.::NYK::. [Big Apple Magic!!]

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@ LAL

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LAKERS 111 KNICKS 109
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Bryant Scores 64 as Lakers Top Knicks

[BOXSCORE - KNICKS AT LAKERS]

Kobe Bryant always has wanted to be mentioned with the all-time greats. His performance against the Dallas Mavericks certainly was the stuff of legend.

Bryant scored a phenomenal 62 points - the most in the NBA in 11 years - to propel the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-109 win over the Knicks

The 27-year-old Bryant became just the 19th player in league history to reach the 60-point plateau and the first since Philadelphia's Allen Iverson against Orlando on February 12 of last season.

His explosion was the most points by any player since San Antonio's David Robinson scored 71 points in pursuit of a scoring title in the 1993-94 season finale at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Bryant started off his magical night with an 18 point quarter on 7-10 shooting as the Lakers held a slim lead after one 33-29. The game remained close and by the end of the third its was tied 77-77 and by that point Bryant had 32 points.

The superstar guard connected saved the best for last as he went off in the fourth to make history scoring every which way, fadeaways, layups, free throws, Bryant did it all as he carried the Lakers for 32 more points as he finished the night with the decisive jumper. Kobes 64 points came on 26-of-46 shots, including 1-of-3 from the arc, and 11-of-13 free throws.

The Knicks who led early in the fourth had no answer for Kobe as they just watched him take over the game.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson knows quite a bit about high-scoring games after coaching Michael Jordan. After the game Jackson said: "I've seen a few 60-point ballgames in my time, but none like this one... his 32-point fourth quarter was incredible."




[BOXSCORE - KNICKS AT LAKERS]

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huge game from kobe there, bad luck on the loss

i like the style of this dynasty, though the box scores are sort of hard to read.

i like the style of this dynasty, though the box scores are sort of hard to read.

Actually, I like them. Although the writing is a bit shaky.

Oh! Where did you find the jersey updates?

huge game from kobe there, bad luck on the loss

i like the style of this dynasty, though the box scores are sort of hard to read.

yea kobe had a huge game, but im partly responsible, i edited his offensive ratings like a week a go after that 81 pt game and in the game i was trying to shut everybody out and make kobe beat me, and yea i dont really like the boxscores but thats one of the negatives of nba live 2004 as far as the stats engine and presentation is concerned

i like the style of this dynasty, though the box scores are sort of hard to read.

Actually, I like them. Although the writing is a bit shaky.

Agreed. Im not much of a writer but im also too lazy
Now that im more orless up to speed ill try to write better

Oh! Where did you find the jersey updates?

yea my bad, when i was replying i tried to make sure i answered that question but it mustve slipped my mind.
Im not sure which jersey updates you are talkin about but the jerseys i have i got from dotorg, i think jowe made them not sure and the other updates i got from the here, the 04 announcements

aw man! Kobe with another huge game, but this time, in a video game He scores a lot any where no matter what. But tough loss Go kill the next team!

Thanks man, I will try then Tough loss against Lakers!

COMMENTARY
Say Goodbye to the Bad Guy?

Stephon Marbury has asked Larry Brown to switch him to shooting guard for the Knicks. The request came after Kobe Bryant scored 64 points, many on Marbury in a Laker victory. Marbury had 16 points and 6 assists. Marbury feels like he was not allowed to go back at Bryant on the other end of the floor. Everyone knew this confrontation was inevitable and New York’s 5-17 record only sped it along. The problem is Marbury feels held down in Brown’s strict system, much the same as Alan Iverson and Chauncy Billups felt when they played for him. So Stephon would like to be used the way Iverson was, as two guard. However the Knicks only options at point guard beyond Marbury are rookie Nate Robinson and combo guard Jamal Crawford. As a result Marbury will stay at point guard and the two will continue to battle.

