Denver Nuggets - The Next Level [Game 3 + 4]

[Axel The Great]

Worst case scenario, you win in 6. Rematch of the Conference Finals of last season (in this dynasty) isn't it? Hope you make Glanville pay for his flopping too.

You have a good memory (or you read back a few pages ), it will be a rematch of that indeed. And Glanville has been paying for that ever since he did it

Yeah, it's just good memory. I'm too lazy to go back and read a few pages back to do something like that.

And so the Clippers curse continues. No surprise with Chauncey still tearin' it up, but J.R. Smith has also stepped up. Just waiting for KD to score more...

[Houndy]

Clippers are Clippers; they suck. I want a LeBron vs Durant WCF

[megarover]

Rose had a pretty great series but you still dominated. My advice to Rose is make sure you dont get drafted by the Clippers

[kibaxx7]

Superb sweep Epic Spurs-Suns series!

[Warlock95]

So, did Lebron and the Suns advance?

[Kenny]

Woooooo!
i smell dust! gotta sweep em up baybeh!
Great job on the sweep dude!

And wow whatta performance by Smith and Mr.Big Shot. they placed up great numbers!
WOW! i dont even know who will be the Finals MVP if ever you will win it (NBA Championship).
Its either Smith or Billups.

Thats Second Year In A Row !!!!!
Breat Jon MAN!!!!!!

J.R. and Billups have both been fantastic of late; if I was going to give a Finals MVP award to one of my players now, it'd probably be Billups at the moment... things can definitely change quickly though.

Always appreciate your enthusiasm

Mavs are better than the Clippers... Now win again

I shall do my best sir

Worst case scenario, you win in 6. Rematch of the Conference Finals of last season (in this dynasty) isn't it? Hope you make Glanville pay for his flopping too.

You have a good memory (or you read back a few pages ), it will be a rematch of that indeed. And Glanville has been paying for that ever since he did it

Yeah, it's just good memory. I'm too lazy to go back and read a few pages back to do something like that.

And so the Clippers curse continues. No surprise with Chauncey still tearin' it up, but J.R. Smith has also stepped up. Just waiting for KD to score more...

The Durantula has definitely been disappointing overall in the playoffs. He's had his moments but he's just lacking the consistency. In saying that though, Billups and Smith are really playing well.

Clippers are Clippers; they suck. I want a LeBron vs Durant WCF

I know; after my trip to California, I became a fan of them... but I realise their suckiness

Rose had a pretty great series but you still dominated. My advice to Rose is make sure you dont get drafted by the Clippers

The thing is, I'm actually not sure whether Rose was drafted by the Clippers. I'll have to double check, but I think he was acquired from free agency one year.

Superb sweep Epic Spurs-Suns series!

Yeah, I wish I could see that series because those two absolutely hate each other

So, did Lebron and the Suns advance?

You shall find out soon

[Kenny]

2018 Playoffs
Conference Finals Preview


Results

WEST

(1) Denver 4 - 0 LA Clippers (5)
(2) San Antonio 4 - 2 Phoenix (3)

EAST

(8) New York 4 - 2 Toronto (4)
(6) Charlotte 4 - Washington 3 (7)

Denver Vs San Antonio

The Lineups



The Starters

| Chris Andersen | George Power | Kevin Durant | J.R. Smith | Chauncey Billups |

The Bench

| Yao Ming | Brandon Jennings | Borislav Perko | Garth Vine | Nicolas Batum | Jordan Hill | Robin Lopez |

IR

| Taylor MacKenzie | Patrick Mills | Basil Richter |



The Starters

| Donovan Robertson | Rudy Gay | Alejandro Carlos | Johnny Gibson | Aaron Brooks |

The Bench

| Martin Feehan | Austin Pearson | Quint Miller | Rick Kelly | Kerry Hofmann | Jamie Mathieu | Joe Alexander |

IR

| Chase O'Leary |

Keys

The Former MVP

At the backend of the Clippers series, J.R. Smith really lifted his game. San Antonio mustn't lose track of where he is on the floor, because Earl can hurt you from anywhere. In the same token, J.R. can often camp behind the arc if his confidence is down. In whatever case, he is a guy who can change the outlook of this series.

