The 2K10 & Beyond Project - Season 19/20: NBA Finals - Game 7

The defending champs are quietly having another fine season. Could it be another situation where the media focuses on the contenders with the flashy names, only for the better team to get the job done?

NO 90 @ UTA 98
3rd January 2018

Reigning champs show class v Pelicans


It was no Jimmy Butler, no worries for the Jazz on their home floor against the second-placed Pelicans, relying on Finals MVP Anthony Davis to carry the load against the star-studded big man duo of Karl-Anthony Towns & Nikola Jokic, finishing with 27 points and 14 rebounds.

MIN 90 @ PHX 105
9th January 2018

Len puts in career night v Timberwolves


Playing the unlikely hero for the Suns against their new division rival Timberwolves was Alex Len, grabbing a career-high 16 rebounds as Phoenix continues to rise in the West.

POR 108 @ MIL 115
22nd January 2018

Kemba, Bucks outlast Blazers to take streak to 9


Putting in another full-48 minute game, Kemba Walker continues to dominate in a red-hot run for the Bucks, who have now won 9 straight in an effort to catch the Cavaliers and Wizards before the All-Star Break.

Bucks could be this year's dark horse.

ATL 89 @ CHA 103
26th January 2018

Whiteside goes for 20-20 v Hawks


Hassan Whiteside continues to lead from the front for the Hornets, with his 22-point, 20-rebound performance leading Charlotte over their division rival Hawks.






LAC 106 @ MEM 101
26th January 2018

Griffin dominates in Memphis


Blake Griffin wasted no time getting back into the swing of things after his six week absence, dropping 37 points and grabbing 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who are now missing other key star CJ McCollum with a sprained right knee.

Whiteside had a pretty good run there for a few years. Looks like he's kept that form in this reality.

Monthly Report: January 2018

Conference Standings






League Leaders





Players of the Month

West

Russell Westbrook
25.0 PPG | 10.9 RPG | 8.3 APG | 2.1 SPG | 0.5 BPG

East

Giannis Antetokounmpo
17.7 PPG | 7.8 RPG | 6.0 APG | 1.7 SPG | 1.7 BPG


Injury Report




Stories

Leonard injury halts trade talks

To add to the existing frustration of underperforming this season, the Grizzlies will be without their superstar swingman Kawhi Leonard for the next two months with a torn right foot ligament. With a full rebuild looking more likely than ever in Memphis, this injury will now rule out any prospective trade talks of their frustrated star until the offseason.

Bucks ride hot streak at 12 wins

The Milwaukee Bucks have been the talk of the Eastern Conference to start 2018, going 14-1 throughout January, and their last 12 straight to close the gap and insert themselves into the East contention with the Cavaliers and Wizards. With a rich recent history of underperforming in the postseason, will the Bucks trust this lineup one more time and ride through the deadline without a shift in personnel?

Thunder brewing as darkhorse of the West

Boasting the first three Player of the Month awards for the Western Conference so far this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder's deadly duo of Russell Westbrook and James Harden continue to chug along in the top tier of the West, even without Kevin Durant. With OKC likely to make their seventh straight playoff appearance, another piece of hardware looms large with both Westbrook and Harden sharpening as MVP candidates.

A Wizards-Thunder Finals would be another great story if it happens.

HOU 112 @ SA 97
1st February 2018

Porzingis, Rockets best Spurs


In a battle between two middling Southwest division squads, Kristaps Porzingis and the Rockets were on fire in San Antonio, dropping 71 points in the first half on the way to a commanding win against the Spurs.

Trade Deadline
16th February 2018

Hornets bow out of postseason race, develop war chest for the future



With the loss of promising prospect Jayson Tatum for a majority of the remaining season, the Charlotte Hornets have turned a new leaf, picking up a war chest of picks to develop a new roster from the ground up after failing to take the next step this season. The biggest beneficiaries of the rebuild are the Oklahoma City Thunder, who gain a vital front court piece in Hassan Whiteside, a double-double machine who will be vital against the likes of Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic and DeMarcus Cousins come playoff time. The Warriors also gain valuable pieces, parting ways with Jeff Green, Alec Burks, and Ed Davis for J.R. Smith & Thaddeus Young, who should be sharp upgrades to assist heading into the postseason.

Bucks make moves, bolster for postseason run


With a slew of playoff disappointments over previous years, the Milwaukee Bucks have made the moves likely to be required to match up with the likes of the Cavaliers and Wizards, adding veterans Chris Bosh, Wesley Matthews, C.J. Miles, and promising big man Enes Kanter across trades with the Pacers and Grizzlies. The dominant play of Kemba Walker and Paul George looks now to have the backup required to challenge the top of the East, bidding adieu to longtime big man Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala in the process, with the latter failing to live up to expectations since arriving in Milwaukee as a legitimate third option. Is it now time to truly Fear the Deer?

Kings gamble on Conley, send potential ROY to Brooklyn


With the Brooklyn Nets trainwreck season likely to continue, the Sacramento Kings have pounced, looking to capitalise on the All-Star play of Greg Monroe and roll into a postseason berth with the aquisition of Mike Conley, who will end his time in a Nets uniform at just over a single year. In the process however, the Kings have given up potential Rookie of the Year Dennis Smith Jr., who now appears to be a foundational piece of Brooklyn’s future alongside Marcus Smart.


You can find the full list of deadline deals here.

All-Star Teams Announced

All Star Game

West All-Stars


East All-Stars



Rookie Showcase

Elites


Stars



Dunk Contest




3-Point Shootout

SAC 85 @ OKC 110
11th February 2018

Westbrook puts on masterclass against Kings


Sporting an improved lineup with freshly acquired Hassan Whiteside, it was Russell Westbrook who stole the show with another MVP-level performance, dropping 39 points on the new-look Kings.