Marbury will undoubtedly get all the blame for the problems and be branded a selfish malcontent. In then end he will either conform or be traded out of town. In a lot of ways a selfish malcontent is exactly what Stephon Marbury is and has always been, but Brown deserves a lot of blame too. The $50 million coach is going to get a free pass from Isaiah Thomas and the media, based on his amazing track record but he is far from innocent. Yes Brown’s was able to take the Pistons to the promise land in his first year in Detroit and yes he is a great coach, but his absolute inability to bend in anyway has been his undoing at nearly every stop. No matter how much he dislikes the way Marbury plays; he is his best player and the only man on the Knicks’ roster that anyone in the NBA fears. Forcing him to be something he’s not will get this team nowhere. A compromise needs to be reached, and Isaiah Thomas would be well served to step in here. If Brown had his way in Detroit Chauncy would have been traded and there is no way the Pistons would have won a title and nearly won a second. Joe Dumars stepped in repeatedly and let Brown know who was boss and who would be making personal decisions. Dumars also acted as a sounding board for Billups and worked to pad the relationship between the two. Brown knew there was no way he would ever get Dumars to move his star player and he knew Chauncy had to play his game to win so he allowed it to a point. The two still butted heads often and Brown’s style probably cost the Pistons against the Spurs who unlike the Lakers were not imploding. All it takes is one look at the way Billups is dominating games especially against the Knicks to see that Brown was a hindrance. There is a reason none of the Pistons cried over Brown leaving.

It seems that Brown has really lost touch with the modern NBA player and his effectiveness as a coach maybe just about gone. One should not forget that he took over a Pistons team that had just lost in the conference finals and had won 50 games two years in a row. The Knicks however are a young team in need of building up. This does not seem to be Brown’s strength in anyway as he usually buts heads with young players. Marbury for all his faults is a very affective player when he is attacking the basket and making things happen. He also is a very gifted passer and not a ball hog. He is a scorer who can and will still make plays for others. So instead of destroying him and making him miserable why not build around him? Isn’t that what your supposed to do, get a star and roll with him? Instead of taking a way a player’s strength let him use it. New York is not devoid of talent, Antonio Davis, Eddie Curry, Channing Frye. Jamal Crawford, and Quentin Richardson make a hell of a nucleus. Throw in Marbury and they should be a much better team than they are. Brown refusing to let players play their game and being obsessed with his system has held the team down not improved it. A coach is supposed to evaluate the strength of each of his players and adapt to it. Brown instead tries to force players to “play the right way” the problem is he fails to see there is more than one-way to skin a cat. Part of me honestly believes the Pistons won a title and nearly another despite of Brown not because of him. His mistakes in Detroit were many however his players made up for a lot of them. Brown may still be an effective coach but I am not sure. Another example would be last summer’s Olympic team. Brown has Lebron James, Carmello Anthony, and Marbury on that roster. However James and Anthony almost never got off the bench and Marbury clashed with Brown. The players were looked at as the problem as Larry Brown could never be the reason. I smell a rat here, but thank God he is in a rat town like New York. One thing is for sure he is the wrong coach for the New York Knicks. Isaiah Thomas is not going to go against a coach he paid all that money for so I expect Marbury to be traded. However I don’t ever expect L.B. to build a winner in Gotham.

Interesting article. I disagree about Larry Brown though- he holds his players to a very high standard, in order to make them better players, not restrict them. He's not stupid- he wants to get the best out of them; he has no desire to make their games worse. He's seen success doing things his way, and so he wants to stick to that way with the Knicks.

When he was in Phili, Allen Iverson still got his shots, and the team went to the Finals. Have they even come close to the Finals since, despite having players like Chris Webber, Andre Iguodala, Glenn Robinson, etc.? No.

Marbury is getting 14.2 shots per game this year, and he averaged 16 per game last year. Just by the numbers it seems like Steph is getting his chances, but he's shooting low percentages this season: 44.8% FGs, 26% 3PTs.