The Tormentor

Rudy Gay has had big games previously over Denver in the years passed. Like J.R. Smith, he can shoot from anywhere and finish at the rim as well as anybody. He's also a great rebounder and shot blocker as well because of his athleticism. He is always hard to handle and will require the attention of Denver's best defender.

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A lot of possible situations come out of the results in the West. With San Antonio knocking them out and the entire Big 3 coming up on free agency, the Suns could be looking to rebuild next season. It's also 1st Vs 2nd in the West.

On the Denver side of things, they face a team that eliminated them in the first year of this dynasty. One team on the East that could make history is New York. If they win against the Bobcats, they'll be the first team to make the NBA Finals with the 8th seed... twice! If Denver lose the WCF, they could also play the team that beat them their previous run.

However it pans out, it's sure to be an interesting turn of events. The first 4 games will be up next.

[Andrew]

Congrats on sweeping the Clippers, that overtime game sounds like an exciting one. Game 4 left no doubt as to whom is the better team, though. Good luck against the Spurs, I'll once again pick you to sweep (and should that fall through, five games max).

[maksie]

good luck against the Spurs,you can knock them out in 4 !

[.PorkyJoker.o6]

I Smell Sweep!
Do what the Suns did to them!!!

[dare]

Haha, rooting for NYK

[kibaxx7]

Nuggets-Knicks on the Finals, I hope. Knicks 8th seed!

[megarover]

This should be a interesting series since Gay always seems to get the best of you. I hope the Knicks get to Finals again.

[Axel The Great]

Aaron Brooks FTW!!! This should be an interesting series, but I see you advancing, since the Suns would've probably given you a better challenge. Good luck!

[Houndy]

Beat the hell out of Brooks, and sweep them

[rise]

Hope you see my Bobcats in the Finals!

[Warlock95]

(gasp) Wha..? GAY's team defeated LEBRON's team?! What's Lebron's rating in this dynasty anyway?

Also, BEAT S.A.!

[Justine.]

Beware of the great Joe Alexander.

[Clutch]

J.R. should've gone to the line on the regulation clincher, damned refs! but at least you won in OT and completed an awesome sweep ... GL vs. the Spurs, but likely won't need it; they'd need 3 Rudy G's to slow you down!

[Kenny]

Congrats on sweeping the Clippers, that overtime game sounds like an exciting one. Game 4 left no doubt as to whom is the better team, though. Good luck against the Spurs, I'll once again pick you to sweep (and should that fall through, five games max).

Thanks Andrew, the Spurs are always a tough team. I used to struggle against GPFOAT and Manu, now Rudy Gay proves to be a real thorn in my side. Hopefully I can come out of that series and get to another NBA Finals series.

good luck against the Spurs,you can knock them out in 4 !

Thanks maksie... I'll see what I can do

I Smell Sweep!
Do what the Suns did to them!!!

I just need to get past the beast that is Rudy Gay

Haha, rooting for NYK

So am I... too bad Melo isn't playing for me and that Mardy Collins isn't playing for New York anymore

Nuggets-Knicks on the Finals, I hope. Knicks 8th seed!

Yeah, I like bandwagoning for the Starbury-less-Knicks

This should be a interesting series since Gay always seems to get the best of you. I hope the Knicks get to Finals again.

Very true, Gay has historically been a major threat to me. Then again, Ty Maximilian made his name by lining up against him too, so it's provided me good stories on both sides of the coin.

Aaron Brooks FTW!!! This should be an interesting series, but I see you advancing, since the Suns would've probably given you a better challenge. Good luck!

