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

[dare]

Oh my Lebron VS Melo, very nice match up rebirth of Bird VS Magic

[Azzdogs]

Who will get the ring first Lebron or Melo. Hopefully Melo

[Kenny]

Congrats, a couple of close ones but the better team certainly won. Cavs/Nuggets seems an appropriate showdown.

I agree, Lebron Vs Melo is something people I think have been waiting for since they came into the league

Oh my Lebron VS Melo, very nice match up rebirth of Bird VS Magic

It is a special matchup, that's for sure

Who will get the ring first Lebron or Melo. Hopefully Melo

Here's hoping

[Kenny]

The starters



C: Chris Andersen | PF: Michael Beasley | SF: Carmelo Anthony | SG: Earl Smith III | PG: Chauncey Billups |

The bench



| Matt Bonner | Mario Chalmers | Ben Wallace | Arron Afflalo | Ty Maximilian | Ty Lawson | Robert Swift

Injury Reserve



| Louis Williams |




The starters



C: Shaquille O'Neal | PF: Anderson Varejao | SF: Lebron James | SG: Delonte West | PG: Mo Williams |

The bench



| Earl Watson | Hakim Warrick | Daniel Gibson | Christian Eyenga | JJ Hickson | Michael Finley | Phillip Wells |

Injury Reserve



| Darnell Jackson | Jamario Moon |


KEY MATCHUP



It's the finals matchup people have been waiting for since their rookie year. The two best small forwards in the game will go head-to-head in an intriguing NBA Finals series. One dubbed as the King, and the other looking to usurp the throne. Who will be the first one to get a ring?

RING COUNTER

CLEVELAND: 5


DENVER: 2

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The first 4 games will be coming very soon.

[Kenny]

Game 1: Cleveland destroy Denver



In possibly one of the most lop-sided games in NBA Finals history, the Cleveland Cavaliers have taken the first game of the series, beating Denver 110-81. From the very start Cleveland had their own way, and that continued throughout the entire game. Lebron proved he was the King with a 30 point effort, while he was great supported by Mo Williams, who flirted with a double-double, scoring 26 points and 9 assists. The player of the game however was the Big Diesel. Shaq looked like the guy who won championships with the Lakers, scoring 23 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Delonte West also picked up 18 points in a dominant team effort.

For Denver, Carmelo Anthony had a nice night with 26 points, while Beasley (14) and Smith (13) both contributed on the offensive end. Denver must adjust their game if they want to stay in this series.
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DEN@CLE

CLE: 110 (James 30, Williams 26, O'Neal 23)
DEN: 82 (Anthony 26, Beasley 14, Smith 13)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Shaquille O'Neal 23 points 17 rebounds

Rebounds

CLE: O'Neal 17
DEN: Beasley 10

Assists

CLE: Williams 9
DEN: Billups 7

Double-doubles

CLE: O'Neal (23 points, 17 rebounds)
DEN: Beasley (14 points, 10 rebounds)
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Game 2: Nuggets repay favour



After an abysmal performance in the first game, the Denver Nuggets looked more like themselves as they beat Cleveland 91-80. It wasn't the Melo show, it was a team effort. One of the deciding factors in the game was once again Shaq. However this time instead of being the Cavs' strength, he proved to be a liability. He had all sorts of problems guarding Ben Wallace of all people. Wallace scored 8 points in the first quarter and ended up with 14 for the game, his first time in double figures all season.

After Wallace asserted his dominance, it freed up Smith (23) and Anthony (14) to do the scoring. 4 other Denver players registered 10 points each, they were Chris Andersen, Michael Beasley, Chauncey Billups and Matt Bonner.

