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

[Andrew]

At long last! Congrats on getting the 5x5. Great numbers all around as usual, you seem to be in fine form with the Playoffs looming. Hope there's a bit more hardware in the future, topped off by the Larry O'Brien trophy.

[Kenny]

Praise the lord! Finally you got the 5-by-5, that quadruple-double can't be too far away either.

When I got that block, I said "holy shit" and paused it to double check. Luckily I wasn't denied

Hoping the quadruple-double falls before the season is over, so I can really focus on the playoffs. Can't have any distractions.

Excellent job on the 5x5, couldn't come at a better time, and couldn't have been done by a more worthy player. That last five game summary was a complete laugher, you're completely steamrolling teams out of the Pepsi Center.

PS - I also liked how you linked Vince MacMahon and Smackdown together, well done.

It was pretty amazing... took 15 seasons (granted, some of those were simmed), so it was a pretty big deal. The Pepsi Center is becoming a graveyard again... it's that thin air

I couldn't think of any other wrestling terms, so I'm glad you liked that one

Loving the big seasons for Perko and Stan. Hopefully they don't cost each other an MVP for the Nuggs. Either way, it's hopefully looking like a banner year. Let's go Rainbow Nuggs!

Hobbes MacDonald is balling, but I have a feeling it's going to be one of those two. I'd say Stan at this point, but yeah, I don't say that with any kind of confidence.

I have come to love that ugly 80s jersey

Fav time of the season, Double Rainbows! Congrats on the 5x5 btw

It's actually my favourite time too. Not just for the Nuggets, but I love all the retro jerseys.

And thanks

At long last! Congrats on getting the 5x5. Great numbers all around as usual, you seem to be in fine form with the Playoffs looming. Hope there's a bit more hardware in the future, topped off by the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Now I'm wondering how many more times the 5x5 will come up; there's a lot of possible contenders on the team.

If there's a sure thing, it's Stan Griffiths and the Rookie of the Year trophy. Come on NBA Live 10 engine, don't make me look like Jalen Rose on this one!

[Kenny]

5 Game Summary

The Nuggets winning streak from March has carried over, and they've now extended it to 16. Dallas and San Antonio were able to get within single digits, but the Rainbow Nuggets blewout three teams likely to compete in the playoffs. The biggest statement was their win against the Hornets, a team they've had trouble with. They're now 2-1 in the season series with one to play. The Trail Blazers and now from Portlan, because they played absolutely no D in their last two against the Nuggets, and Golden State suffered a heavy defeat too.

The feature is against San Antonio:

Nuggets Withstand Spurs



The Nuggets overcame a quick start by the Spurs to win by 100-91. Stan Griffiths had a huge game with 37 points and 9 rebounds. Taylor MacKenzie had a solid outing as well with 21. Borislav Perko (14) and Dennis Anderson (11) both had minor contributions.

Brad Russo provided the spark for the Spurs, with 24 points and 6 assists. Nathan Buckley scored 19, while Gordon Wilkins had 16. Jamie Mathieu and Jeff Simmons both added 10 each.

San Antonio jumped out to a 34-25 lead at the end of the first. But the Nuggets had the best of the middle two quarters and were able to hold a 1 point lead going into the fourth. From there, the Nuggets outscored the Spurs 33-25.


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

SAN@DEN

DEN: 100 (Griffiths 37, MacKenzie 21, Perko 14)
SAN: 91 (Russo 24, Buckley 19, Wilkins 16)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Stan Griffiths 37 points 9 rebounds 4 assists 4 blocks 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Griffiths 9
SAN: Mathieu 6

Assists

DEN: Hunt, MacMahon 8
SAN: Russo 6

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

Last 5 Games

DAL: 88-79 W
NOH: 96-70 W
SAN: 100-91 W
POR: 122-82 W
@GSW: 100-76 W

Denver is now 57-18. Their winning streak is currently at 16 games.

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

MVP-Worthy?

Stan had a great summary and did his MVP chances no harm with the way he's performed. It started with 22 points and 10 rebounds against the Mavericks. His stats looked like this for the summary:

Vs Dallas: 22 points 10 rebounds 4 assists 2 steals
Vs New Orleans: 21 points 13 rebounds 2 assists 4 blocks 1 steal
Vs San Antonio: 37 points 9 rebounds 4 assists 4 blocks 1 steal
Vs Portland: 29 points 4 rebounds 2 assists 1 block 1 steal
Vs Golden State: 23 points 6 rebounds 1 assist 3 blocks

An Almost-Triple-Double?