It would be best if the two could get along, but I agree that Marbury may have to be traded. I'm not sure if you could someone as good in return, though, unless you package some players together.

Make your decision wise, because it's gonna be a very important one for the franchise.

bullsfan i actually got this from a blog i was reading, i only changed somethings to make it go with my dynasty but i thought it would be interesting to add it, i like the way it builds up my dynasty story, i shouldve put down the guy who worte it but i didnt feel like going back cuz i dont remember where exactly i got it from but it was an interesting read and made a good add to my story just stay tuned, im pretty sure my decisions will be for the better

i agree with ur points on larry brown, if i didnt like LB i wouldve "fired" him or something but larry is a piec of the puzzle that im trying to complete, the question is who else is a piece? stay tuned...

Very nice article

Marbury deserves to be traded indeed. He's so underrated.

KNICKS NOTEBOOK
Brown vs. Marbury Is Tried in the Press



Larry Brown and Stephon Marbury spent another day in a rhetorical standoff, using reporters as their debate forum while curiously declining to confront each other directly.

If they have reached an impasse in their young relationship, neither would say so. But they made no attempt to put a positive spin on it, either. Instead, they each stuck to their respective positions about last week’s loss to Detroit, which ended with Brown questioning Marbury's reluctance to shoot and Marbury insisting he was doing what the coach wanted.

They did not speak on the Knicks' late-night flight to Seattle, nor before Thursday's practice in Utah. For almost a week, their feelings were passed by proxy, through the news media.

"It's over, in my mind," Brown said. "I've got 12 guys suited up and 15 guys on the team and we've got to try to get better. So that’s been my focus this week and during the road-trip."

The tension between point guard and coach is not the primary reason for the Knicks' 5-17 record, just the most glaring. But it is disconcerting enough that it prompted Marbury to issue an unprovoked plea for patience to his employers Thursday.

Marbury, asked again about Brown's critique of his passive performances, responded with a non sequitur that implied a much deeper concern: that the team's failures, and his own, could hasten his departure from New York, his hometown.

"Man, I love New York, and I want to be here more than anything," said Marbury, who was acquired in January 2003. "And whatever it's going to take for me to win, I'm going to do it. Because I feel like New York deserves it. When I first came here, that's the only thing I wanted to do, was win and be a part of the New York tradition. And I finally got the opportunity, and whatever it's going to take for me to do to win, that's what I'm going to do. And if it's sacrificing my game, I'm willing to do that."

Generally terse with reporters, Marbury was unusually garrulous. He took the rare step of mentioning James L. Dolan, the Madison Square Garden chairman, by name. But Marbury also sounded fatalistic about the consequences of continued strife.

"I play to win and I play it to feed my family," Marbury said. "And I love Mr. Dolan for that. And I love him for bringing me here. or us, once we all get to the point where we've had enough, then that's when it's going to be enough."

Clearly, Marbury hopes that "enough" has not yet arrived, that he has not reached a breaking point in his relationship with Brown, no matter how fragile the partnership seems.

The Knicks cannot afford to reach that breaking point, either. Brown and Marbury are both practically immovable; Brown because he signed a five-year, $50 million contract in July, and Marbury because he is owed $77 million over the next four seasons.

The Knicks have gone 65-91 and are on their fourth head coach since Marbury arrived, and for the first time he has become the target of fans' discontent. He was booed at two recent home games.

Brown has generally been protective of Marbury, praising his effort even on nights when Marbury's performance was substandard. But this is the second time the coach has publicly criticized Marbury, who was clearly irked by it. He twice declined to answer questions about their relationship and seemed uninterested in clearing up the current disagreement over his shot selection.

