Auerbach who guided the Celtics to nine NBA Championships. In 1996, Auerbach was honored as one of the Top 10 Coaches in NBA History as the NBA celebrated its 50th anniversary.

2011-2012 NBA All-NBA First Team



2011-2012 All-NBA Second Team



2011-2012 All-NBA Third Team



2011-2012 NBA All-Defensive First Team



2011-2012 NBA All-Defensive Second Team



2011-2012 NBA All-Rookie First Team



2011-2012 NBA All-Rookie Second Team

[Lamrock]

Nice big recap of the season. Glad it went mostly to plan.

[Justine.]

2012 NBA Playoffs

First Round


(1) Oklahoma City Thunder (52-30) vs (8) Los Angeles Clippers (39-43)

The Oklahoma City Thunder got the first seed in the West, while the Los Angeles Clippers is back again in the Playoffs after a six-year drought as the eight seed this year. But it seemed that they will have their exit early, as the Thunder never showed much problem handling the Clippers, sweeping them with a fashion. The first two games were never a contest as they pounded the Clippers by an average of 43 points. Game 1 was led by Kevin Durant who had 41 points and 12 rebounds, Russell Westbrook rise into the occasion as he scored 39 points, Durant added 35. But the highlight of the series is Westbrook's game 3, he exploded for a franchise playoff-high 49 points to go along with seven assists while Durant netted 38 of his own. Westbrook picked up where left off in game 4, as he finished the Clippers by his 44 points. The duo of Westbrook and Durant looks very deadly right now and if they can keep this up, no one in the league can stop them to chasing that elusive title.

Game 1: 116-78 | Thunder
Game 2: 125-77 | Thunder
Game 3: 117-111 | Thunder
Game 4: 117-115 | Thunder

Series MVP: Russell Westbrook, averaged a surprising 35.1 ppg on a 54% shooting.


(4) Los Angeles Lakers (45-37) vs (5) Phoenix Suns (44-38)

We got a rival series again. The Los Angeles Lakers against the Phoenix Suns. Bad news is the Lakers are entering the Playoffs with an injured roster, including their main star Kobe Bryant and center Andrew Bynum. With both stars out, the Suns completed the upset. Lakers got the first blood with a win in game 1 who led by Metta World Peace who filled the scoring void by netting 23 points, Pau Gasol added 20. Suns steal game 2 thanks to a clutch shot by Steve Nash. As the series shifted, it was Suns all over. Ex-Laker Shannon Brown burned his old team by scoring 35 points while Marcin Gortat added a double-double (25p, 12r) en route to a victory. Game 4 was a game to forget for the Lakers as they were pummeled by the Suns, 79-107. Lakers refuse to lose though as Gasol's 28 points and 16 boards helped the Lakers to win game 5. Next game would be their last of the season, as Nash had 31 points to go along with 11 assists to finish off the unlucky Lakers.

Game 1: 107-101 | Lakers
Game 2: 80-78 | Suns
Game 3: 100-105 | Suns
Game 4: 79-107 | Suns
Game 5: 111-113 | Lakers
Game 6: 100-112 | Suns

Series MVP: Steve Nash, averaged 20 points and 8.8 assists.


(3) San Antonio Spurs (45-37) vs (6) Memphis Grizzlies (44-38)

Spurs vs Grizzlies Part II. Same series last year, but different results this time. The San Antonio Spurs got their revenge from their awful playoff-loss against the Memphis Grizzlies last year. Spurs, entered as an underdog downed the Grizzlies after five games. They steal game 1 from the home team thanks to Tim Duncan's double-double (19p, 13r). Grizzlies, who are missing Zach Randolph due to an injury managed to get back and win game 2, Rudy Gay led the team by his 26 points. But they never knew that will be their last win, as the Spurs took the next three games. Tony Parker's 26 points led the Spurs to a game 3 win, while sparkplug Stephen Jackson helped the Spurs in the next game by his 24 points. Spurs looked unstoppable next game as they crushed the Grizzlies, Parker had an all-around game, 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Game 1: 93-92 | Spurs
Game 2: 106-107 | Grizzlies
Game 3: 79-98 | Spurs
Game 4: 94-110 | Spurs
Game 5: 115-73 | Spurs

Series MVP: Tony Parker, averaged 16.1 points, 6 assists and 2 steals.


