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

[Kenny]

I know the feeling.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with NBA Live 10

Superb series so far. Good luck on the last contests!

Thanks Thierry, they'll be up soon

If you make the finals (which I know you will), there is a chance you'll meet the Nets again in a rematch of last season's finals (am i right?).

That's correct, I did face them last season in the Finals. However this time around, Devin Harris is out indefinitely with a hyper-extended knee, so the task would be tougher for them without their MVP.

[Kenny]

Denver Vs Memphis: The Concluding Games

Game 5: Memphis survive to play another game



The Memphis Grizzlies have managed to pull off an upset win against the Nuggets in Denver, winning 92-87. Jon Hunt was the top scorer with 29, while OJ Mayo was the Performer of the Game with 27 points and 10 assists. Zach Randolph had another double-double night with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

For Denver the scoring honours were shared by Chauncey Billups and Taylor MacKenzie who both scored 18 each. Carmelo Anthony and Ty Maximilian both scored 11 points.

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MEM@DEN

MEM: 92 (Hunt 29, Mayo 27, Randolph 15)
DEN: 87 (Billups 18, MacKenzie 18, Anthony 11)

Sprite Performer of the Game: OJ Mayo 27 points 10 assists

Rebounds

MEM: Randolph, Thabeet 11
DEN: Andersen 7

Assists

MEM: Mayo 10
DEN: Anthony 5

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Game 6: Series to go to seven after Memphis win



The Denver Nuggets have blown another chance to get to the Finals with a 98-94 loss to Memphis. Jon Hunt was simply unstoppable with 31 points. OJ Mayo provided excellent support with 26, while bench player Mike Conley had 16. Zach Randolph contributed 11 to round out the double-digit scorers for Memphis.

For Denver, Andrei Kirileno was the Performer of the Game with 24 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists off the bench. Carmelo Anthony scored 19, while O'Neal (16), Brown (14) and Billups (11) all contributed but were unable to stop the Grizzlies' potent backcourt.

The 7th game will be in Denver.

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DEN@MEM

MEM: 98 (Hunt 31, Mayo 26, Conley 16)
DEN: 94 (Kirilenko 24, Anthony 19, O'Neal 16)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Andrei Kirilenko 24 points 9 rebounds 4 assists

Rebounds

MEM: Thabeet 14
DEN: Kirilenko 9

Assists

MEM: Mayo 4
DEN: Billups 9

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Game 7: Memphis suffers Ty raid, Denver win conference title



Denver have ended the series the way they started, downing the Memphis Grizzlies 103-72. With the series deadlocked at 3-3, Denver needed someone to step up and play a huge game... in comes Ty Maximilian. The cult hero scored 51 points while grabbing 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. He caused problems for Randolph all night with his versatile game. Carmelo Anthony was the only other double digit scorer for Denver with 19 points, but the damage had truly been done with Maximilian.

Memphis had 4 double digit scorers, with Randolph leading the way with another double-double performance (20 points, 11 rebounds). OJ Mayo was close with 19 points and 9 assists, while Jon Hunt (14) and Mike Conley (11) were the other two players to reach double figures.

You could almost sense the Nuggets were waiting for Ty Maximilian to bring his A-game the whole post-season. This game he cemented himself as one of the greatest big game players in the league today.

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MEM@DEN

DEN: 103 (Maximilian 51, Anthony 19, Billups 7)
MEM: 72 (Randolph 20, Mayo 19, Hunt 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Ty Maximilian 51 points 12 rebounds 3 assists 3 blocks

Rebounds

DEN: Maximilian 12
MEM: Thabeet 12

Assists

DEN: Billups 14
MEM: Mayo 9

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Click the picture for the slideshow of the Memphis series:


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Denver have had a long road, but they're through to the NBA Finals

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After another incredibly tough series, Denver are through to the NBA Finals for the 3rd year in a row. They will face either the Detroit Pistons or the New Jersey Nets. All will be revealed in the next post.