"I don't need to talk to him," Marbury said of Brown. "He needs to come and tell me what he wants me to do if that's what he feels is the case. When he came here, I was willing to make a sacrifice, and I'm still willing to do that. I'm still willing to do whatever it takes to win in New York."
At Brown's behest, Marbury has been working to pass more and dominate the ball less. He is shooting less and scoring less than at any time in the last eight years. In shooting only once versus Detroit and then taking 13 shots in the first quarter in another loss to Golden State he appeared to take the directive too far.

After reviewing the game film, Brown said it "wasn't a typical Stephon Marbury game."

"He had a lot of good looks that he didn't look to take," Brown said. "And I think you can hurt your team by doing that. If we're going to be successful, he's got to get guys shots because he's a scorer and he creates attention, and he's got to get his own shot."

If it sounds as though Marbury is caught between conflicting directives, he is. "There's no in-between with me," he said.

Marbury cited the high-scoring performances against Orlando by Eddy Curry (22 points) and Jamal Crawford (18 points) as justification for shooting less, saying, "I made the pass to the guy that was open, and sacrificed my shot."

So there is confusion and tension and perhaps it should all be expected as the dogmatic, old-school coach tries to mesh with the younger, hard-headed point guard. They seem to agree on one critical issue, though - that their relationship is "the most important thing," in Marbury's words.
"I have to be an extension of him" on the court, Marbury said. "The lines of communication always have to be open. It's a process that's taking place every day. Every day I'm trying to get better at doing exactly what he wants."

TONIGHTS GAME
The Knicks will hope to finish their long west coast trip on a positive note as they look to go home with a win against the Utah Jazz.
(written by Howard Beck, I edited so it would fit with my dynasty story)

Tough one against the Lakers, Kobe was huge with 64! I love the articles too, keep up the good work.

91
89

Knicks Finish Road Trip With Win

[BOXSCORE]

The Knicks finished their five game West Coast road-trip and put and end to their three-game skid.

Trailing by as many as ten going into the fourth the Knicks used good defense and teamwork to pullout the victory, 91-89.

"We were playing good basketball for most of the game but then we kind of relaxed and got careless with the ball. They were able to take advantage of the turnovers and get easy baskets. Luckily we were able to go back and do the things that helped us be successful in the first half and get the win." said coach Larry Brown.

The Knicks had six players in double figures. Crawford led the balanced attack with 15 points.

For Utah, rookie Deron Williams scored 15 points and handed out 10 assists, but hurt his teams chances as he shot just 6-24 from the field including 0-10 from behind the arc.

NOTES
Quentin Richardson played just 2 minutes after leaving the game early with a injury to his back. He is day-to-day and will be re-evaluated tommorow when the Knicks return home.

UP NEXT
The Knicks go back home and host the 10-12 Denver Nuggets.

111
104

Miller and Co. Race Past Knicks

[BOXSCORE]

Andre Miller and Carmelo Anthony combined to spoil the New York Knicks return home.

Miller scored 38 and Anthony added 20 to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 111-104 victory over the struggling Knicks.

New York was fresh off a season-high five-game road swing. The team was hoping to come back home and win back to back games, but 21 turnovers and the loss of starting point guard were too much to overcome. Marbury left the game early in the third and had 6 points in 18 minutes.

"It's been typical of us to turn over the ball," Knicks coach Larry Brown said. "The turnovers are consistent with us."

Andre Miller was hot early on and when he wasnt scoring he was dishing it to his running mate, Carmelo Anthony.

"I still think I'm trying to find my shot a little bit," said Anthony, who was 9-of-16 from the field. "I take what the defense gives me, take the easy shot and get out in the open court and run. It was the the first time all year I haven't seen a double-team. Dre took advantage of it and found me on the break."

Sloppy play by the Knicks helped the Nuggets build their largest lead of 66-47 when Andre Miller hit a layup with 8:41 remaining in the third.

Jamal Crawford, who collected 25 points, led a charge that helped New York get back in the game. Crawford hit a 3-pointer to make it 107-104 with 1:53 to go.