(2) Dallas Mavericks (49-33) vs (7) Golden State Warriors (39-43)

Defending champion Dallas Mavericks faced the Golden State Warriors, who's back in the playoffs, to start their title defense. The Mavs breezed through the Warriors to advance to the next round. Despite winning a surprising game 1 in Dallas by the Warriors, the Mavs steamrolled them in the next four games. Last year's Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki scored 35 points and grabbed 12 boards to a game 2 win, in the next game, he's still had the hot hand by scoring 35 points again, Vince Carter added 23. Same number was produced by Carter as he led the Mavs in game 4, Nowitzki and Jason Terry provided the finishing touch next game as they combined for 52 points in a close win.

Game 1: 103-100 | Warriors
Game 2: 99-100 | Mavericks
Game 3: 101-94 | Mavericks
Game 4: 100-95 | Mavericks
Game 5: | 115-117 | Mavericks

Series MVP: Dirk Nowitzki, averaged 27.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 50% FG, 50% 3PT FG

[sunsfan13]

Wow, didn't see that coming from the Suns Nash, despite his age, still averaged very solid numbers No surprises in the other series, Westbrook looked like a beast vs Clippers.

[Justine.]

Nice big recap of the season. Glad it went mostly to plan.

Tank mode! We've got a huge chance to snatch that top pick. So here's hoping.

Wow, didn't see that coming from the Suns Nash, despite his age, still averaged very solid numbers No surprises in the other series, Westbrook looked like a beast vs Clippers.

Well, they've got an opportunity, and they grabbed it. With both Kobe and Bynum out, things are really hard for them.

[Justine.]

2012 NBA Playoffs

First Round


(1) Boston Celtics (59-23) vs (8) New Jersey Nets (42-40)

The New Jersey Nets made it to the Playoffs this year before moving to New York, but they faced a tough Boston Celtics who's on top of the league. Game 1 was a story of balanced scoring for the Celtics, as five guys scored double digits led by Ray Allen who had 17 points, Kevin Garnett had a double-double (16p, 12r) while Rajon Rondo nearly flirted with a triple-double (11p, 13r, 8a). Next game would be Paul Pierce's show, as he scored 33 points to close the two games in Boston before flying to New Jersey, Garnett had 25 points and 10 rebounds. Nets fan are stoked next game, and they are able to bounce back, Deron Williams had 32 points and six assists in the game 3 win. He had 19 points and 16 assists next game, but MarShon Brooks, playing his first Playoff game, clearly was the man to help the Nets even the series, he scored 31 points to beat the Celtics. The next two games would be history, as the Celtics managed to eliminate the Nets after six games.

Game 1: 72-91 | Celtics
Game 2: 72-100 | Celtics
Game 3: 99-106 | Nets
Game 4: 91-116 | Nets
Game 5: 82-107 | Celtics
Game 6: 101-88 | Celtics

Series MVP: Paul Pierce, averaged 21.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4 assists, 51% FG, 49% 3PT.


(4) Atlanta Hawks (47-35) vs (5) Orlando Magic (46-36)

A series that is predicted to go seven games but turned out to be a broom game. The lower seed Orlando Magic swept the Atlanta Hawks in a surprise. These two teams also face each other last year, but the Hawks ousted the Magic. The reason for the sweep? Dwight Howard, who averaged 24.6 points, 13.2 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.7 blocks in four games. Hawks got no kryptonite to stop Howard. Game 1 turned out to be game to remember, Howard scored 29 points and grabbed a career-high 26 rebounds, he also had four blocks to seal the first game. In the next game, Magic managed to steal again a game away from the Hawks in their home, Howard had 30 points while Jameer Nelson added 21 points to a narrow win. Forward Ryan Anderson exploded for 35 points and had 12 boards in game 3, while he and Howard combined for 40 points to advance to the next round. A surprising story also was Josh Smith, who clearly disappeared, he averaged 7.5 points on a poor 34% shooting.

