My best NBA Finals ever!

[bulls96]

I am having the best NBA Finals ever in this year's game....

After 6 years of playing NBA Live, i am playing my first ever grudge match for the championship...

And NO... i didnt mean for it to happen, its just a really tough series...

Anyway I am playing as the '96 Chicago Bulls and am battling Magic Johnson's '87 Lakers for the championship (i created them dont ask me how long story)

I had the best record in the regular season with 49-9. Lakers finished #1 in the west with a 37-21 record. I fought Shaq's Miami in the first round (lost the 1st 2 games but won 4 straight to win 4-2), battled Billups and Detroit in the semis (swept them 4-0). and Bird's Celtics in the East Finals (won 4-1).

The Lakers, however were HOT! they swept thru their first 3 opponents (DAL, SAC, SA) and enter the Finals Unbeaten! Kareem was lighting it up with a 30.3 ppg clip with Magic averaging 11.1 apg.

But Much to my surprise, come Game 1... I WAS PLAYING AT THE STAPLES! (huge bug!)

Anyway i let it be. Maybe it would be a chalenge for me, i said. In the past lives, i have always won the Finals if not via sweep, then 4-1...

And BOY WAS IT A CHALLENGE!

I lose the first two games. 95-99, 105-107. They were in control. I had big runs in the fourth to close in but they had an answer for every run i had. Everytime i miss or turn the ball over, they were running down the floor! i mean RUNNING! gave up lots of fouls and FT's in the process.

I thought Ok will have to fight thru this one... I've lost the first 2 games before and still won...

I win Game 3. Blew them out in my house... 121-102. Said to myself, yeah I CAN beat these guys. No need to worry. Pippen had an AWESOME game. How does this sound... 28 pts, 13 asts, 12 stls, 9 rebs (OUch! missed a quadruple double! tried hard to get off rebs in the end but just couldnt get it... sad)

Just have to win another one and we're even...

But I dont. I lose game 5. 114-106. i had a slim 1 pt lead going into the fourth when all of a sudden they decided not to miss a shot. They got hot and no matter how closely i had them guarded they still made their shots. Worthy was big with 28 pts, Magic had 16 pts and 9 assts. Kareem 15pts 14rebs.

Sh*t!. I'm in a s**thole.

Down 3-1. I've never been this down before. NEVER.

Gonna make them pay. No team in NBA Finals History has gone down 3-1 and won the championship.

I'll be the first.

My hands started to sweat on the controllers already. Every possession had to be precise. No room for mistakes.

Game 5. My last home game in this series. I was mad. I won 107-86. But it came with a heavy price. Kukoc got injured in the 4th. Not to return.

Dammit i will have to make NBA history with a very thin bench. Will go into the lion's lair that is Staples Center without my precious 6th man...

Who will step up for Game 6?

Steve Kerr was a useless player to this point. He was #2 in the regular season in 3pt shooting at 49%, but has been AWFUL in the playoffs... he's been shooting just 6-28 from 3pt range... heck even Michael was shooting better from beyond the arc (33%).

But without Kukoc i knew i had to make him my 3rd scorer. And thank goodness he found his touch in just the right time.

In Game 6... Kerr shot 9/12 from the field, 4/5 from 3pt range en route to having 22 pts OFF THE BENCH to lead a strong supporting cast that had Luc Longley score 21 pts himself with 9 rebs in this pivotal victory in game 6. I won 127-103.

Series tied 3-3. Now I am just one win away from making NBA Finals History...

Havent played game 7 yet. Cant wait. will let you know... right after will have to rest my eyes a little coz i havent stopped playing since losing that Game 4... i was hoping to rest after that but came out going down 3-1 and i couldnt sleep without tying up the series at least (i play 12-min quarters superstar).


oh and btw, i simmed just right before the start of game 7 and thank God Kukoc is back at full health!!! Now i am ready to battle!!
Will play tomorrow, so until then...

[Jing]

hm.. congratulations i guess
i suppose is this a story so does deserve to be here...

[Seonadancing]

Wow. How i wish i could still play with the 96 Bulls and that 87 Lakers. EA should create a totally new division of games named EA Legends for all sports. Featuring all the great teams of the past battling each other, that would be something.

[Blasphemy]

That was actually a good story!
Cant wait to see if you win.

[Emiliano]

Seems very interesting! and thrilling as well! Good luck man, btw how is Jordan doing?

[Andrew]

Sounds really exciting! Good luck, hope you win.

[Blasphemy]

If AAndrew says something is good then it must be.