It's not often I report on Perko's close misses (there are a few), but this one was almost an unintentional 5x5. He had 16 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists, 6 blocks and 2 steals.

No Leg Grabs

Taylor MacKenzie scored 35 points against the Warriors. Luckily, he was allowed to land properly after this layup.

Tremors

Blake Griffin started making a little noise in this summary. He had 30 points and 7 rebounds in Denver's big win against the Hornets. He also tallied 28 and 9 in the Portland blowout.

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

Next 5 Games

@LAC
@PHX
@POR
@DAL
@NOH

[Andrew]

Hate* those old jerseys, but love the performance in that round.

* Well, hate is probably too strong a word. As I've said before I preferred the design that came after that, I've never quite understood the love some folks have for the rainbow jerseys. They are unique though, gotta give them that!

[Kenny]

I like the old jerseys the way I like Adam Morrison

The whole thing with the retro jerseys reminds me of this:

phpBB [video]

[Kenny]

5 Game Summary

Here it is, the last one of the 23-24 season... and I'm sorry to report this, but the streak is over. This one started with a win against the Clippers, but the Nuggets came undone against... the PHOENIX SUNS! The worst team in the conference, were able to take down a team on a 17 game winning streak. Things got even crazier, when the blowout prone Trail Blazers took the Nuggets to OT. But the Nuggets got it together in the last two games, winning against Dallas and emphatically taking the season series against the New Orleans Hornets.

So after two royal blowouts against this team, the Trail Blazers are now worthy of a feature:

Enver Defeat Portlan in OT: Liam Drops 50



Despite one of the all-time great performances from Liam Koch, the Denver Nuggets were able to pick up a 126-123 win in OT against the Blazers.

Liam Koch was the Performer of the Game, scoring 50 points and collecting 11 dimes.

The Nuggets however had 3 players with 20 or more, led by the resurgent Blake Griffin with 28 points. Stan Griffiths had an excellent game once again, with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Vince MacMahon also provided a spark off the bench with 20. From the other starters, Taylor MacKenzie (19) and Dennis Anderson (18) both had meaningful contributions to the win, and Borislav Perko brought up another triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 17 assists.

Along with Liam Koch, there were 4 other double-digit scorers for Portland. None of them however scored more than 20, as Garth Kearley was the next best with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Bertrand Hofmann was the third Blazers player to pick up a double-double, with 16 points and 10 assists. Fred Gibson almost became the 4th with 14 points and 8 rebounds off the bench, while Dilbert Roy had 12 points on the night.

In their previous two games against the Nuggets, the Blazers lost by margins of 55 and 40 respectively. But with neither team playing defense in this one, Portland were able to get a lot closer than Denver wanted them to be. In fact, it took a break-away layup from Blake Griffin to even the scores. The result of the game had no bearing on Denver's position though, as they've already claimed the top seed for the playoffs.

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

DEN@POR

(OT)

DEN: 126 (Griffin 28, Griffiths 22, MacMahon 20)
POR: 123 (Koch 50, Kearley 18, Hofmann 16)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Liam Koch 50 points 2 rebounds 11 assists 2 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Griffiths, Perko 10
POR: Hofmann, Kearley 10

Assists

DEN: Perko 17
POR: Koch 11

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

Last 5 Games

@LAC: 82-74 W
@PHX: 93-91 L
@POR: 126-123 W (OT)
@DAL: 85-77 W
@NOH: 97-68 W

Denver is currently 61-19

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

A Rookie Record

Against New Orleans, Stan Griffiths scored 62 points, which is a new rookie record for points in a game. He broke the previous mark of 58, which was done twice by Wilt Chamberlain. Did I also mention that it was Stan's first triple-double? 62 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals... Are you kidding me?!?!

Who Is Dennis Anderson?

He doesn't get a lot of mentions, but Dennis Anderson was almost the guy who got the first quadruple-double of the dynasty. He had 35 points, 14 rebounds, 15 assists and 8 steals against Dallas. With T-Mac and Perko sitting longer in this game, I think Dennis did a good job at stepping up.

Retro Blake

Blake Griffin scored 20 points against the Clippers.