Game 1: 104-86 | Magic
Game 2: 102-101 | Magic
Game 3: 93-106 | Magic
Game 4: 100-101 | Magic

Series MVP: Dwight Howard, averaged 24.6 points, 13.2 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.7 blocks.


(3) Miami Heat (51-31) vs (6) Indiana Pacers (45-37)

The Indiana Pacers gave the Miami Heat a series, they've got a chance to knock them up but they came up short. In 7 games, we can say that the Pacers is must-watch team next season. Game 1, the LeBron James and Dwyane Wade connection clicked early, as they combined for 70 points to cruise to an easy win. They was caught surprised on the next game though, as the Pacers able to steal game 2, led by Danny Granger who scored 23 points, David West added 20. Next game would be for the Pacers again too, Granger had 25 to counter James' 20 points. The Heat would not let to be down 1-3, James scored 37, Wade had 36 and Chris Bosh added 20 in a game 4 win to even the series. Big Three's dominance continued in game 4 (James' 41, Wade's 26 and Bosh's 19) as they managed to grab the series lead. Pacers refuse to give up and bounced back with a game 6 win led Darren Collison who scored 19 points. In a not so expected game 7, Heat proved they have a mission to accomplish, as they finished off the Pacers after a hard fought seven games, James had 27 points and eight rebounds in the win.

Game 1: 81-114 | Heat
Game 2: 91-88 | Pacers
Game 3: 80-87 | Pacers
Game 4: 113-86 | Heat
Game 5: 113-120 | Heat
Game 6: 76-84 | Pacers
Game 7: 70-86 | Heat

Series MVP: Dwyane Wade, averaged 26.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals.


(2) Chicago Bulls (55-27) vs (7) Philadelphia 76ers (44-38)

The Philadelphia 76ers surprised the Chicago Bulls in game 1, as they drew first blood. But the next four games would be for the Bulls. Derrick Rose had 33 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a 40-points blowout win in game 2. Rose's 22 points and Carlos Boozer's 20 points helped the Bulls in the game 3 win. In game 4, Rose set a new playoff career-high by scoring 40 points en route to a victory. Andre Iguoadala had a magnificent game 5 performance, 23 points, six rebounds, seven assists and five steals but Rose countered with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while Richard Hamilton added 21 points to advance into the next round.

Game 1: 85-80 | 76ers
Game 2: 69-109 | Bulls
Game 3: 100-84 | Bulls
Game 4: 93-91 | Bulls
Game 5: | 93-101 | Bulls

Series MVP: Derrick Rose, averaged 28 points, seven assists, five rebounds, 50% FG, 50% 3PT.

[Mark.]

Fantastic presentation dude! Really liking this, can't wait to see what you do with season two!

[Mavs4Life]

Barely escaped? Those were 5 really close games haha, bring on those Spurs. And yeah, the presentation's really nice.

[Justine.]

Fantastic presentation dude! Really liking this, can't wait to see what you do with season two!

Thanks man. It's been a while! Glad to see you here.

Barely escaped? Those were 5 really close games haha, bring on those Spurs. And yeah, the presentation's really nice.

I just noticed it by now. Well, yeah, but Nowitzki is tearing it up, might have another trip to the Finals.

Second round of the playoffs recap coming up.

[akokulit]

Nice read! Please continue.

[Justine.]

2012 NBA Playoffs

Second Round


(1) Oklahoma City Thunder (52-30) vs (5) Phoenix Suns (44-38)

Phoenix Suns got a spot in the second round of the playoffs, after eliminating the Los Angeles Lakers because of the absence of their core players. But the hope died fast, as they faced the much powerful Oklahoma City Thunder. They were eliminated after five games. Russell Westbrook maintained his next level of play, leading the Thunder to the Western Conference championship. In game 1, Thunder crushed the Suns, 146-105. Led by Kevin Durant who had 42 points, Westbrook scored 33 while James Harden had 28 of his own. Same story for game 2, Westbrook netted 36 points, had eight rebounds six assists. With the next game played in Phoenix, the Suns got close with the Thunder but a cold-blooded three in the remaining seconds by Durant , sealed the 3-0 series lead, he again dominated with 40 points and had 12 rebounds, Westbrook added 30. Steve Nash didn't give up and carried his team in game 4, where he had 33 points. Shannon Brown, who had a surprising performance in first round finally came back to Earth in this series. Westbrook and Durant combined for 65 points while Harden posted 19 points to win game 5 and advance to the next round.

