Enter the Dragan [35-11] Final three games

Bit of a reversal of fortune there, winning the sim game and losing in gameplay. Looks like Zach LaVine came up huge.

I guess the Jimmy Butler trade worked out a little bit better for Chicago in this game than in real life.

If only the Bulls could play like this irl.....

Nice (sim) win over the Spurs, Booker doing it on both ends

The sim engine in this game is a bit weird.

For example, the Pacers arguably should be better than the Bulls. But they are at completely opposite ends of the conference standings.

Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine. Bobby Portis, Lauri Markkanen, Mohamed Bamba, Cameron Payne, Denzel Valentine, Thomas Bryant, Cristiano Felicio, Anthony Morrow, Jarred Vanderbilt, Tyson Chandler, Paul Zipser

vs

Myles Turner, Victor Oladipo, Markelle Fultz, Jaylen Brown, Al Jefferson, Jeff Teague, Michael Porter Jr, Cole Aldrich, Wendell Carter, Grayson Allen, Jerami Grant, Ersan Ilyasova, Archie Goodwin, Glenn Robinson III, Andrew Jones

Both Chicago and Orlando are defying the odds this season, somehow.

11/3/19

Phoenix Suns [40-22] vs Seattle SuperSonics [33-30]

Suns dominate Sonics again as they solidify their grip on the third seed



PHX - 31 26 25 38 119
SEA - 22 21 24 36 103

Player of the Game: Marcus Smart
(21pts, 1reb, 8ast, 2stl, 2blk)
(8-11 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-3 FT)


Top Scorers
Marquese Chriss - 23
Devin Booker - 22
Marcus Smart - 21
Dragan Bender - 20
Enes Kanter - 15
Jrue Holiday - 13
Anthony Davis - 13
Buddy Hield - 11
Alex Len - 11
Nikola Mirotic - 10
Thomas Robinson - 10
Shelvin Mack - 9
Jonathan Jeanne - 8
Ramon Sessions - 8
Solomon Hill - 8

Rebounds
Enes Kanter - 9
Dragan Bender - 8
Alex Len - 6
Marquese Chriss - 6
Devin Booker - 6
Anthony Davis - 5

Assists
Marcus Smart - 8
Jonathan Jeanne - 5

Steals
Anthony Davis - 3
Thomas Robinson - 2
Marcus Smart - 2

Blocks
Marcus Smart - 2
Jonathan Jeanne - 2
Dragan Bender - 2
Nikola Mirotic - 2

Simmed Game

PHI - 21 18 26 26 91
PHX - 13 36 28 20 97

POTG: Dragan Bender (20pts, 8reb, 1blk)

Record: 42-22

Home stretch now, looking very good. Hoping a deep playoff run results

and yeah sim engine results are quirky to say the least....

Love that screenshot. Hell of a kick!

Home stretch now, looking very good. Hoping a deep playoff run results

and yeah sim engine results are quirky to say the least....

Every season we seem to be improving a little bit.

2016-17 - 43 wins - eliminated by the Warriors in the first round (4-0)
2017-18 - 47 wins - eliminated by the Warriors in the conference semis (4-1)
2018-19 - 50+ wins? - eliminated by the Warriors in the conference finals? (4-2?)

Finishing with the second or third seed will mean avoiding the Warriors until the conference finals. So we're on schedule to take another step forward in this cycle.

Love that screenshot. Hell of a kick!

Len, Bender and Jeanne are all skinny seven-footers. They often pull off weird landings when they jump off the ground for blocks or dunks.

Thon Maker would be proud

Every season we seem to be improving a little bit.

2016-17 - 43 wins - eliminated by the Warriors in the first round (4-0)
2017-18 - 47 wins - eliminated by the Warriors in the conference semis (4-1)
2018-19 - 50+ wins? - eliminated by the Warriors in the conference finals? (4-2?)

Finishing with the second or third seed will mean avoiding the Warriors until the conference finals. So we're on schedule to take another step forward in this cycle.

Always nice to see actual incremental progress, hopefully breakout title season comes soon!