For Cleveland, Mo Williams was the high point scorer with 30 points. Delonte West also had a good game with 18 points. Lebron and Shaq were kept quiet though, scoring 12 and 8 respectively.
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DEN@CLE

DEN: 91 (Smith 23, Anthony 14, Wallace 14)
CLE: 80 (Williams 30, West 18, James 12)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Michael Beasley 10 points 11 rebounds 4 blocks

Rebounds

DEN: Beasley 11
CLE: O'Neal 13

Assists

DEN: Billups 7
CLE: Williams 6

Double-doubles

DEN: Beasley (10 points, 11 rebounds), Andersen (10 points, 10 rebounds)
CLE: none

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Game 3: Denver roll Cleveland in overtime



It took them an extra period, but the Denver Nuggets managed to win at home against Cleveland 109-98. Michael Beasley had another performer of the game performance with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. He was well supported by Earl Smith and Carmelo Anthony, who scored 19 and 18 respectively. But the game wasn't all smooth sailing for Denver. They were down by 9 at the end of the 3rd quarter thanks primarily to Mo Williams (35). But Denver managed to claw themselves back in the game. With the scores going back and forth til the end of duration, Ben Wallace came up with a huge defensive play against Lebron James when they scores were tied at 83 with 1:06 left on the clock.

In overtime, an unlikely player would take over on offense. It would be current 6th man award winner Matt Bonner. He scored 10 of his 12 points in the overtime period and he gave Denver the breathing room they needed.

Check it out Big Ben's block on the King:

phpBB [video]

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CLE@DEN

OT
DEN: 109 (Beasley 25, Smith 19, Anthony 18)
CLE: 98 (Williams 35, O'Neal 18, James 18)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Michael Beasley 25 points 9 rebounds 7 assists

Rebounds

DEN: Andersen 13
CLE: O'Neal 12

Assists

DEN: Billups 12
CLE: Williams 7

Double-doubles

DEN: Andersen (14 points, 13 rebounds)
CLE: O'Neal (18 points, 12 rebounds)

-------------------------------------

Game 4: Denver 1 away with blowout win



The Nuggets are just one win away from the championship with an emphatic 95-79 win against Cleveland. The Melo show was back in town, with him scoring 41 points. Beasley scored 16 while Smith registered 14. For Cleveland, Mo Williams top scored again with 27 points and Lebron James (18) and Delonte West (14) also contributed. In the end, Cleveland got nowhere near Denver. The Nuggets play was far too superior, which allowed their deep bench players to get a run.

Birdman's dime to Earl

phpBB [video]

Ty Maximilian dunks

phpBB [video]

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CLE@DEN

DEN: 95 (Anthony 41, Beasley 16, Smith 14)
CLE: 79 (Williams 27, James 18, West 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Carmelo Anthony 41 points 4 rebounds 4 assists

Rebounds

DEN: Andersen 11
CLE: O'Neal 14

Assists

DEN: Andersen, Billups 5
CLE: Williams 8

Double-doubles

DEN: none
CLE: none
-------------------------------------

With Denver ahead in the series 3-1, they only need one more game to win it all. Will they finish it in game 5? Or will Cleveland have a resurgence? The conclusion to the NBA Finals series will be up soon.

[dare]

I hope they win in game 5 a home court win in the finals is sweet, Melo outplayed Lebron nice

[kibaxx7]

Great sweep against Sac-Town, didn't check before.

IMO I would like to see it going to a decisive Game 7.

[Andrew]

History would appear to be on your side. That blowout in Game 1 was a bit of a surprise but seems you've bounced back in a big way, well done taking the lead in the series with the overtime victory. As always, love the inclusion of significant screenshots along with the replays.

[Azzdogs]

What a comeback after such a huge Game 1 loss. You can touch the Championship now just one more win away.

[Kenny]

I hope they win in game 5 a home court win in the finals is sweet, Melo outplayed Lebron nice

Thanks mate. Melo sure did have a great game 4.

Great sweep against Sac-Town, didn't check before.

IMO I would like to see it going to a decisive Game 7.

I suppose a 7 game series would be more interesting... but I just want to win, no matter how long it takes

History would appear to be on your side. That blowout in Game 1 was a bit of a surprise but seems you've bounced back in a big way, well done taking the lead in the series with the overtime victory. As always, love the inclusion of significant screenshots along with the replays.

Thanks, I have a lot of fun editing those replays so I'll continue to make them.

What a comeback after such a huge Game 1 loss. You can touch the Championship now just one more win away.