[dare]

Damn that was a nice series, Ty just love the playoffs 51 points hope you face the Nets for a rematch

[Kenny]

Damn that was a nice series, Ty just love the playoffs 51 points hope you face the Nets for a rematch

Thanks, I have to agree: Ty is clutch

[Kenny]

Conference Finals Results

(1) Denver 4 - 3 Memphis (3)
(2) Detroit 4 - 0 New Jersey (5)

Denver Vs Detroit

The Lineups





The Starters
| Chris Andersen | Ty Maximilian | Carmelo Anthony | Shannon Brown | Chauncey Billups |



The Bench
| Taylor MacKenzie | Andrei Kirilenko | Shaquille O'Neal | Smush Parker | Grant Hill | JJ Hickson | Mario Chalmers |



IR
| Ray Allen | Matt Bonner | Arron Afflalo |








The Starters
| Joakim Noah | Charlie Villanueva | Tayshaun Prince | Ben Gordon | Ramon Sessions |



The Bench
| Kelenna Azubuike | Sergio Rodriguez | Chris Wilcox | Barnaby North | Edmund Kaczmarek | Ken O'Farrell | Leo Lange |



IR
| Ira Davis |


Overview

It'll be the first time Chauncey Billups has faced his former team in the playoffs, and it doesn't come in a bigger series. The Pistons come into this series the unassuming underdogs, yet they've had a much easier road to the NBA Finals. Denver were only one game off going to the 7th in the previous three rounds, while the Pistons swept their Eastern Conference Final opponent the Nets. Will the Nuggets be too worn out to win this series? Or will they complete the three-peat?

Another interesting fact in this series: Grant Hill has the chance to end his career against the team he was drafted by.

Key Matchup

Carmelo Anthony Vs Tayshaun Prince:

Melo is of course the reigning Finals MVP... however if one man could stop him in his tracks, it's Tayshaun Prince. In the 2004 finals series, Tayshaun Prince did an excellent job guarding Kobe Bryant and it proved to be vital to the Pistons' NBA Championship... that was 9 years ago though. If the Pistons are to complete another upset, Tayshaun Prince must limit Carmelo Anthony's scoring opporunities... easier said than done though.

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It's that time of the season again. Can Denver get it done against Pistons? The first 4 games will be up next.

[dare]

also Charlie V and Ty is a good match up, I'd say Denver in 5

[megarover]

I say DENVER IN 4.

[Bucket]

I say DENVER IN 4.

I say DENVER in 5
Good work you reach finals.
Good luck against Detroit.

[Andrew]

Close call with Memphis forcing the seventh game but you sure took care of business in the deciding contest. Congrats on making the Finals again, picking you to win in five.

[anthony22]

Detroit in 7,im feeling the gamble in me

[Kenny]

also Charlie V and Ty is a good match up, I'd say Denver in 5

I agree, both players have range and are potential game breakers... Ty more so though

I say DENVER IN 4.

You're brave, but I like your vote of confidence, thank you

I say DENVER IN 4.

I say DENVER in 5
Good work you reach finals.
Good luck against Detroit.

Thanks Valdis22, hopefully it won't be as long as my other series'

Close call with Memphis forcing the seventh game but you sure took care of business in the deciding contest. Congrats on making the Finals again, picking you to win in five.

Thanks Andrew... it's been one hell of a season so far.

Detroit in 7,im feeling the gamble in me

I'd dare say that would be the safest bet of them all with my current history.

[Kenny]

Denver Vs Detroit: First Four Games

Game 1: Denver claim first game



Despite an excellent performance by Ben Gordon, the Denver Nuggets have won the first game against the Pistons by 89-83. Gordon was the Sprite Performer of the Game with 32 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal; but it was Denver's all-round team effort that won the game. Ty Maximilian led 4 different players in double figure scorers with 18 points, while Shannon Brown got 17. Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups both had relatively quiet games but contributed 12 and 10 respectively. While he didn't add much to the scoring, Chris Andersen led the team in rebounds (15) and assists (5)

Apart from Ben Gordon's performance, Charlie Villanueva had a great game with 20 points. Tayshaun Prince added 11 to round out Detroit's major scorers. At the end of the day, Denver's firepower proved to be too much for Detroit down the stretch.