Game 1: 105-146 | Thunder
Game 2: 87-119 | Thunder
Game 3: 125-123 | Thunder
Game 4: 101-109 | Suns
Game 5: 107-130 | Thunder

Series MVP: Russell Westbrook, averaged 33 points.


(2) Dallas Mavericks (49-33) vs (6) San Antonio Spurs (45-37)

An exciting rivalry series that turned out to be one sided matchup at all. It is the Dallas Mavericks agaisnt the San Antonio Spurs. Dirk Nowitzki vs. Tim Duncan. Nowitzki and the Mavs emerged as the winner and will return to the Western Conference championship to battle it out again the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nowitzki despite shooting just 8-of-24 in game 1, was able to shook it off and scored 23 points to a victory. Duncan had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Nowitkzi played better in game 2, where he had a game-high 31 points, Jason Terry added 18. Spurs were able to bounce back to cut the series lead, Manu Ginobili led the way by his 28 points, DeJuan Blair impressed with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Nowitzki's dominance resumes in game 4, he exploded for 38 points en route to a win. Terry lead the way in game 5, scoring 33 points, Nowitzki had 27 points and 14 boards.

Game 1: 76-90 | Mavericks
Game 2: 78-90 | Mavericks
Game 3: 99-111 | Spurs
Game 4: 104-96 | Mavericks
Game 5: 76-98 | Mavericks

Series MVP: Dirk Nowitzki, averaged 28.4 points and 9.3 rebounds.

[Justine.]

2012 NBA Playoffs

Second Round


(1) Boston Celtics (59-23) vs (5) Boston Celtics (46-36)

Even the best team with the best defense in the league has clearly no answer for Dwight Howard and his Orlando Magic. As the lower seed knocked the no. 1 seed Celtics in seven games. What more surprising is the 3-2 lead by the Celtics after five games, Howard went berserk and carried his team to win the next two games and eventually win the series. In game 1, the Celtics dominated the Magic in both ends of the floor and secured the win, the Big Three combined for 62 points; Kevin Garnett 21, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen 20. Howard was the lone player in the Magic that performed well, chipping in 24 points and collected 13 rebounds and three blocks. Celtics completely thumped the Magic in the next game, an incredible 50-point margin, 119-69. Pierce led the way with 34 points on 12-of-15 shooting, nine rebounds and six assists. Garnett scored 26 points while Allen added 17. Magic only made a very poor 24 shots out of 68 attempts in that game. The series shifted to Orlando, and the Magic being downed 0-2, Howard decided to carry the load. He scored a game-high 33 points, 15-of-22 shooting night, grabbed 17 rebounds. A help came along provided by Ryan Anderson, who 23 points. Allen led the Celtics with 15 points in the losing effort. Howard's efficiency continued into the next game, he had himself an another big game, 36 points, 14 boards to secure game 4 and to tie the series at 2. Celtics woke up next game, Garnett scored 33 points to led the Celtics to a win, Howard had 19. Game 6, Magic delivered a some sort of a revenge prior to the game 2 blowout, they rolled into the Celtics by a margin of 55 points. Howard shined with 33 points, Jason Richardson added 22, Anderson had 21 while other three players went to score double figures. A game 7 was needed, and it was a game that everyone enjoyed, not only by the Celtics fans. Magic completed the upset and beat the Celtics despite being downed 3-2. Anderson is still impressive, by scoring 25 points, Howard had 19 points and 12 rebounds. Pierce had 21 in the thrilling game 7. The Magic will advance into the Eastern Conference championship, where they've won it few years ago, while the Celtics might be closing their title window as their chances of winning it all might be running out.

Game 1: 71-99 | Celtics
Game 2: 69-119 | Celtics
Game 3: 91-121 | Magic
Game 4: 83-108 | Magic
Game 5: 81-107 | Celtics
Game 6: 70-125 | Magic
Game 7: 87-85 | Magic

Series MVP: Dwight Howard, averaged 24.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 57% FG.