Much in the Clutch

Vince MacMahon scored 13 points against the Suns, including the 3 that tied the game up at 91. Unfortunately, the Suns scored the winning basket on the next play.

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

The Double Feature!

The Nuggets will end their road trip against the Spurs and the Thunder

[Axel The Great]

Pretty crazy but heartbreaking (that loss to the Suns!) round this one. Griffiths' 60-point triple-double definitely makes history. Also nice to see Blake Griffin start to make some appearances.

[Andrew]

I like the old jerseys the way I like Adam Morrison

The whole thing with the retro jerseys reminds me of this:

phpBB [video]

Pretty much sums it up.

Shame the streak came to an end against a basement dweller but I guess that's the way it goes sometimes. Nice to see Griffiths finishing the season strong, setting a new record along the way.

[Kenny]

Pretty crazy but heartbreaking (that loss to the Suns!) round this one. Griffiths' 60-point triple-double definitely makes history. Also nice to see Blake Griffin start to make some appearances.

I kept giving the ball to Stan and nobody was stopping him, so yeah, it was a crazy performance. 31/42 FG for those interested

Blake's proving to be a good buy late in the season.

Pretty much sums it up.

Shame the streak came to an end against a basement dweller but I guess that's the way it goes sometimes. Nice to see Griffiths finishing the season strong, setting a new record along the way.

I have a really bad tendency of losing to the worst teams. I guess I think it's going to be an exhibition game and I start to try and get some stats instead of the win.

[Kenny]

The Double Feature

Nuggets Hold On



Denver came away with a 97-91 victory against San Antonio. Stan Griffiths led the Nuggets with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Taylor MacKenzie (23) and Blake Griffin (21) both had nights of 20+, while Vince MacMahon was relatively quiet, with 11 off the bench.

Both Gordon Wilkins and Brad Russo scored 21 each for the Spurs. Jeff Simmons had 17, while Jamie Mathieu was the only player from San Antonio to register a double-double. Mathieu had 16 points and 11 rebounds on the night.

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

DEN@SAN

DEN: 97 (Griffiths 26, MacKenzie 23, Griffin 21)
SAN: 91 (Russo 21, Wilkins 21, Simmons 17)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Stan Griffiths 26 points 10 rebounds 6 assists 2 blocks 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Griffiths 10
SAN: Mathieu 11

Assists

DEN: Hunt 8
SAN: Buckley 10

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

Nuggets Finish Season Strong In OKC



The Denver Nuggets finished the season on a high, winning by 82-73 against the Thunder. Stan Griffiths once again was the star player, this time with 27 points and 9 rebounds. Taylor MacKenzie provided a great second scoring option once again, with 21 points, while Borislav Perko was 3 assists away from a triple-double. He had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists.

Rufus Baylor was the best of the Thunder, with 24. Kurt Dale was the only OKC player to reach a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Borislav Silva just missed out with 12 points and 9 rebounds.

With that win, the Nuggets finish the season on top with a 63-19 record. Oklahoma City will be the seventh seeded team, with 44-38.

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

DEN@OKC

DEN: 82 (Griffiths 27, MacKenzie 21, Perko 10)
OKC: 73 (Baylor 24, Dale 14, Silva 12)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Stan Griffiths 27 points 9 rebounds 3 assists 1 block 2 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 11
OKC: Dale 11

Assists

DEN: Perko 7
OKC: O'Neal 4

[Kenny]

The Top 8 Standings

EAST

Detroit 49-33
New Jersey 49-33
Boston 48-34
Chicago 45-37
Charlotte 41-41
Miami 41-41
Philadelphia 41-41
Indiana 38-44

-Charlotte will actually be the number 4 seed, with Chicago being the 5th.

WEST

Denver 63-19
Golden State 52-30
Sacramento 49-33
LA Lakers 48-34
Portland 46-36
New Orleans 44-38
Oklahoma City 44-38
Dallas 41-41

-New Orleans will be the 4th seed, with the Lakers and the Trail Blazers dropping to 5th and 6th respectively.

League Leaders

PPG: [NOH] Hobbes MacDonald 23.3
RPG: [LAL] Archibald Sheehan 9.9
APG: [DEN] Steven Hunt 9.1
SPG: [DEN] Taylor MacKenzie 2.3
BPG: [LAL] Dakota Kane 2.3

[Kenny]

Awards and Team Selections 2024

Stan Wins Rookie Trophy; Two Macs and Karl Also Honoured

As it was widely speculated, Stan Griffiths took out the top rookie prize. After a dominant year that included the Rookie Challenge MVP and a few records broken, Stan was the runaway favourite from the start of the season.