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DET@DEN

DEN: 89 (Maximilian 18, Brown 17, Anthony 12)
DET: 83 (Gordon 32, Villanueva 20, Prince 11)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Ben Gordon 32 points 7 rebounds 6 assists 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Andersen 15
DET: Noah 12

Assists

DEN: Andersen 5
DET: Sessions 8

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Game 2: Denver win by 6 again



Denver have replicated their first game winning margin by defeating Detroit by 73-67. Denver's two stars in this game were usual suspects Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. Both of them scored 20+ points, scoring 25 and 20 respectively.

Ben Gordon had another outstanding game with 33 points, but he had little help. The next highest scorer was Ramon Sessions, who had a nice game with 10 points and 7 assists.

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DET@DEN

DEN: 73 (Anthony 25, Billups 20, Maximilian 7)
DET: 67 (Gordon 33, Sessions 10, Wilcox 8)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Carmelo Anthony 25 points 5 rebounds

Rebounds

DEN: Andersen, Kirilenko 8
DET: Noah 14

Assists

DEN: Billups, Kirilenko 4
DET: Sessions 7

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Game 3: Third game curse strikes Denver again



The Denver Nuggets have once again fallen in a game 3, losing to the Pistons in Detroit by 93-92 in a tense encounter. At one stage the Nuggets were behind by as many as 20 in the third, but an MVP style performance by Andrei Kirilenko pulled them back, eventually taking a 7 point lead with 2 minutes to go in the game. It wasn't over there though with Detroit coming back, with Ben Gordon hitting some clutch shots. Tayshaun Prince hit the game winner off a fade away with one position left. The final shot was left with Billups, which he uncharacteristically missed.

Shannon Brown was the high point man with 27, while Andrei Kirilenko was the Sprite Performer of the Game with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks. Carmelo Anthony had 15 and Shaquille O'Neal scored 10 from the bench.

For Detroit, Ben Gordon was the high point man with 24. Tayshaun Prince scored 15 and Charlie V wasn't far behind with 14. Both Joakim Noah and Chris Wilcox scored 13 each, while Noah picked up 10 boards for his double-double.

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DEN@DET

DET: 93 (Gordon 24, Prince 15, Villanueva 14)
DEN: 92 (Brown 27, Kirilenko 21, Anthony 15)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Andrei Kirilenko 21 points 7 rebounds 7 assists 2 blocks

Rebounds

DET: Noah 10
DEN: Andersen 9

Assists

DET: Sessions 13
DEN: Kirilenko 7

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Game 4: Denver destroy Pistons in Detroit



Denver are one win away from the three-peat with a crushing 97-79 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Shannon Brown and Carmelo Anthony proved to be too much for the Pistons, as they poured in 32 and 26 points respectively. Taylor MacKenzie also came to life off the bench, contributing 14. Chris Andersen once again led both rebounds (12) and assists (7).

While all 5 of Detroit's starters got double figures, it was an ordinary effort by the Pistons. Joakim Noah and Ramon Sessions were the co-top scorers with 16 each. Ben Gordon had an off night with 13, while Villanueva (12) and Prince (10) both contributed mildly.