(2) Chicago Bulls (55-27) vs (3) Miami Heat (51-31)

A rivalry matchup between the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat was set early in the Eastern Conference second round. But it was not a series that basketball fans enjoyed at all, it was a series of bad luck. As the Bulls eliminated the Heat in just 5 games. Bulls took game 1 with Derrick Rose leading the way by his 31-point and 10-assist performance, Carlos Boozer also had a big game, 28 points and 14 boards, while Richard Hamilton chipped in 18. In a losing effort, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for 58 points, with them having 29 each. Heat was able to bounce back though, six players scored double numbers with Wade leading with 23 points. Bulls won a close game 3 in Miami, Rose netted 28 points while Luol Deng who's been sleeping in this year's playoffs, scored 20. James somehow had an excellent performance, finishing with a triple-double, 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. But that game turned out to be James' last game this season, in the first minute of the game 4, James drove into the lane and had a hard collision with Boozer in the air, James landed awkwardly in the floor grabbing his neck and cleary was in awful pain, he was carried into the locker room by a stretcher and never returned into the game, the Heat lost the game as well as James, who will missed the entire playoffs as the doctors diagnosed him a sprained neck and advised him to sit it out for 4-6 weeks. Wade tried to carry the whole load left by James in game 5 to avoid elimination, he scored 35 points and had 12 boards only to be countered by Rose's 40 points and seven assists to cut the Heat's hopes, but the Bulls also shared the same bad news the Heat has, Rose despite an excellent performance, once again rolled his ankle in the waning minutes of fourth quarter. He will not be able to play for 1-2 weeks, meaning he will not be at the team's playing roster in at least game 1 or 2 against the Orlando Magic in their Eastern Conference championship bout.

Game 1: 105-122 | Bulls
Game 2: 112-102 | Heat
Game 3: 96-93 | Bulls
Game 4: 107-105 | Bulls
Game 5: 83-89 | Bulls

Series MVP: Derrick Rose, averaged 27.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 1.4 steals.

[Justine.]

2012 NBA Playoffs

Conference Finals


(1) Oklahoma City Thunder (52-30) vs (2) Dallas Mavericks (49-33)

Last year, the Dallas Mavericks finished off the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games in their Western Conference bout, this time, they faced-off once again, and the Thunder made their exact revenge against the eventually 2011 NBA champions. The Mavericks can't keep up with the young, explosive Thunder as they stumbled and failed to defend their title. Game 1 was for the Thunder with Kevin Durant leading the way, by scoring 36 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki had 24 points in the loss. Despite a poor offensive game by the Thunder in game 2, they were able to shook it off and managed to grab the win. Durant had 30 points on a poor 9-of-23 shooting, Russell Westbrook scored 21, also on a tough shooting night, 7-of-21. Nowitzki was held to 9 points due to foul trouble. Mavericks got their only win in the series in game 3, where Vince Carter topped with 25 points, Westbrook scored 22 points to lead the Thunder. Nowitzki shot the lights out in game 4, but he and the Mavs failed to even the series in a game 4 thriller. He had a game-high 31 points on 11-of-18 shooting. Westbrook had himself 27 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. Durant 20 while James Harden added 19. Thunder went home to win their Western Conference crown in front of their fans, Westbrook had 28, but what he brought to the table was his defense, he collected a game-high seven steals in the outing. Durant had 26 points. Nowitzki scored 28 points in their last game of the season. The Thunder now will advance to the NBA Finals to face whether the Chicago Bulls or the Orlando Magic.

Game 1: 94-108 | Thunder
Game 2: 85-93 | Thunder
Game 3: 89-114 | Mavericks
Game 4: 99-98 | Thunder
Game 5: 85-95 | Thunder

Series MVP: Russell Westbrook, averaged 23.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3.2 steals.

[Justine.]