Vince MacMahon took away the 6th man award, while Taylor MacKenzie was a surprise winner of the Defensive Player of the Year. That's 4 awards in his collection now, previously winning the 6th man twice and the Rookie of the Year.

Finally, George Karl won the Coach of the Year, for having the best team in the league.

The 2023-2024 Awards

MVP: [NOH] Hobbes MacDonald

This is a repeat for Hobbes MacDonald, as he won the 2022-2023 season MVP. While Stan Griffiths and Borislav Perko both had a case, Hobbes was outstanding all round this season. With averages of 23.3 points (best in the league), 6.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.6 combined steals/blocks per game, he's the main reason why New Orleans took it out last year and why they're in the 4th seed this time around.

Most Improved Player: [MIN] Martin Holmes

Martin Holmes was prominant for the improved Timberwolves lineup this season. He averaged almost 15 points per game and 1.4 steals. The most impressive stat though? He had the best free throw percentage with 98.9.

Defensive Player of the Year: [DEN] Taylor MacKenzie

If you disregard scoring, this was a career season for Taylor MacKenzie. He had a terrific all round season and was actually the league leader in steals. He was always an underrated defender, but this season he's been recognised.

Rookie of the Year: [DEN] Stan Griffiths

The gap between Stan and the next best player in the rookie class is ridiculous. Griffiths broke Wilt's long standing points in game record... but it's not the only one he broke. A season of 19.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game doesn't sound MVP-like, but his efficiency sets him apart. In fact, his field goal percentage of .645 is an all-time record for a rookie, beating Steve Johnson's previous mark of .613. Stan is a scary talent and he's only 22. Is this just a taste of what's to come?

6th Man of the Year: [DEN] Vince MacMahon

When Vince came to Denver, he contributed straight away with several 20+ games. Since he was under-utilised by Boston, his points per game was only 11 for the season, but that is a very deceptive number. What's more impressive was that, he led the Nuggets in 3 point field goal percentage (39.6) and had a respectable 47% from the field for the season.

Coach of the Year: [DEN] George Karl

Again, the coach with the most wins gets the prize...

Stan Makes All-NBA First Team; Three Other Nuggets Selected In Teams

After an incredible first season, Stan Griffiths made both the All-NBA and the All-Rookie First Teams. Borislav Perko was selected for the All-NBA Second Team. He was also joined on the All-Defensive First Team by Taylor MacKenzie and Steven Hunt.

All-NBA First Team

[LAL] Archibald Sheehan
[DEN] Stan Griffiths
[NOH] Hobbes MacDonald
[NJN] Nicholas Schneider
[GSW] Johnny Williams

All-NBA Second Team

[LAL] Dakota Kane
[DEN] Borislav Perko
[LAL] Theo Hadson
[DET] Steve Lefevre
[LAC] Dickey Freeman

All Defensive First Team

[LAL] Dakota Kane
[DEN] Borislav Perko
[MIN] Quint Miller
[DEN] Taylor MacKenzie
[DEN] Steven Hunt

All Defensive Second Team

[LAL] Archibald Sheehan
[MIN] Bongani Malinga
[NOH] Hobbes MacDonald
[SAC] Tom Coles
[OKC] Willie O'Neal

All Rookie First Team

[DEN] Stan Griffiths
[MIL] Don Ripley
[ORL] Brodie Donnelly
[CHA] Edmund Salisbury
[UTA] Sly Mitchell

All Rookie Second Team

[DAL] Randy Bradley
[MEM] Emmanuel Carlos
[OKC] Vincenzo Glanville
[SAN] Maxwell Hall
[IND] Hobbes O'Neal

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

With a little advice from the NLSC on twitter, I decided to veto the original ROY selection.

Another win for NBA Live 10

Also, if everyone approves, I'm going to discontinue the Coach of the Year award. It always goes to the coach with the best record, so it's kind of redundant I think in NBA Live 10.

[PK.]

As expected no more current NBA Players winning solo awards.

[Andrew]

In reality, the sim engine completely robbed you on ROY. Definitely a good idea to veto that selection for the purposes of the story.