[All-Ball.net]

Hmm......... Wonder if you won, good luck. Its 2:36 AM here, im still up, and this story makes me want to play nba live 2006, which im going to now, !

[bulls96]

Just dropped by before i go play...

happy got some people interested...

anyway Michael Jordan has been great. You know i think i would have lost this series if it were not for this "created" guy (actually based his ratings on prev versions posted around here). He has been averaging in the playoffs 36 ppg 5.9 rpg 6.6apg 4spg. He has had to work double time because Scottie Pippen missed 4 games due to injury midway thru the Miami series (first round) and was hobbled at the beginning of the Detroit series. Pip for his part has averaged 19ppg 6.2rpg 6.6 apg and a league-leading 4 spg.

Kukoc was at the recieving end of this injury to Scottie and started in the 4 games Scottie was out (maybe the reason why he succumbed to injury in the Finals) He has upped his averaged about 15 ppg 4.5 rpg 5 apg and was a major player during the clinching victory over Miami where he scored 31 pts and dished out 9 assts.

Rodman led the league in rebounding during the regular season with a 12.9 rpg clip. In the playoffs it was down to 11.1 rpg (Shaquille O'Neal of the Orlando Magic was the top dog with 13rpg). He had a playoff high 19 rebs (10 or) in the blowout victory over Lakers in game 5. And plus he dishes out almost 3 apg.

On to game 7...

a few strategies i have thought of....

first, i thought the Lakers have been beating me on the boards. They are very quick to the ball. AC Green has been a headache, especially on the off boards, especially when Rodman is on the bench. He had a double double in their game 4 victory (12 pts 14 rebs, most of them offensive). I think i will have to put in Jason Caffey instead of Simpkins (put Caffey on the IR coz he had the lower rating) to add more youth and athleticism in my froncourt so i could challenge more. Games where i outrebounded the Lakers I usually won...

And Pippen has to be more aggressive. His highest output in the Finals has been 22 points in Game 6. I think he has to assert himself more scoring-wise. I have often relegated him to a Playmaker role...

And have to figure out how to stop the Lakers from running.... havent come up with a solution to that yet.... Did any? Bird did not and i could see how difficult it was... the only solution i could come up with is to HOPE that (1) I shoot the ball well (2) lessen my turnovers...

If i could do those, i think i'll be in good shape....

Ok wish me luck...

[bulls96]

Ok here it goes...

Game 7 was UNREAL...

If you read above, i had a gameplan laid out. Well in the First quarter, I did ABSOLUTELY NONE of those. I turned the ball over, missed lay-ups, they ran down, got the OR's and found myself down big 15-4 just 5 mins into the game! I tell you i was on the verge of restarting the whole thing! I would have loved to say it was the CPU killing me, but no... it was me
playin poorly and them playin great. After one i trail 36-26. Cooper scored 7 pts off the bench, Kareem had 6 pts and 6 rebs.

Well there was one good thing that came out of that 1stQ... Magic got into early foul trouble... WOrthy followed near the end... and that meant i had time to sit my bigger guards Harper and Jordan... But Pippen committed his 3rd PF 4 mins to go. Thank goodness Kukoc was already available so i put him in

2nd quarter. More of the same early. Lead ballooned to 15. Sh** i said to myself i should just restart this thing... But i held on and managed to take better care of the ball and closed in to within 7 pts. but what do you know... hell again breaks loose and Kukoc gets injured again! OUT FOR THE GAME. F**K! I'm swearing again... THats not all. MJ picked up his 4th PF with 4 mins to go in the 2nd! Dammit what luck...

Michael will have to sit this one for now. No choice but to put in Steve Kerr and Jud Buechler... with Pippen who had 3 fouls already... and what did you know... Kerr continued to have a hot hand to save my neck! He scores 8 pts in the quarter including a 3 pt shot to help me take the lead for the first time 60-59. Buechler also was big as he scores 5 pts including a 3pt play on a Bulls fastbreak. But Bryon Scott scores 14 pts in the period to help them regain the lead and put his team up 66-65 at the half. Magic Johnson again found himself in early foul trouble committing PF#3 one minute into the 2nd quarter... guess i had some luck left...

At this point, Kukoc was out of the game. Jordan had 4 fouls (16pts). Pippen had 3 (8pts all in the 2nd Q). I was in pretty bad shape...