All Star Weekend

STR 115 - ELT 129
16th February 2018

Simmons stuffs stat sheet in Rising Stars game


2017 #1 Pick Ben Simmons proved the hype was real against the league's best young stars on All-Star Friday Night, putting on an all-round performance to lead the Stars over the Elites.






3 POINT SHOOTOUT
17th February 2018


Coming back with a vengeance, Klay Thompson bested Kyrie Irving and J.J. Redick to take his second 3 point crown, avenging his first round exit from last year.

DUNK CONTEST
17th February 2018


Topping his runner-up performance last season, Marquese Chriss took center stage on All Star Saturday night, with a final round of 95 out of 100 to beat out Larry Nance Jr.

EAST 114 - WEST 125
18th February 2018

Irving takes second All-Star MVP in East win


In a lineup that boasted both Kevin Durant and LeBron James, it was Kyrie Irving who lead the way for the East, tearing the defense apart on the way to a 30-point performance, and a second All-Star MVP trophy to match his 2015 performance.

Ah, Marquese Chriss. A perennial dunk contest competitor and winner in NBA 2K for a few years there.

WAS 105 @ CLE 97
22nd February 2018

Durant, Wizards notch 4th quarter comeback in Cleveland


In a Conference Finals preview, it was the dominant play of 3-time MVP Kevin Durant down the stretch that saw the Wizards outscore the Cavaliers 41-24 in the final term, snatching the win from their closest rival in the Eastern Conference.

Difficult to imagine that won't be the Eastern Conference Finals matchup. As always though, the game could see fit to roll the dice with a rash of injuries and upsets.

PHX 105 @ GS 116
25th February 2018

Curry scorches Suns


Reigning MVP Stephen Curry put on his best against the battling Suns, lighting them up for 36 points as the Warriors hold strong in the top 4 of the West.

Monthly Report: February 2018

Conference Standings






League Leaders





Players of the Month

West

Stephen Curry
27.6 PPG | 3.7 RPG | 7.1 APG | 2.3 SPG | 0.0 BPG

East

Kevin Durant
26.0 PPG | 7.4 RPG | 5.8 APG | 1.2 SPG | 1.3 BPG


Injury Report




Stories

Wounded Jazz lose Gordon for season, Pels push gap at top

The Utah Jazz's title defense has been dealt another blow, losing Eric Gordon for the rest of their 2017-18 campaign with a dislocated left patella. With Gordon's injury added to star swingman Jimmy Butler and Ersan Ilyasova, the Jazz have the odds stacked against them heading towards the postseason, as the Pelicans have now opened a 4 game gap on the reigning champions.

Race on in East's middle

With less than three games separating 7th and 14th in the East as the calendar moves to March, the race is on to secure a spot in the playoffs. Will the veteran Heat and Celtics hold on, or can the Pistons break their postseason drought?

Pressure mounting on Kings

Sitting three games back of a postseason berth, the Sacramento Kings are feeling the heat to improve their position. After trading potential Rookie of the Year Dennis Smith Jr. for Mike Conley, the Conley-Monroe connection needs to blossom, and quickly, to avoid an embarrassing failure.

Terrible luck for the defending champs. Wizards-Thunder would still be the most fun matchup to see, but let's not count out the Pelicans and Warriors just yet.

PHI 110 @ MIA 114
8th March 2018

Kyrie goes for 41 against Sixers


Kyrie Irving continues to fly the flag for the South Beach franchise, dropping a season-high 41 points to extend the Heat's current win streak to 6.

DET 123 @ POR 118
20th March 2018

Pistons hold on to playoff hope in Portland


Still pushing to break a 9-year drought of the postseason, Aaron Gordon and the Pistons took a vital win from the West contending Trail Blazers.






TOR 106 @ ORL 92
20th March 2018

DeRozan, Raptors stay in the hunt with win in Orlando


In a much different position than they sat this time last season, the Raptors picked up a win against the Magic in Orlando, as the duo continue to battle for the East's 8th seed.

MIN 101 @ NO 96
27th March 2018

Beal, Timberwolves take scalp of Pelicans


Bradley Beal and the Timberwolves have managed to pull off what most have only dreamed of this season; winning the season series over the top-placed Pelicans, and sending a dangerous message to the rest of the West contenders.

Monthly Report: March 2018

Conference Standings






League Leaders





Players of the Month

West

Russell Westbrook
25.6 PPG | 10.5 RPG | 8.3 APG | 2.1 SPG | 0.5 BPG

East

LeBron James
20.8 PPG | 8.1 RPG | 6.9 APG | 1.2 SPG | 1.3 BPG


Injury Report




Stories

Lower seed race intensifies

It's a fight to the finish for the Eastern conference's 7th and 8th seed, with 5 teams separated by two games and only two slots available. The biggest surprise of the pack being the Raptors, who are on a five-game skid. Will last season's East leaders miss the postseason?

Thunder, Wizards running on all cylinders

With 13 and 7 game winning streaks respectively, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Washington Wizards both appear to be hitting a purple patch as we hit the postseason, with five-time champions Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant leading their squads towards another Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Westbrook in drivers seat for MVP

Racking up his third Player of the Month award, Russell Westbrook appears to be in a class of his own for this year's MVP award, looking to secure his second trophy to match his 2013 performance.

Again, it's gotta be Thunder vs Wizards in the Finals. Anything else isn't going to feel quite as special and intense.