14/3/19

Portland Trail Blazers [37-28] vs Phoenix Suns [42-22]

Booker and McCollum put on scoring clinic in Portland



POR - 26 20 25 36 100
PHX - 29 16 30 33 108

Player of the Game: Devin Booker
(29pts, 2reb, 6ast, 1stl, 1blk)
(12-16 FG, 5-5 FT)


Top Scorers
CJ McCollum - 33
Devin Booker - 29
Jonathan Jeanne - 20
Damian Lillard - 20
Alex Len - 17
Kevin Knox - 12
Meyers Leonard - 11
Marquese Chriss - 10
Jusuf Nurkic - 9
Ed Davis - 9
Marcus Smart - 9
Dragan Bender - 9

Rebounds
Alex Len - 10
Jusuf Nurkic - 8
Dragan Bender - 8
Meyers Leonard - 7
Ed Davis - 7
Kevin Knox - 7
Jonathan Jeanne - 5

Assists
Damian Lillard - 9
Marcus Smart - 8
CJ McCollum - 8
Devin Booker - 6
Michael Carter-Williams - 5

Steals
Andrew Nicholson - 4
Dragan Bender - 2
Damian Lillard - 2
CJ McCollum - 2
Jusuf Nurkic - 2

Blocks
Alex Len - 3
Michael Carter-Williams - 2

Simmed Game

DET - 28 26 32 16 102
PHX - 38 30 25 20 113

POTG: Devin Booker (24pts, 4ast, 2stl)

Record: 44-22

Looks like quite a duel, but the good guys won in the end. Any temptation to try and really go off with Booker, as he did when he scored the 70 points?

18/3/19

Phoenix Suns [44-22] vs Sacramento Kings [31-36]

Len and Cousins battle for supremacy in Phoenix



PHX - 23 30 36 26 114
SAC - 26 29 17 25 197

Player of the Game: Alex Len
(20pts, 17reb, 2ast, 2stl, 2blk)
(9-9 FG, 2-2 FT)


Top Scorers
DeMarcus Cousins - 27
Dragan Bender - 21
Alex Len - 20
Devin Booker - 16
Marcus Smart - 14
Jonathan Jeanne - 13
Kenneth Faried - 13
Darren Collison - 12
Wesley Matthews - 11
Danilo Gallinari - 10
Kevin Knox - 9
Marquese Chriss - 9
Georgios Papagiannis - 8
Malachi Richardson - 8
Omri Casspi - 8

Rebounds
Alex Len - 17
Kenneth Faried - 11
DeMarcus Cousins - 6
Jonathan Jeanne - 6
Devin Booker - 5

Assists
Darren Collison - 9
Marcus Smart - 7
Devin Booker - 7

Steals
Wesley Matthews - 5
Danilo Gallinari - 3
Kenneth Faried - 3
Andre Iguodala - 2
Alex Len - 2

Blocks
Dragan Bender - 3
Jonathan Jeanne - 2

Simmed Game

SAS - 34 24 16 20 94
PHX - 24 21 31 20 96

POTG: Marcus Smart (15pts, 7reb, 5ast, 1stl)

Record: 46-22

Looks like quite a duel, but the good guys won in the end. Any temptation to try and really go off with Booker, as he did when he scored the 70 points?

I've thought about it. But I do struggle to get him to score 20 points a game consistently at the moment. I'm sure it'll become more possible when he enters his prime.

I do remember dropping 86 with Kevin Durant a few years ago, but scoring was a lot easier for me on 2k13.

Good couple of wins there.

It'd probably take a big night from three-point range to get Booker those numbers. If you're still playing an old school type of inside-out game, it does make it tougher.

22/3/19

Louisville Lions [32-37] vs Phoenix Suns [46-22]

Suns give up 25 point lead before coming away with tight win in Louisville



LOU - 14 21 30 27 92
PHX - 29 28 21 18 96

Player of the Game: Jonathan Jeanne
(20pts, 6reb, 2ast, 6stl, 2blk)
(6-9 FG, 8-10 FT)


Top Scorers
Luka Doncic - 35
Devin Booker - 22
Jonathan Jeanne - 20
Aron Baynes - 13
Dragan Bender - 12
Jerryd Bayless - 12
Andre Iguodala - 9
Alex Len - 9
Monta Ellis - 9
Rajon Rondo - 8
Damian Jones - 8
Marquese Chriss - 8