I thought you might like this matchup. There's 3 players of the current Rockets team in this series and I have 2 of them

The Suns do have the big 3, but the Spurs also have the greatness of Rudy Gay

Beat the hell out of Brooks, and sweep them

Oh, don't let Axel read that

I shall do my best

Hope you see my Bobcats in the Finals!

I like the Bobcats as well, but I'm bandwagoning for the Knicks in this one... I'm actually not sure who the Bobcats have in their lineup. I think their gun player is a generated guy named Reuben Walker.

(gasp) Wha..? GAY's team defeated LEBRON's team?! What's Lebron's rating in this dynasty anyway?

Also, BEAT S.A.!

LeBron choking in the playoffs isn't a massive shock is it? Besides; it's Stephen Curry's team now

LeBron = 91 rating in this dynasty

Beware of the great Joe Alexander.

Much like that Justin Bieber fan boy, I am truly shaking in my boots

J.R. should've gone to the line on the regulation clincher, damned refs! but at least you won in OT and completed an awesome sweep ... GL vs. the Spurs, but likely won't need it; they'd need 3 Rudy G's to slow you down!

Suffice to say, the referees aren't very consistent in this game, but I guess that OT period added extra excitement.

I suppose the times I faced Gay in the playoffs where I struggled, he had some pretty awesome teammates. Guys by the name of Kevin Durant, Stanley Alston and Tony Parker. Alejandro Carlos is a nice player and Aaron Brooks is an overachiever in this game, but yeah, across the board they're not as great as that OKC team.

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I have the first 4 games ready, I'm just waiting for the EA server to finish up their maintenance. Should be up soon though

[.PorkyJoker.o6]

Rudy gay is Gay!!!! In this Dynasty!
But he's real awsome in real-life!!

[Kenny]

Rudy gay is Gay!!!! In this Dynasty!
But he's real awsome in real-life!!

I kinda like him in both real life and this dynasty, but it's nice to know you're a Denver supporter in this D

[.PorkyJoker.o6]

badreligionau, Ofcourse! im a bit of a fan of the Nuggets maybe around 5%, becuase of Mr.Bigshot and the Birdman!

[Kenny]

Western Conference Finals: Denver Vs San Antonio
The First 4 Games

Game 1: Denver go up after blowout



Denver have come out of the blocks quickly in the WCF, winning against the Spurs 95-74 in Game 1. J.R. Smith continued on his impressive recent form with 37 points, while Kevin Durant also managed to have a meaningful game with 22. Chauncey Billups had a quieter game on the scoring end with 10 points, but he had a double-double performance with 10 assists and he earned the Performer of the Game honour once again. The story on the defensive end was focused on the Birdman. He was back to his brutal best with 9 rebounds and 6 blocked shots.

For the Spurs, perenial Denver-tormentor Rudy Gay shined with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Alejandro Carlos scored 16, while Aaron Brooks almost had a double-double himself with 14 points and 8 assists. Johnny Gibson would round out the scorers with 10 points.

Denver's emphatic performance comes as no surprise, but the San Antonio Spurs fans would be hoping that their second seeded team would put up a better resistance in the rest of the series.

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SAN@DEN

DEN: 95 (Smith 37, Durant 22, Billups 10)
SAN: 74 (Gay 23, Carlos 16, Brooks 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Chauncey Billups 10 points 3 rebounds 10 assists 1 block 3 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Andersen 9
SAN: Robertson 13

Assists

DEN: Billups 10
SAN: Brooks 8

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Game 2: Spurs even the score



Despite J.R. Smith's incredible scoring display, San Antonio have managed to come back from their horrific first game and beat the Denver Nuggets 93-90. Smith scored 50 points in this one to be the Performer of the Game, but he had little help as he and Kevin Durant (12) were the only Denver players to reach double figures. Rudy Gay would prove impossible to stop as he registered 28 points and 11 rebounds. Alejandro Carlos supported Rudy well with 24. Aaron Brooks and Johnny Gibson both contributed as well with 15 and 11 respectively.