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DEN@DET

DEN: 97 (Brown 32, Anthony 26, MacKenzie 14)
DET: 79 (Noah 16, Sessions 16, Gordon 13)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Shannon Brown 32 points 2 rebounds 2 assists 2 blocks 7 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Andersen 12
DET: Villanueva 8

Assists

DEN: Andersen 7
DET: Sessions 9

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Well after 4 games, Denver have a commanding 3-1 lead. Will they take advantage of this and win it in 5? Or will they let Detroit get closer like Memphis did? The conclusion to the NBA Finals will be up soon

[Bucket]

3-1 . I think you are a CHAMPION

[Kenny]

Season Conclusion

Denver claim the three-peat



After a long road to the NBA Finals, the Denver Nuggets have won the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the 3rd consecutive time, defeating the Detroit Pistons in game 5 by 90-84. Ty Maximilian once again rose to the big game occassion, winning the Performer of the Game with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 blocks. Carmelo Anthony was Denver's top scorer with 22 points. Shannon Brown (13), Chauncey Billups (11) and Taylor MacKenzie (10) rounded out an excellent team effort by the Nuggets.

For Detroit, they managed to stay in the contest the whole way. Ben Gordon scored 23, while Ramon Sessions had a double-double performance with 17 points and 13 assists. Charlie Villanueva (12 points, 16 rebounds) and Joakim Noah (12 points, 12 rebounds) accomplished double-doubles as well. Tayshaun Prince added 14.

Denver have now cemented themselves as the most dominant team in the 2010s winning in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

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DEN@DET

DEN: 90 (Anthony 22, Maximilian 19, Brown 13)
DET: 84 (Gordon 23, Sessions 17, Prince 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Ty Maximilian 19 points 7 rebounds 9 assists 2 blocks

Rebounds

DEN: Andersen 17
DET: Villanueva 16

Assists

DEN: Maximilian 9
DET: Sessions 13

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Click on the image to see the slideshow for this NBA Finals series:


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(Blurry) Success

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Sorry about the quickfire results... I just couldn't wait! Up next will be the Finals MVP announcement and the championship team. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with my dynasty

[Kenny]

3-1 . I think you are a CHAMPION

As the annoying song in the game would say "3-peat yall"

[Kenny]

Finals MVP


Carmelo Anthony

22.2ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.2apg, 2.1spg, 1bpg


Record: 16-9

The Championship Team





The Starters
| Chris Andersen | Ty Maximilian | Carmelo Anthony | Shannon Brown | Chauncey Billups |



The Bench
| Taylor MacKenzie | Andrei Kirilenko | Shaquille O'Neal | Smush Parker | Grant Hill | JJ Hickson | Mario Chalmers |



IR
| Ray Allen | Matt Bonner | Arron Afflalo |



Coach

| George Karl |

My Stats

82 regular season games
2 all-star games
25 playoff games
0 games simulated

...I think I need to go outside

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So after 3 NBA Championships in a row, what is next for this dynasty? Well, the answer will follow shortly.

[Bucket]

Good job. Denver is the new NBA CHAMPION

[Andrew]

Congrats on the three peat! Enjoyed following along with it once again.

[Axel The Great]

Can't say you didn't the deserve the three-peat. This game's sim engine went far in showing how messed up it is, because the Pistons made the final with mediocre (except for Prince, Charlie, and Noah) players, and a rookie bench.

[Kenny]

Good job. Denver is the new NBA CHAMPION

I'm hoping it's a sign for the upcoming playoff series

Congrats on the three peat! Enjoyed following along with it once again.

Thanks Andrew, I've had a lot of fun writing about it as well.

Can't say you didn't the deserve the three-peat. This game's sim engine went far in showing how messed up it is, because the Pistons made the final with mediocre (except for Prince, Charlie, and Noah) players, and a rookie bench.

I don't think Ben Gordon would neccessarily be classed as mediocre, but he is a defensive liability. I do rate those three you mentioned, particularly Prince.

[Kenny]

Dynasty News: New GM announced

Denver Nuggets GM Kenny Young has decided to go on hiatus to fill in duties for the struggling NHL team the Anaheim Ducks... his replacement as Denver GM? It's no other than Chicago Bulls great... Roster Player.

He will become the first former NBA Live generated player to become an executive.