Rebounds
Aron Baynes - 13
Dragan Bender - 7
Alex Len - 7
Noah Vonleh - 7
Luka Doncic - 6
Timofey Mozgov - 6
Jonathan Jeanne - 6
Andre Iguodala - 5

Assists
Marcus Smart - 11
Rajon Rondo - 7
Michael Carter-Williams - 5

Steals
Jonathan Jeanne - 6
Timofey Mozgov - 3
Monta Ellis - 3
Alex Len - 3
Kevin Knox - 2
Andre Iguodala - 2
Evan Turner - 2
Noah Vonleh - 2
Aron Baynes - 2

Blocks
Dragan Bender - 5
Marcus Smart - 3
Alex Len - 2
Jonathan Jeanne - 2
Aron Baynes - 2

Simmed Game

LAL - 22 22 18 19 81
PHX - 24 24 28 18 94

POTG: Devin Booker (26pts, 5reb, 3ast, 1blk)

Record: 48-22

Doncic scored 26 points in the second half and actually got them into the lead in the final minute.

I managed to get in front again though when it mattered.

Almost at the 50 win mark!

26/3/19

Dallas Mavericks [20-50] vs Phoenix Suns [48-22]

Suns clinch playoff berth with tight win over Mavericks



DAL - 21 27 33 21 102
PHX - 25 24 31 29 109

Player of the Game: Marquese Chriss
(25pts, 3reb, 1ast, 4blk)
(10-13 FG, 5-6 FT)


Top Scorers
Marquese Chriss - 25
Devin Booker - 20
Seth Curry - 19
Harrison Barnes - 18
Dirk Nowitzki - 17
Will Barton - 15
Dragan Bender - 13
Alex Len - 11
Kevin Knox - 11
De'Aaron Fox - 11
DeAndre Ayton - 8
Willie Cauley-Stein - 8
Jonathan Jeanne - 8

Rebounds
Nerlens Noel - 8
Jonathan Jeanne - 7
Kevin Knox - 6
Dragan Bender - 6
DeAndre Ayton - 6
Dirk Nowitzki - 6
Alex Len - 5

Assists
Michael Carter-Williams - 9
De'Aaron Fox - 8
Marcus Smart - 6
Jerryd Bayless - 5

Steals
Dirk Nowitzki - 4
Marcus Smart - 2
DeAndre Ayton - 2
Willie Cauley-Stein - 2

Blocks
Marquese Chriss - 4
Alex Len - 4
DeAndre Ayton - 2
Jonathan Jeanne - 2
Dragan Bender - 2

Simmed Game

DAL - 29 26 26 14 195
PHX - 27 26 31 25 109

POTG: Michael Carter-Williams (10pts, 10reb, 9ast, 1blk)

Record: 50-22

Almost at the 50 win mark!

We made it, with 10 games to spare

I was expecting to close out the season by battling OKC and Portland for seeds 3-5. But this mini win streak has suddenly put us into contention with the Clippers for the second seed.

Hoping for a big run come Playoff time. Will you be playing all the games then, or still alternating with a simmed game? Or if you're on the brink of elimination, will you skip simming in order to control your destiny?

I play all the games myself once the playoffs start. The sim games are really just to avoid the regular season taking me a year to get through

I hear that, that's a smart approach. I should use it more often, especially now that I'm looking to get back into some franchise gaming this year.

29/3/19

Phoenix Suns [50-22] vs Utah Jazz [29-43]

Suns continue impressive winning streak against Jazz



PHX - 29 24 26 25 104
UTA - 17 23 14 34 188

Player of the Game: Kevin Knox
(18pts, 4reb, 5ast, 1blk)
(8-12 FG, 0-2 3PT, 2-2 FT)


Top Scorers
Kevin Knox - 18
Gordon Hayward - 18
Marquese Chriss - 17
Jonathan Jeanne - 17
Marcus Smart - 17
Devin Booker - 14
Rudy Gobert - 13
Alex Len - 11
Jordan Clarkson - 10
Domantas Sabonis - 9
Dante Exum - 8
Festus Ezeli - 8
Trey Lyles - 8

Rebounds
Rudy Gobert - 12
Domantas Sabonis - 8
Alex Len - 8
Jonathan Jeanne - 5
Festus Ezeli - 5