Crawford had a chance to tie the game 20 seconds later but missed a contested three. Frye, who scored 18 points, got the rebound and kicked it back out to Crawford but he missed again.

Miller was fouled and connected on both free throws seal the win.

"We had a chance at the end, Jamal tried to carry us offensively but their guys kept hitting shots" Brown lamented.

New York got solid efforts from two other rookies, Nate Robinson and David Lee. The diminutive Robinson scored 13 points and Lee added 14.

"Our young kids will make mistakes, but it will come with effort," Brown said. "They tried to do the right things. We have six young ones. This group never gives up."

Nice win

BTW, cool looking jerseys

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Up Next
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Record: 6-18


Up Next: WAS, GSW, TOR, ATL

wow nice dynasty man !! and nba live 04 rulez !! best live so far ...

aw man! Kobe with another huge game, but this time, in a video game He scores a lot any where no matter what. But tough loss Go kill the next team!

yea i kobe killed me, and finally a win against the jazz

Thanks man, I will try then Tough loss against Lakers!

btw the retro ones were by F.T.W

Very nice article

Marbury deserves to be traded indeed. He's so underrated.

thanks, lets see what happens with marbury

Tough one against the Lakers, Kobe was huge with 64! I love the articles too, keep up the good work.

yea ill try to keep this going, so far so good

Nice win

BTW, cool looking jerseys

thanks, btw retros= FTW

wow nice dynasty man !! and nba live 04 rulez !! best live so far ...

thanks for checking it out, and hopefully EA can make a better live instead of taking steps back

Im getting pretty close to making a big trade...

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Simmed
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THOMAS: MARBURY NO LONGER NUCLEUS OF KNICKS
By MARC BERMAN

December 17, 2005 -- While the rumblings inside the organization
have suggested all season the Knicks are no longer building around
Stephon Marbury, team president Isiah Thomas finally went public with
that fact over the weekend.

Thomas said the Knicks have "three building blocks" and none of them
is named Marbury. Thomas said the three untouchables are coach Larry
Brown and his pair of 22-year-old big men, Eddy Curry and Channing
Frye.

"From there, you start moving to fill around those three pieces,"
Thomas said on WFAN. "When you have really good bigs, you find the
guards to complement the bigs."

Thomas said he expects Marbury to be on the roster after February's
trading deadline, but warned things will change if the veteran guard
and Brown do not connect.

Thomas' remarks publicly confirmed a report by the Post's Peter Vecsey
in November that the Knicks are willing to deal Marbury.

"I'm hoping [they connect]," Thomas said of Marbury and Brown. "I do
know they're both trying extremely hard, bending over backwards trying
to accommodate each other. At the end of the day, if it's not working,
we'll have to do something about it."

And the point guard — not the coach — would be the one to go.

"Either you do it or mentally wilt," Thomas said of playing for Brown.
"I have faith in Marbury; he won't mentally wilt. . . . If there's a
guy who can't find a way to play the way Larry wants, we'll try to
move him."

Good shit man. This is some olf school ish ay ? Haha.
You gon do some trades ?
Weird seein 2004 compared to 06. Haha. Keep this shit up.
PEACE

Nice Dynasty

Ouch, lost by 33 to the Wizards. Only 6-20, but for the Knicks that's not exactly unexpected. . Maybe you'll be able to pull it together with this big trade you're going to do...

Hey There! Good going on the Dynasty! It looks like you're really putting a lot of effort into this!

Also, I see that you're a quarter of the way done with your season...would it be possible if you could send me your Stat (pstat) file to evaluate your team's efficiency score? I started doing this for 2004 dynasties and it'd be cool to evaluate yours. Check it out I at:

http://www.livegmc.com/cgi-bin/livestats.cgi

I hope your version of Marbury can makes things happen in New York...5-16 record seems a bit tough to swallow...(it kind of like my 2005 Online record)

ouch Deron Williams 0-10 on 3s

this is all looking really good, and I really like your screens