After the rocky start, it certainly turned into a fine season for the Nuggets. Hoping that success continues through the Playoffs, with Perko and co finally achieving redemption and Griffiths capping off an outstanding rookie campaign with a championship.

[Houndy]

Wow... sim engine sucks

[Kenny]

As expected no more current NBA Players winning solo awards.

I think Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose are actually the only two real guys even starting at this point.

In reality, the sim engine completely robbed you on ROY. Definitely a good idea to veto that selection for the purposes of the story.

After the rocky start, it certainly turned into a fine season for the Nuggets. Hoping that success continues through the Playoffs, with Perko and co finally achieving redemption and Griffiths capping off an outstanding rookie campaign with a championship.

Yeah, I wasn't willing to accept that. I have a theory that it counted him out because he was an MVP candidate.

It was a great season. I'm feeling more confident about the playoffs this time around. Everything seems to clicking and my best players are in their prime.

Wow... sim engine sucks

That it does...

[Kenny]

The 2023-2024 Player Review

At the end of every season I play, I do a review from player 1-15. An interesting stat is that only 8 players played more than half the regular season.


The Starters

Stan Griffiths

It was a hell of a first year for Stan. He broke Wilt's single game rookie-point scoring record, while breaking the rookie field goal percentage record (also first in the league). The Rookie of the Year was also second in the MVP race and won himself the Rookie Challenge MVP.

Stan reinvigorated what looked like to be a tired roster in 22-23. Without him, the Nuggets are probably still a lottery team.

Borislav Perko

After a disasterous 22-23 season, it's safe to say that Borislav Perko is back. His stats aren't spectacular in any individual field, but his all-round game is still something to be envied. This season he became the first player in the dynasty to register a 5x5 and he also won the All-Star Game MVP.

Nice to have you back, Borislav.

Dennis Anderson

Dennis came to the Nuggets via the Cody Campbell trade. While he wasn't a headliner like the rest of the starting 5, Andersn added toughness on defense and had the odd night of offensive brilliance. He can hit an open 3 and his length makes him a matchup problem

Taylor MacKenzie

T-Mac was arguably the Nuggets second best player. After finishing first in the league in steals (2.3), it was hard for him to be overlooked anymore, and he actually picked up the DPOTY.

After 12 seasons, he also picked up his very first triple-double. Taylor's resume is looking quite impressive: 5 rings, 2 6-Man Awards, 1 Rookie of the Year and 1 Defensive Player of the Year. The once erratic talent is now building quite a legacy.

Steven Hunt

Hunt's scoring took a dip this season, but with the talent at his disposal, all he really needed to do was set up the offense. He was an excellent ball distributor for the Nuggets this season and was the leader in assists. He's also a tough perimeter defender, picking up an All Defensive First Team Honour.

As opposed to starring in Washington, he's accepted a role in Denver, and it could very well get him a second ring.

The Bench

Vince MacMahon

Vince came over in the trade that saw Nicklas Good leave Denver... and the Nuggets got themselves one hell of a bench presense. MacMahon's three point accuracy (.396) made him a deadly weapon off the bench and his instant offense earned him the 6th Man of the Year award.

He's everything the Nuggets wanted Ed Reed to be.

Blake Griffin

Blake's initial play was relatively underwhelming and he lost his rotation spot to Axel Donnelly momentarily. However, towards the end of the season, he proved that he's still an offensive weapon in his own right.

Coming up to the playoffs, Blake is another guy that can give Denver 20 off the bench on any given night.

Simon Sampson

Simon's season started off well, but his minutes became more scarce when MacMahon was acquired. He's a solid defender and a good rebounder for a guard. His shooting can be a little erratic, but he adds good depth for Denver on the wings.

Axel Donnelly

Axel is an old school type power forward. He reminds me of Larry Johnson, in the way he's not the tallest guy, but his upper body strength more than makes up for that. He has a lot of potential, as he proved when he managed to get himself a triple-double this season.

He will be around for a while yet.

Liam Leopold

This is really the only player in the side with an undefined role. His minutes from last season were taken away from multiple sources, as the coach was looking for the Nuggets best lineups. Liam is athletic and fast, but his lack of size, and particularly his skinny frame leads him to be a rather limited centre.

DeMar DeRozan

Only two players surpassed 50 points in a game this season... and one of them was actually DeMar. While this led to a brief resurgence (and even a start), his 15 minutes were up relatively quickly and he found himself collecting splinters on the bench again.