Yes, it is within reach. Need one more strong team game.

[Kenny]

Game 5: Denver win first NBA Championship!



Despite a 40 point game from Mo Williams, Cleveland were unable to extend the NBA Finals, losing to Denver 99-91. Crowd favourite Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 34 points, while Beasley once again exploited the matchup problem with Varejao, scoring 23 points himself. The big surprise from this game once again came from Ben Wallace. Big Ben not only scored 10 points, but with Andersen in foul trouble, he also came close to a double-double with 9 rebounds. He has been an integral part of the Denver bench this series, scoring in double figures in two games when he had failed to do so all season long.

Another telling point of this game was how quiet Shaq and Lebron were, scoring only 11 and 10 points respectively. So despite absolute humiliation in Game 1, Denver have comeback remarkably to win this series in 5. Melo and Beasley were the standouts in the NBA Finals, however if it wasn't for Ben Wallace's block on Lebron in the 3rd game, this series could have had a completely different complexion.
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CLE@DEN

DEN: 99 (Anthony 34, Beasley 23, Wallace 12)
CLE: 91 (Williams 40, West 17, O'Neal 11)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Carmelo Anthony 34 points 4 rebounds 4 assists

Rebounds

DEN: Andersen 11
CLE: O'Neal 12

Assists

DEN: Billups 9
CLE: James 6

Double-doubles

DEN: none
CLE: O'Neal (11 points, 12 rebounds)
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More pics from game 5



Ben Wallace scored 12 points and 9 rebounds off the bench.


Once again, Beasley managed to get past the defenders to finish at the basket.

Click the picture below for the NBA Finals slideshow

[Kenny]

2011 NBA Champions

Finals MVP:



Carmelo Anthony
28.5ppg 4.8rpg 2.4spg


Denver Nuggets

The starters



C: Chris Andersen | PF: Michael Beasley | SF: Carmelo Anthony | SG: Earl Smith III | PG: Chauncey Billups

The bench



| Matt Bonner | Mario Chalmers | Ben Wallace | Arron Afflalo | Ty Maximilian | Ty Lawson | Robert Swift

Injury Reserve



| Louis Williams |



Coach: George Karl
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Thanks to all who have read throughout the season. The off-season and year 3 will be up soon.

[Azzdogs]

Great season. After a tough end to the season last year you bounced back and won the championship. Melo got his ring and it seems your trade for Beasley and Chalmers was the right thing to do.

[cavs4872]

Congrats man. Mo Williams had an amazing series, but you just simply outplayed the Cavs. Good luck during your third year. I can't wait for it to start. I don't mean to jinx you man, but this dynasty could very well end up being inducted into the Dynasty Hall of Fame when you're finished with it. Keep this going though. You're doing a great job with it.

[Andrew]

Congratulations! Sounds like you've had a lot of fun with the season and that's what counts. Once again, nice work with the coverage, it was fun following along with it.

[C-77]

Congrats man!

[Kenny]

Great season. After a tough end to the season last year you bounced back and won the championship. Melo got his ring and it seems your trade for Beasley and Chalmers was the right thing to do.

Thanks, in hindsight it seemed like that's where my season turned around. Nene is a great player, but within my system, I needed a big who could shoot the ball while the Birdman is my defense guy.

Congrats man. Mo Williams had an amazing series, but you just simply outplayed the Cavs. Good luck during your third year. I can't wait for it to start. I don't mean to jinx you man, but this dynasty could very well end up being inducted into the Dynasty Hall of Fame when you're finished with it. Keep this going though. You're doing a great job with it.

Yeah, Mo was incredible for the Cavs. He absolutely shot the lights out every game he played, as well as assisting his team mates.

As for the Hall of Fame, that would be a real honor if I got in there, but in saying that, I think this dynasty still has a lot of life in it, so I'm not willing to call it quits anytime soon.

Congratulations! Sounds like you've had a lot of fun with the season and that's what counts. Once again, nice work with the coverage, it was fun following along with it.

Thanks Andrew it was nice having you involved towards the latter stages of my season. I have had a lot of fun with this dynasty because I love the Nuggets, but I can also see ways in which they need to improve.