Assists
Michael Carter-Williams - 7
Marcus Smart - 5
Jerryd Bayless - 5
Kevin Knox - 5

Steals
Marquese Chriss - 4
Trey Lyles - 3
Dragan Bender - 2

Blocks
Marquese Chriss - 2
Jonathan Jeanne - 2

Simmed Game

PHX - 25 22 25 23 195
MEM - 21 20 28 35 104

POTG: Wade Baldwin (17pts, 1reb, 7ast, 1stl, 1blk)

Record: 51-23

Seems you're peaking at the right time of the year. Plenty of momentum with the Playoffs looming, the loss to Memphis aside.

2/4/19

Phoenix Suns [51-23] vs Los Angeles Lakers [27-46]

Smart shines as Suns smash woeful Lakers



PHX - 28 34 26 29 117
LAL - 14 21 25 18 178

Player of the Game: Marcus Smart
(20pts, 2reb, 12ast, 1stl, 1blk)
(6-7 FG, 0-1 3PT, 8-10 FT)


Top Scorers
Devin Booker - 23
Brandon Ingram - 20
Marcus Smart - 20
Dragan Bender - 20
Jonathan Jeanne - 18
D'Angelo Russell - 13
Tobias Harris - 12
Alex Len - 12
Marquese Chriss - 8
Kevin Knox - 8

Rebounds
Jonathan Jeanne - 11
Alex Len - 10
Marcin Gortat - 7
Dragan Bender - 6
Julius Randle - 5

Assists
Marcus Smart - 12
D'Angelo Russell - 6

Steals
Alex Len - 4
Brandon Jennings - 4
Brandon Ingram - 3
Andre Iguodala - 2
Jonathan Jeanne - 2

Blocks
Jonathan Jeanne - 4
Alex Len - 3
Dragan Bender - 2
Marquese Chriss - 2

Simmed Game

OKC - 29 29 29 24 111
PHX - 36 32 24 28 114

POTG: Devin Booker (35pts, 3reb, 3ast, 1blk)

Record: 53-23

They actually cut my lead down to 10 points halfway through the second quarter. But then we went on a 19-2 run to end the first half.

Seems you're peaking at the right time of the year. Plenty of momentum with the Playoffs looming, the loss to Memphis aside.

I've definitely found a groove offensively in recent games. Particularly with Jeanne and Chriss off the bench.

We have a game against the Warriors right before the playoffs start. That will be the real test of how good this team is.

Fingers crossed you can send a message and set the tone!

5/4/19

Phoenix Suns [53-23] vs Minnesota Timberwolves [45-31]

Suns move one win closer to clinching second seed with win over Timberwolves



PHX - 31 28 27 15 101
MIN - 26 22 23 23 194

Player of the Game: Kevin Knox
(17pts, 4reb, 2ast, 3blk)
(5-11 FG, 1-3 3PT, 6-6 FT)


Top Scorers
Marcus Smart - 21
Kevin Knox - 17
Jimmy Butler - 17
Jeff Green - 15
Karl-Anthony Towns - 14
Andrew Wiggins - 14
Devin Booker - 13
Alex Len - 10
Jonathan Jeanne - 10
Marquese Chriss - 10
Robin Lopez - 10
Tyus Jones - 9
Taj Gibson - 9

Rebounds
Alex Len - 10
Harry Giles - 7
Dragan Bender - 7
Jonathan Jeanne - 6
Karl-Anthony Towns - 5
Jeff Green - 5

Assists
Tyus Jones - 7
Michael Carter-Williams - 5
Jerryd Bayless - 5

Steals
Jeff Green - 4
Taj Gibson - 3
Andrew Wiggins - 3
Jerryd Bayless - 2
Marcus Smart - 2
Harry Giles - 2
Justin Holiday - 2

Blocks
Dragan Bender - 6
Kevin Knox - 3

Simmed Game

MIN - 32 28 22 21 103
PHX - 31 16 18 25 190

POTG: Karl-Anthony Towns (22pts, 16reb, 7ast, 1stl, 1blk)

Record: 54-24

Towns struggled with foul trouble all night. He fouled out late in the third quarter.