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In lamens terms:

After playing every single game of last season and achieving the three-peat, I'm going to simulate a season or two. I'm hoping it will throw a spanner in the works and make me take a new direction with the dynasty. I will of course keep you all up to date with the happenings of my dynasty and play the all-star weekends to figure out the MVPs for the respective years.

[megarover]

Roster Player.........Really creative

[Andrew]

Like the old school reference there.

Sounds good, though I'd recommend keeping a copy of the saved Dynasty as it is now just in case you change your mind and want to play it out after all.

[Kenny]

Roster Player.........Really creative

It's kind of a reference to the vintage NBA Live games because a certain player wasn't licensed to be named in the game.

Like the old school reference there.

Sounds good, though I'd recommend keeping a copy of the saved Dynasty as it is now just in case you change your mind and want to play it out after all.

I did it so I wouldn't potentially defame someone whose actually real... so I thought the Roster Player thing would be a nice touch, since the guy he represents is a GM in real life now.

As for my dynasty, I will look to pick it up again, I just thought simulating it for a few seasons would provide some interesting twists I wouldn't normally get if I was playing. Sabotaging my game isn't a big issue for me because then I'll just be able to rebuild my team and I think there's still plenty of NBA players around that I'm interested in that will still be around when I pick it up again.

[Kenny]

Prologue

Every so often you have a player who has given his heart and soul to a team. For players like Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan, they have seen reward for their dedication and loyalty to their respective teams. Dirk Nowitzki is a guy who has given the Mavericks the same kind of qualities, but his reward hasn't been the one he has sought out to get. In the last year of his contract, he is running out of opportunities to reach the promise land. That along with the fact that his beloved Mavericks were a lottery team last year, his window is closing at a rapid rate.

With that in mind, the future hall of famer asked Mark Cuban for a trade. It just so happened that the Mavericks were interested in two Denver players that weren't seeing the amount of production they would have wanted to. So in a blockbuster draft day trade, the Denver Nuggets sent Mario Chalmers, Matt Bonner and their second round pick to Dallas for possibly the greatest player to ever come out of Europe, Dirk Nowitzki.

One more for Dirk is a title that works on two levels: one is that it'll most likely be Nowitzki's last season and the second is that with a three-peat completed, Denver want to win one more to send out a legend in the way he deserves.

Retirement News

-After 20 years in the league, Shaquille O'Neal decided to call it a day. He left the league with 5 championships to go with a swag of individual honours.

-Both Grant Hill and Chauncey Billups decided to play on this year, getting a 1 year extention on their previous contracts. At 41, Grant Hill is now the only player over 40 in the league.

-Ray Allen has decided to play on for another year, but unlike Hill and Billups he opted for free agency since he was inactive for most of last year.

Draft Day

Denver's Picks: 30 and 60 (traded to Dallas)

Pick 30:
Colman Lovell (Georgia)
Age 21
NBA Comparison: James Posey
Height: 6'8
Weight: 202lbs

Inside: C-
Outside: A-
Defense: B
Teamwork: C-
Athleticism: B-

The Team



The Starters
| Chris Andersen | Dirk Nowitzki | Carmelo Anthony | Shannon Brown | Chauncey Billups |



The Bench
| Taylor MacKenzie | Ty Maximilian | Robin Lopez | Javale McGee | Patrick Mills | JJ Hickson | Nicolas Batum |



IR
| Shaun Livingston | Grant Hill | Arron Afflalo |

Ins and Outs

In: Dirk Nowitzki (acquired from Dallas), Javale McGee (free agency), Robin Lopez (free agency), Nicolas Batum (free agency), Shaun Livingston (free agency), Patrick Mills (free agency)

Out: Mario Chalmers (traded to Dallas), Matt Bonner (traded to Dallas), Shaquille O'Neal (retired), Ray Allen (free agency), Andrei Kirilenko (free agency), Smush Parker (free agency), Colman Lovell (waived)

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All-Star Weekend, Season and Playoff results will be up next, as well as the Awards.