Bartholomew Myer

El Barto was probably the guy who was affected the most by the MacMahon trade. His minutes fell considerably to the better shooting Vince. Bart is still a starting calibre point guard, but with his contract expiring, he might have to get a starting spot in another team.

IR

Timothy Ullrich

Ullrich is a great hustle guy and was a standout player in the Rookie Game. However, he needs to develop more offensive skills in order to crack the rotation here.

Vincenzo Russo

VR didn't play too badly in the minutes he had this season, but the Nuggets simply have too much depth in the wings. If a draft day deal is done, he may be subjected to it.

Ollie Stearn

Ollie makes Jesus Carlos look like Jordan. Enough said.

[Kenny]

NBA Playoffs 2024: First Round
WEST | EAST
|
|
|
|

(1) Denver Nuggets Vs Dallas Mavericks (8)

phpBB [video]

Denver is the cinderella story of the NBA this season. After being the worst team in the Western Conference in 2022-2023, they've come back in 2023-2024 with the best record in the league. Rookie sensation Stan Griffiths has energised the team and has made veterans Borislav Perko and Taylor MacKenzie get back to their best form.

Previous to the cellar dweller season, the Nuggets had two high profile failures against San Antonio and Houston. Now they have to play their third Texas team in the playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks.

Will the Mavericks just be a stepping stone to the Nuggets redemption? Or will they continue Denver's curse against the Texas teams?

The Teams

Denver Nuggets

The Starters
| Stan Griffiths | Borislav Perko | Dennis Anderson | Taylor MacKenzie | Steven Hunt |

The Bench
| Vince MacMahon | Blake Griffin | Simon Sampson | Axel Donnelly | Liam Leopold | DeMar DeRozan | Bartholomew Meyer

IR
| Timothy Ullrich | Vincenzo Russo | Ollie Stearn |

Dallas Mavericks

The Starters
| Colin Mills | Sergio Soto | Marudee Luelae | Patrick McNamara | Brady O'Leary |

The Bench
| Raphael Whelan | Bertrand Durand | Kazimir Efimov | Curt Shaw | Theo Brett | Rodney Alston | Troy Evans |

IR
| Randy Bradley | Nelson Jeffries | Daniel Carlos |

Keys

Denver Nuggets

While Stan Griffiths is undoubtedly a key player, Taylor MacKenzie I think will be a game breaker. Not only will his offensive help be a major factor, but he's likely to get the lockdown job on Brady O'Leary. If he can succeed with that, Denver win this 4-0.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs have four solid scorers in Brady O'Leary, Patrick McNamara, Sergio Soto and Marudee Luelae. However, I believe Colin Mills holds the key to this series. He's an excellent rebounder, but having the job against Stan Griffiths, he needs to be at the peak of his form.

[Andrew]

Great work as always on the player recap and review.

We've seen before that the number one seed and a great regular season doesn't instantly translate to success in the postseason, but there seems to be a different vibe with this team. You seem to thrive with an underdog team that arguably plays better than the sum of its parts, with a couple of standout players leading the charge. It feels like redemption is at hand but at the very least, I think you'll dispense of the Mavs in a sweep...five games tops.

[Kenny]

Thanks Andrew, it's always an interesting exercise to do at the end of a season. It makes me think about how I can improve upon the team in the off-season.

I think a positive going into this playoffs is that my team is still relatively young. The oldest players are role players, and not necessarily the stars. Both of the teams that failed previously had old, and to an extent, has-been stars getting most of the minutes. Hopefully 2024 is a banner year for Denver

[Kenny]

NBA Playoffs 2024: First Round
(1) Denver Vs Dallas (8)

Game 1: Nuggets Destroy Mavs



The Nuggets started their playoffs campaign in an impressive manner, easily accounting for the Mavs by 112-77 in game 1. Stan Griffiths enjoyed his playoffs debut, top scoring with 32 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. Taylor MacKenzie also came up big with 27, but the night belong to Borislav Perko. He registered yet another triple-double, with an incredible 22 points, 17 rebounds, 16 assists and 6 blocks. He is known for stepping up his play in the post-season, and this game was certainly no exception. Along with the three 20+ scorers, Dennis Anderson (13) and Blake Griffin (10) made handy contributions to the win.

