Does game get harder as season progresses?

Playing through my first season, and it seems that after the all star break the other team is making more shots, and my team is playing more poorly, missing more shots, and incapable of holding a late game lead - is this just me, or something programmed into the game?

I've never heard of anything like that It also happens to me, though in a different way, whenever I play a game the CPU always manages to make a fourth quarter run, even if I'm up by 20.

I'm in the middle of a game now - it's getting really stupid. I have Baron Davis, and he's 0-10 in the game so far, no points, missing everything he throws up. My favorite series just happened though - Robert Swift, rated 52, just scored over Brad Miller and Pau Gasol, who both went up at the same time to block his shot, but somehow weren't able to. Then, at the opposite end of the floor, Pau Gasol had an open lane to the hoop, and Swift shifted over as he drove - Gasol flipped up a weak lay-up and missed. My 8 point lead is now 4 - I gaurantee I will lose this game - about 2 minutes left. My kingdom for a decent sim instead of this joystick based crap.

The game usually gets easier for me as I progress through a season, since I'm usually not accustomed to the feel of my players. Once I understand who can do what on my team, then I have a really high chance of winning the game.

Here's another example. I am owning the LA Clippers all game long, up by 23 points at the end of 3 quarters. So in the first 4:40 of the 4th quarter they out score me 20-6. Did they shoot meth-amphetamine at the end of the 3rd quarter? Whoever coded this game like this should be flogged 100 times with a wet noodle. Unforgiveable.