2012 NBA Playoffs

Conference Finals


(2) Chicago Bulls (55-27) vs (5) Orlando Magic (46-36)

After 13 years, the Chicago Bulls are back on the NBA Finals to face the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bulls emerged as the Eastern Conference champions as they beat the Orlando Magic in a seven exciting games. Derrick Rose missed games 1 to 5, with Bulls expected to be knocked off, but the team compensated the loss, they were able to squeeze the teamwork needed and they were able to fill the void left by their star. Game 1 was all about Bulls' tight defense, as they held Magic only to 57 points, veteran Richard Hamilton led the way with 22 points, Carlos Boozer added 21 while Joakim Noah provided energy to the team and had a big night in rebounds, pulling 20 boards. Dwight Howard scored 15 in the loss. Game 2 was also the same, Magic only made 31 shots out of 70 attempts. Boozer played an excellent game, he scored 28 points, collected 14 boards and had four steals. Hamilton had 14 while C.J. Watson who took the starting point, scored 14 and dished seven assists. Magic were able to bounce back next game with Howard's legendary game. He scored 38 points and pulled down 25 big rebounds, Jameer Nelson added 17. Hamilton netted 22 points for the Bulls in the rout. In game 4, the Magic again blowout the Bulls to tie the series, Howard had 20 points and 13 boards, Nelson scored 15 points and had 10 assists. Hamilton had 28 while Noah put up a double-double, 12 points and 12 boards. With Rose still missing, Magic looked to grab the series lead in game 5, but the Bulls held the Magic to cruise to a win. Hamilton once again led the team by scoring 16 points, Luol Deng had 15 points. Rose returned for game 6, he was obviously struggling as he shot a poor 6-of-21. He had 18 points and 10 assists as the Bulls fall. Howard posted a double-double, 24 points and 14 boards. Ryan Anderson provided 20 points to extend the series to game 7. In the last game of their tight series that went to an OT, Rose impressed with an all-around performance, he scored 31 points, dished nine assists and grabbed seven boards. Hamilton and Boozer came to help scoring 23 points and 22 points respectively. Howard scored 28 and had 12 boards in the series loss.

Game 1: 57-99 | Bulls
Game 2: 83-92 | Bulls
Game 3: 87-107 | Magic
Game 4: 73-105 | Magic
Game 5: 83-86 | Bulls
Game 6: 77-91 | Magic
Game 7: 99-107

Series MVP: Richard Hamilton, averaged 20.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2 assists.

[Mavs4Life]

Mavs were so close the evening!

[Justine.]

2012 NBA Playoffs

NBA Finals


(1) Oklahoma City Thunder (52-30) vs (2) Chicago Bulls (55-27)

The Chicago Bulls are your 2012 NBA Champions this year, as they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in just five games. Despite winning game 1 of the finals, the Thunder were unable to stop the Bulls as they clinched the next four consecutive games. A big game from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led the way, they scored 38 and 28 points respectively, Durant also collected 15 boards, seven assists and three steals. James Harden added 19. Bulls played bad who was topped by Derrick Rose who had 20 points but on a poor 4-of-17 shooting. He went to score 41 points and helped the Bulls to take game 2, Carlos Boozer had 18 points and 13 rebounds. Durant scored 36 in the loss. In game 3, all Bulls starting five scored double digits in the win, Rose led with 25, Richard Hamilton scored 19, Boozer provided 15 points, while Joakim Noah and Luol Deng both scored 10. Durant was still the high man for the Thunder, he scored 30 points. Bulls grabbed a convincing 3-1 series lead in game 4, where Rose netted 33 points, Noah had an all-around performance with eight points, 14 boards, six assists and four blocked shots. Durant struggled that game as he shot 3-of-19 en route to only 12 points. Bulls did not let the Thunder to return to their homestand, as they blowout them to win the Larry O'Brien trophy in front of their home crowd. Rose once again starred with 33 points, Noah had big 17 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks. Rose was then named as the 2012 NBA Finals MVP. With this feat, the Chicago Bulls had not yet to lose in a Finals series and this will be their seventh championship in their franchise history.

Game 1: 81-101 | Thunder
Game 2: 102-85 | Bulls
Game 3: 90-96 | Bulls
Game 4: 94-99 | Bulls
Game 5: 74-102 | Bulls

Finals MVP: Derrick Rose, averaged 28.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.1 steals throughout the Playoffs.