For the luckless Mavs, Brady O'Leary was easily their best, with 22 points and 7 assists. He had decent support from Sergio Soto, who scored 16, while Marudee Luelae (13) and Patrick McNamara (10) both had decent nights. Dallas however couldn't match the intensity of the Nuggets, as Denver had not just one, but three players who could have easily been named the Performer of the Game.

Denver take a 1-0 lead going into game 2.

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

DAL@DEN

DEN: 112 (Griffiths 32, MacKenzie 27, Perko 22)
DAL: 77 (O'Leary 22, Soto 16, Luelae 13)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 22 points 17 rebounds 16 assists 6 blocks

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 17
DAL: Mills 7

Assists

DEN: Perko 16
DAL: O'Leary 7

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

Game 2: Denver Routs Dallas Again



The Denver Nuggets lead their first round series 2-0, thanks to an 89-63 win over Dallas. This time, it was the wing players who did the damage on the scorecard. Taylor MacKenzie (27) and Dennis Anderson (24) both proved to be too much for the Mavericks to handle. Stan Griffiths was close to his second triple-double of his career, with 14 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Blake Griffin (12) once again provided good energy off the bench, while Borislav Perko had yet another MVP night. Even though he only had 10 points, his 14 rebounds and 15 assists were enough to get him the Performer of the Game once again.

Dallas were even more lethargic on offense in this one, with Patrick McNamara and Brady O'Leary being the co-top scorers with 15 each. Sergio Soto was the only other player in double figures for the Mavs, with 14.

This series now heads to Dallas, where the Mavs will have to do a lot of improving to stay afloat.

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

DAL@DEN

DEN: 89 (MacKenzie 27, Anderson 24, Griffiths 14)
DAL: 63 (McNamara 15, O'Leary 15, Soto 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 10 points 14 rebounds 15 assists 1 block 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 14
DAL: Mills 11

Assists

DEN: Perko 15
DAL: O'Leary 7

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

Game 3: Nuggets Hold On Against Improved Mavs



Denver came away with a 103-99 win against Dallas in game 3. The spark for the Nuggets once again was Taylor MacKenzie. Averaging 27 so far in the playoffs, T-Mac dropped 36 on the Mavs, including the dagger that put the game out of reach. Stan Griffiths stepped up again with 24 points and 7 rebounds, while Axel Donnelly made the most of his extended playing time. With Perko in foul trouble, Axel scored 12 points.

The Mavs improved play came as a result of Brady O'Leary's huge night. Dallas' star point guard had 41 points and 9 assists, to pick up the Performer of the Game, despite being on a losing team. Patrick McNamara was the next best with 17, while Sergio Soto (14) and Bertrand Durand (12) complemented the Mavs well.

Although the signs are looking better for the Mavs, they still face a possible sweep going into game 4.

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

DEN@DAL

DEN: 103 (MacKenzie 36, Griffiths 24, Donnelly 12)
DAL: 99 (O'Leary 41, McNamara 17, Soto 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Brady O'Leary 41 points 1 rebound 9 assists 2 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 12
DAL: Mills 15

Assists

DEN: Hunt 10
DAL: O'Leary 9

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

Game 4: O'Leary Lifts Dallas To Unlikely Win



Dallas avoided a series sweep, defeating the Nuggets 90-86. It came from another big night from Brady O'Leary, who had 28 points. Sergio Soto was 2 rebounds off a double-double with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Patrick McNamara scored 12, while Colin Mills registered his first double-double of the series, with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Stan Griffiths and Vince MacMahon were co-top scorers for Denver, with 16 each. Blake Griffin came off the bench and scored 14, but the big story of the night was T-Mac's cold shooting. After having 3 huge games in the series, T-Mac cooled down, hitting just 5 from 20 as he scored 13.

The series will now head back to Denver.

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

DEN@DAL

DAL: 90 (O'Leary 28, Soto 18, McNamara 12)
DEN: 86 (Griffiths 16, MacMahon 16, Griffin 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Brady O'Leary 28 points 3 rebounds 4 assists

Rebounds

DAL: Mills 11
DEN: Perko 10

Assists

DAL: McNamara 5
DEN: Hunt, Perko 7

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

Game 5: Denver Finish Off Dallas



Denver will advance to the Conference Semi Finals after blowing out Dallas in game 5 by 117-73. Blake Griffin proved to be a big time performer in this one, scoring 28 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. After a woeful game 4, Taylor MacKenzie got back into form with 20 points. Along with Blake, Vince MacMahon was also a spark off the bench with 16. Stan Griffiths was close to a triple-double again (15 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists), while Borislav Perko reached the mark, with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Brady O'Leary was once again the standout for Dallas, scoring 27. Marudee Luelae was the next best with 15, while Patrick McNamara (14) and Sergio Soto (11) both had minor contributions.