Once again Denver have been beaten in an incredibly close game. With them being one point behind, Jordan Hill attacked the rim but was blocked by Rudy Gay. The block deflected off Hill and went out of bounds. Denver put Aaron Brooks to the line with 0.6 seconds left and he made 2 free throws which left a last second miracle play for Denver to tie it. Unfortunately, the Billups shot missed.

The complexion of the series has completely changed now after Denver were looking comfortable in the series.

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SAN@DEN

SAN: 93 (Gay 28, Carlos 24, Brooks 15)
DEN: 90 (Smith 50, Durant 12, Billups 6)

Sprite Performer of the Game: J.R. Smith 50 points 3 rebounds 1 block

Rebounds

SAN: Robertson 15
DEN: Yao 9

Assists

SAN: Brooks, Gibson 5
DEN: Billups 9

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Game 3: Denver prevail in another close one



Much like the last game, this one was only seperated by 3 points; however it was in Denver's favour this time as they won by 103-100 against he Spurs in Game 3. It the end it was a see-saw contest as both sides were trading buckets and going up by one in the closing stages. Kevin Durant however would prove to be the difference as he stole the ball from Aaron Brooks and was intentionally fouled. He sunk the 2 free throws and with the Spurs out of timeouts, Aaron Brooks had a missed hail mary shot from half court to win the game. Brooks ended up being the game's high scorer with 33 points, but Rudy Gay was the Performer of the Game with another double-double (28 points, 15 rebounds).

Both teams had 5 double-digit scorers each, with Denver being led by J.R. Smith with 24. Chauncey Billups came back into the fray with 21, while Durant had another solid outing with 16. George Power came up with some great plays towards the back-end of the game as he scored 12, while Garth Vine had a nice cameo with 10 points.

As for the Spurs, along with leaders Aaron Brooks (33) and Rudy Gay (28), Alejandro Carlos scored 14. Johnny Gibson registered his first double-double of the series with 13 points and 11 assists, while Donovan Robertson reached double figures in scoring for the first time with 12.

Despite being down 2-1, the Spurs have proven that they can compete with the best team in the competition. Apart from the first game, the scores are completely even going into the fourth.

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DEN@SAN

DEN: 103 (Smith 24, Billups 21, Durant 16)
SAN: 100 (Brooks 33, Gay 28, Carlos 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Rudy Gay 33 points 15 rebounds 1 assist 1 block 2 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Andersen 11
SAN: Gay 15

Assists

DEN: Billups 7
SAN: Gibson 11

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Game 4: Perko mimmicks Ty; Denver need one more



Denver have to win one more game in order to advance after they comprehensively beat the Spurs in Game 4 by 99-84. While Durant and Smith were the top scorers with 30 and 24 points, the story and player of the game was Borislav Perko. When Gay was playing for OKC, he was proving to be impossible to stop... in entered Ty Maximilian and what would follow would a legend created in this dynasty... Borislav Perko might have done the same thing. Not only did he get Rudy into foul trouble and restrict him to 14 points, but he had a stat-line of 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

In the notable minutes that Gay was missing from the action, Alejandro Carlos somewhat filled the void by top scoring with 28 and Aaron Brooks also played well with 19 points.

Without Rudy's dominant play, San Antonio's offense looked lost at times and it's something that they'll have to remedy now that Denver have exploited the weakness. George Karl now faces a dilemma of who to start at Power Forward in Game 5.

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DEN@SAN

DEN: 99 (Durant 30, Smith 24, Perko 21)
SAN: 84 (Carlos 28, Brooks 19, Gay 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 21 points 10 rebounds 10 assists 4 blocks 3 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 10
SAN: Robertson 10

Assists

DEN: Perko 10
SAN: Gibson 12

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ECF PROGRESS SCORE: New York Knicks lead 3 - 1

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Denver have now 3 games to ensure their second consecutive visit to the NBA Finals. Can they win the series in 5 knowing what they need to do to contain Rudy Gay? The conclusion will be up soon.

[maksie]

great performance by Perko,good luck in the 5th