Start of the 2nd half... i put Jordan in. and what a mistake it was. He commits Foul#5 after just 2 minutes while trying to defend the Lakers fastbreak. F**K it! i'm playin him... Its game 7 I had no choice. Just had to make sure i controlled him on defense ALL THE TIME... And i managed to live thru 5 mins. Just enough. In the 3rd i was defending pretty dam well... the Lakers still ran their fastbreak but i was in their faces... they forced it and missed in the process... I was able to control the boards and not let them get 2nd chances. Also, MJ managed to score 7 pts before taking a rest 4 1/2 mins to go. And then Pip started to play... He had 10 pts in the quarter. ANd again Steve Kerr came out to replace Jordan and scored on a big 3 pointer to put my team ahead by 11. Wow. Thats why he was my 4th favorite Bull... I outscore the Lakers in the 3rd 28-16.

4th quarter. I had an 11-pt lead and was 12 mins away from NBA History and winning the championship. I just had to defend and stay focused. But this was the Lakers and I was in LA. They were stubborn. They were dumping it to Jabbar who scored 7 pts in the period. My lead was cut to 6, 10 mins to go, forcing me to put Jordan back in with 5 fouls.

I was sweating. I dont think i ever held the controller this tight before. Both on defense and offense!

Still with Scott scoring on double teams on Jabbar and Magic putting it on (he had 6pts), my lead was cut to four. But I CLAMPED DOWN on them, closed the passing lanes and harassed Kareem everytime he had the ball. Ran the offense thru Jordan, and if he didnt score, he was able to find shots for the big men down low. I ran down the shot clock on every possession and the Lakers would never get closer.

I hold on to win 121-111. It wasnt pretty. But i'll take it. Going down 3-1 and going on to win 3 straight in the Finals... I was already proud.

Jordan finished with 29 pts (11/24 FG, 7/8 FT) 9 rebs 9 asts 3 stls 5 PF (POG of course). Too bad though I didnt notice i was near to getting a triple double - i would have worked on it. Pippen had 26 pts 3 rebs 6 assts 5 stls. Longley was again solid with 20pts 8rebs. But my hero was really Steve Kerr. He finished with 11 pts, 4/6 FG, 2/2 3pt. Dennis had 9 rebs.

In a losing effort, Kareem tried with 21 pts 13 rebs 2 assts 2 blks. Scott 26 pts. Magic Johnson was plagued by foul trouble all night and finished with 11 pts 1 reb 1 ast in 20 mins of play.

And that was it folks... still the best NBA Finals i had ever had in Live...

[Emiliano]

wow, very nice you know, you could make wonders by making a dynasty

[Andrew]

Love the recap, fantastic read. That's the kind of game you want to play in my opinion. Congrats on making history!

[zakIrah]

that is so cool. and what andrew said

could you take a pic of the bulls team? i'll bet they arent bad

[Blasphemy]

HOly shit mother fucker! I love this dynasty please please keep on updating this

PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jing]

yeah dude this is actually really good reading and recapping
keep up if u can

[bulls96]

I'll try.

Just feel i'm getting too old for this sometimes. Just had to share this one with y'all

[Cable]

You're never too old. How about you update this from now on, maybe go through a season? Please?

[bulls96]

Ok here's the BUMMER...

the legends retire after my first season

The only "retro" team i have intact are the Orlando Magic with Penny and Shaq (they each got resigned for 2 more years)

Good thing i created Pip and MJ and not have the legend version (though they are really not in the game) and was able to lock them up for 6 years (something Krause shoulda done)

Hmmm.. the Lakers are now composed of E. Brand (signed 5 yrs) and D.Miles... and because they were created... B.Scott Green and Cooper are still there....

Atlanta retired 'Nique and signed Josh SMith and Ben Wallace! (how can Det let him go?)

The biggest switch was M.Redd who signed with G.State (this team formerly had Wilt CHamberlain and B.Cunningham), while Pierce took over Milwaukee.

B.Bowen retired, forcing SA to put R.Horry on the SF spot. guess that didnt turn out good for them.

Player development...
my "created" Kukoc went down from 77 to 74 and lost his playmaker status. He gained weight Pip however increased from 96 to 97 and retained all superstar powers Also was nice to see Jud Buechler grow a beard this time around. Him and Kerr also improved. As for MJ, no dev't there, he is already a 99

[Blasphemy]

You are the best writer in the world! You should write a book or something because this dynasty...is my favorite ever. If you stick with this everyone will read it! So please dont quit. You just have a way to suck everyone in to the story. Update frequently, I cant wait for the next update!

[LegoTP]

It is such a great reading... I love your recaps, keep it up !

[flipz]

lol i cant believe i read that long story, it was a great win...nice details

[Cable]

You can change the .dbf so they won't retire

[Andrew]

I believe bulls96 is playing one of the console versions though.