After a shock loss in game 4, Denver left nothing to chance in this one. Blake's performance off the bench proved to be the difference. The Nuggets will face either the Hornets or the Lakers in the semis.

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

DAL@DEN

DEN: 117 (Griffin 28, MacKenzie 20, MacMahon 16)
DAL: 73 (O'Leary 27, Luelae 15, McNamara 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Blake Griffin 28 points 10 rebounds 1 assist 1 block 3 steals

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 12
DAL: Soto 7

Assists

DEN: Perko 10
DAL: McNamara 6

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

Series Highlights

Game 1: Big Man To Big Man

phpBB [video]

Game 3: Taylor Mesmerises Patrick McNamara

phpBB [video]

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

I know I don't traditionally do an entire series (unless it's a sweep) in one post, but I'm making it my mission to get the playoffs done (one way or another) before I leave for Melbourne on Thursday.

[Kenny]

NBA Playoffs 2024: Semi Finals
WEST | EAST
|
|

First Round Results

WEST
(1) DEN 4 - 1 DAL (8)
(5) LAL 4 - 1 NOH (4)
(3) SAC 4 - 1 POR (6)
(2) GSW 4 - 3 OKC (7)

EAST
(8) IND 4 - 2 DET (1)
(5) CHI 4 - 2 CHA (4)
(3) BOS 4 - 2 MIA (6)
(2) NJN 4 - 0 PHI (7)

(1) Denver Nuggets Vs (5) Los Angeles Lakers

phpBB [video]

This is a matchup almost 15 years in the making. The last time the Nuggets met the Lakers, it was the Western Conference Finals, where they lost 4-2. Even though the teams have completely new players and identities now, don't think that the rivalry is dead. The Nuggets have never won a playoffs series against the Lakers, so that's a monkey they'll be looking to get off their back.

Will the Nuggets make history against the Lakers? Or will the Lakers continue their stronghold over the Mile High franchise?

The Teams

Denver Nuggets

The Starters
| Stan Griffiths | Borislav Perko | Dennis Anderson | Taylor MacKenzie | Steven Hunt |

The Bench
| Vince MacMahon | Blake Griffin | Simon Sampson | Axel Donnelly | Liam Leopold | DeMar DeRozan | Bartholomew Meyer |

IR
| Timothy Ullrich | Vincenzo Russo | Ollie Stearn |

Los Angeles Lakers

The Starters
| Archibald Sheehan | Dakota Kane | Theo Hadson | Jessie Bonner | Steve MacMahon |

The Bench
| Otto Neumann | Cedric Davis | Bert O'Neal | Rupert Davis | Demitri Mullan | Wallace Bennett | Roy Kohler |

IR
| Sam Evans | Hubert Holding | Randy Hamilton |

Keys

Denver Nuggets

The Lakers are going to protect the lane well, as Dakota Kane (1st) and Archibald Sheehan (2nd) both received All-Defensive Team honours at the end of the regular season. This series is probably going to be won from the perimeter, so look for a big series from Taylor MacKenzie, and possibly Vince MacMahon and Dennis Anderson.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have quite a big three. In fact, they had the most representation in the All-NBA teams. Archibald Sheehan, Dakota Kane and Theo Hadson will all have to figure prominantly in this series. Dakota and Archibald need to protect the rim with their lives, while Hadson will have to do the bulk of the damage on the offensive end.

[Mavs4Life]

Though you had to beat the Mavs, nice job . BEAT LA! BEAT LA!

[Andrew]

Four down, twelve to go.

[Kenny]

Though you had to beat the Mavs, nice job . BEAT LA! BEAT LA!

The Mavs were really competitive in 2 of those games though, so it wasn't an absolute laugher.

There's nothing more satisfying than beating LA. So hopefully I can make some history.

Four down, twelve to go.

12 more wins in potentially 21 games doesn't sound too bad... although, I don't want to play THAT many