I'd love to see you get another dynasty up and running. I can understand your qualms with NBA Live 10... at times I find myself swearing at my TV screen, but hey, I'm playing with the Nuggets... the frustration makes it more realistic for me

[Kenny]

Off-Season Preview

Upcoming Free Agents



| Earl Smith III | Ben Wallace | Arron Afflalo | Ty Lawson | Robert Swift |


Likely to stay

Earl Smith III - He was the second option for most of the season. Although he was inconsistent through the playoffs, he should be a priority signing for Denver.

Arron Afflalo - Although he didn't play in a lot of games, his game improved immensely last season. If the price is right, he will most likely be offered a contract.

Likely to leave

Ty Lawson - With the amount of gametime he got last season, it'd be hard to see him staying. Stuck in the rotation behind chauncey Billups and Mario Chalmers is tough and his playing time took a major hit. Expect him to look elsewhere for an opportunity to get some minutes.

Robert Swift - Despite some solid performances, it is unlikely that he will get resigned. As much as he's improved, it's hard to see him getting resigned.

50-50

Ben Wallace - Really pending on his decision to retire or not. If he decides to play on, he'll most likely get resigned due to his strong performances in the playoffs. It's a big "if" though, since he's 37 this coming season.

[Kenny]

Retirement news: Big Ben calls it a day



After a truly amazing form renaissance, Ben Wallace has decided to retire from the NBA. After spending his 2009-2010 season with the Sacramento Kings, Big Ben was on the verge of walking out on the game before the 2010-2011 season began. It was Chauncey Billups who convinced him to play on for one more season and one more shot at the title. He now leaves the game with 2 championship rings and finishes his career as a winner.

[Lamrock]

Congrats on winning the title. The Beasley trade certainly paid dividends. Are you going to make a new one, try to repeat or take some time off?

[Kenny]

Congrats on winning the title. The Beasley trade certainly paid dividends. Are you going to make a new one, try to repeat or take some time off?

Thanks I'm definitely happy with how the trade worked out.

I'll be looking to repeat. Denver is my favourite team, so it'll be a hard dynasty to walk away from. I'm going to California for a month towards the end of February, so my hiatus will come around then, but I'm going to continue even after that. I think there's enough there to keep me going with this one.

[Kenny]

Off-season - Contract Negotiations

Smith walks out



In shock free agency news, Earl Smith III has walked out of negotiations with the Denver Nuggets, looking towards free agency. The Nuggets offered Smith a 4 year deal worth 32 million dollars, but he was apparently insulted by the deal, instead wanting 42 million over 4 years.

If Denver signed Smith to his asking rate, that would be over 40 million dollars invested in just 4 of their players, and with 3 big names coming into free agency the following year (Anthony, Beasley, Billups), they decided that letting go Smith was a sacrafice they might have had to make. It does leave a dilemma in what to do with the two-guard spot this year though, whether to sign one off free agency with the cap room they have or to start either Afflalo or Lou Williams.

Afflalo stays



After Arron Afflalo had a much improved season, Denver have signed him on for another year worth 950k this season.

Swift and Lawson leave



Centre Robert Swift and Ty Lawson have left the Denver Nuggets for free agency. Both players were seldom used, so this doesn't come as a big surprise.

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In summary:

Staying: Arron Afflalo (1 year)
Going: Earl Smith III, Robert Swift, Ty Lawson

[Kenny]

Congrats man!

Thanks I didn't see your post originally. Must have been posted around about the time I posted my response to everyone else.

[Andrew]

I'd love to see you get another dynasty up and running. I can understand your qualms with NBA Live 10... at times I find myself swearing at my TV screen, but hey, I'm playing with the Nuggets... the frustration makes it more realistic for me

I'm thinking of going back to NBA Live 06, so we'll see. Stay tuned.

That's a shame you lost Smith, I'll be interested to see what moves you make to offset that loss.

[Martti.]

Congrats on the title!

Too bad you lost Smith and Lawson. You need to sign a scoring SG in the FA.