All the joys of watching me play video games, without the visual interaction!
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Not that long ago, I picked up NBA 2k9 (ps3) from half.com. Buying older games allows me to save money, plus considering these games don't change that much from year to year, and they have downloadable rosters with a community that continually updates them, I was able to play right away with current squads.
Although I first experimented with the Nuggets and with Deron's Jazz, the team I landed on as my team I would play my first franchise season was the Suns. All I really needed was Nash and Stoudemire. I traded for Stefan Curry to be my SG, and went small ball by dumping Grant Hill and placing Barbosa at SF. Robin Lopez is a serviceable C.
On the bench I've got Dragic and Channing Frye, both of whom are pretty bad. But to speed up the games I put it on 2-minute quarters, so I only have to go to the bench when I'm in foul trouble. To compensate for the short games, I set fouling out on 3 fouls. Which is nice, because picking up or drawing a foul in the first quarter forces strategic decisions. And as this was my first season, I set it to the 2nd of 5 difficulty levels.
I'm not that into NBA games, the last NBA game I owned was NBA 2k1 on Dreamcast. But the game is really good.
Anyways. I started a 29-game season. And I went 25-4, securing the best record in the league. The few games I lost were usually buzzer beaters or overtime games. My strategy was full court press, which ideally would create 8-second violations or turnovers on bad passes. On offense I used a lot of Stoudemire pick and roll, transition threes with Curry, and Nash creating easy buckets for his teammates.
As the #1 seed in the West, I drew the Spurs in the first round and swept them in four games.
Next up, the Hornets.
In Game 1, I didn't think much of them as I beat them easily, something like 29-15. I then proceeded to lose Games 2, 3, and 4. Suddenly, the best team in the league was facing an elimination game.
The problem was that Chris Paul was too good for my full court press. And they were killing me on the offensive boards. David West was all over Robin Lopez. I played those three games all in one sitting and I had to turn it off for the fear of getting knocked out in the second round.
I had to climb out of a 1-3 deficit. I was not in a good mood after that. My wife, of course, didn't understand. She was say things like, "it's just a game" and "you shouldn't care so much about that video game." Clearly she didn't understand that I was at risk of losing weeks and weeks of progress in one night. To get knocked out in the 2nd round! To the Hornets!
But later, in a better mindset, I came back to it and started winning again. I'm not exactly sure how I did it, if I abandoned the press or not, but I was able to force and win a game 7.
Next up, the Lakers.
My strategy here was to set it to double team Kobe whenever he got the ball. An issue that created was when I had my full court press on, my two guards would try and trap the Lakers' PG, leaving Kobe unguarded. But I believe in sticking with what brought you. So it was a hybrid of a press, trying to make sure Kobe didn't get hot.
It worked and I won the first two games at home, and game 3 on the road.
Up 3-0, I wasn't super concerned about sweeping the Lakers. For some reason, I couldn't get a shot to drop in the first quarter. And then Stoudemire got in foul trouble. Game 4 was a Laker blowout.
Game 5 was back in Phoenix. I thought for sure at home, I would take care of business. But this was a close game for the most part. With some good baskets early in the 4th, I was up 6 points with about 40 seconds to go.
The Lakers scored and then fouled Nash. During the season I think I was 64/66 from the line with Nash. Money in the bank. Yet here, he only made 1 of 2. Up 5 with about 30 seconds to go.
The Lakers come down and miss a shot, Curry with the rebound. The problem is that Curry is a terrible free throw shooter. He can knock down the three, but is seriously under 50% on the season. Maybe I just never figured out his rhythm. He did knock down two key free throws in the Hornets series. But here? Two bricks. Lakers down 5 with the ball and about 15 seconds to go.
I think Kobe scores with 8 seconds, cutting my lead to 3. It's okay, I'll just inbound to Nash--L.A. steals the inbound pass. Now there's a frantic couple of seconds as the Lakers pass it around, before Lamar freakin' Odom shoots a three from the left wing with a hand in his face. The ball leaves his hand at 0.4 on the clock and it hits the bottom of the net. Overtime, tied at 30-30.
At this point, I'm in shock. I've just choked away a lead that should have put me in the Finals, and now I've got to go out and play overtime.
With 2-minute quarters, overtime is automatically set to only 1 minute. Lose the tip, or miss the first shot, and all of a sudden you might find yourself fouling the other team. I did win the tip and get a dunk from Stoudemire, but Kobe responds with a three. Again I go up the court and get a quick basket, and sure enough, the Lakers score again. The Suns are down 1 with 8 seconds remaining.
I know my odds are better with Stoudemire in the paint than with a Nash jumpshot, but I don't know if I have enough time. I move the ball up the floor, try and get somebody open, think about shooting, decide to pass the ball, but it's too late. I pass to Amare with only a second left and the buzzer sounds without an attempt. I just CHOKED the game away.
Furthermore, Stoudemire had a huge game. Something like 25 of my 34 points. And I wasted it.
Now it's time for game 6. On the road. I was still shell-shocked from the game 5 choke and knew I had to dig in. Unfortunately, again in L.A., Stoudemire got into foul trouble. For really the first time all year, I put in Channing Frye and was counting on him to keep it going. And he responded. By the end of the 3rd, Frye was 4/4, mostly in the paint, and it was a tight game.
In the 4th, I had a choice. Ride the hot hand of Frye or put in Amare who is cold on the bench, and one foul away from fouling out. To start the quarter I kept in Frye.
And wouldn't you know, on a pick and roll, Nash finds Frye going to the basket, and he gets his dunk blocked, no foul called. That is rare. Usually dunks are guaranteed, but at the very least, there is usually a foul. So it's a back and forth game, and I know it's time to put in Amare.
I think I was down 3 in the 4th, but through a nice steal I cut it to being down 1. Bringing it up the floor with about 8 seconds, I learned from my past mistake. I get into the frontcourt and call timeout. 5+ seconds on the clock. Time for one last shot. It might not be enough time for a pick and roll, but I'm going to try.
Amare inbounds to Nash, Amare sets the pick and then immediately goes to the basket. Nash flings a bounce pass, THROUGH Kobe's legs, and into Amare's hands. He goes up for the dunk with 2 seconds to go. And gets it blocked by Bynum. No call. Buzzer.
I can't believe it. Apparently 2k9 really has the L.A. refs figured out.
Game 7 in Phoenix
Here's the thing about these games. I think over the long haul, I proved that my team can win. 25-4 in the regular season. But when it comes down to one game 7, it's only 8 minutes. Anything can happen.
And the Lakers came out hot, got a steal off Amare, and before I know it, it's 6-2 LAL. But I respond, and when the Lakers make a 2nd quarter subsitution, I heavily press on their bench. I was able to trap Vujacic for an 8-second violation. Relying on Amare again, my team was 8-8 shooting in the first half, and at the break it was 17-6 Suns. I just went on a 15-point run.
From there it was clock management and solid play. I didn't miss a shot until garbage time, going 14-14 at one point. Final score: 29-17. Amare had 21, more than the Lakers. Nash had 11 assists. The Suns scored 17 in the first half, as many as the Lakers did all game.
And I never had to make free throws.
In the East, the Hawks beat the Celtics in 7, so the Suns are about to play the Hawks in the Finals. Whew.
