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Game 4: Garreg Mach @ Enbarr
Hey, it’s that time of the Let’s Play again! Where the top two teams in the league annihilate each other. Enbarr is desperately trying to prove that they can beat this Garreg Mach team, and judging by the all-star votes, they definitely have the players for it:
What has Caspar done to deserve that many all-star votes? I have no clue! He is the 45th highest scorer in the league, has below average rebounds and assists, and is hardly Defensive Player of the Year material at the moment. I feel like they just went with Enbarr and Garreg Mach players because those are the best two teams, and Caspar is better than both Manuela and MByleth statistically.
It also wouldn’t be a Garreg Mach/Enbarr hatefest without an early monster dunk from the top all-star vote getter, Edelgard:
But in the very next possession, I knew Enbarr was in for a long game.
See, when I designed these teams, I assumed that NBA2k would adjust coaching for what the team’s strengths are. I even picked teams that had similar builds to what I thought they would be like. Enbarr’s strengths are in 3 point shooting and efficient offense. They don’t turn the ball over and they have 5 different players that can shoot the 3 (Edelgard, Petra, Bernie, Constance, and Dorothea). Hubert and Ferdinand are not bad players, but they aren’t meant to the focal point of the offense for the most part. Garreg Mach is more focused on moving the ball in with Rhea and Catherine. Shamir can shoot (no duh), but she’s mostly there to get open when people start doubling up Rhea.
The problem here is that the Enbarr coach is obsessively using Petra and Edelgard as inside options, refusing to use motion to get open 3s and instead trying to attack Catherine and Rhea directly.
It didn’t work the last couple of games, and it isn’t working now.
Petra in particular had an abysmal game. She started 0-6 from the field, 3 of those blocked by Catherine.
But hey, at least Hubert got a putback!
Another story that has come out of Garreg Mach is the starting point guard battle between Flayn and Hanneman. Hanneman was one of the worst point guards in the test league last year, averaging more turnovers than assists when the year was over. He might have been singularly responsible for GM’s collapse in game 4 of the finals, when he shot Garreg Mach out of what was an 8 point game. However, he’s bouncing back, and making a good case to take over Flayn’s starting job:
He’s also 39 in-game which means, unless he gets Vince Carter level longevity, this could be his final year to really get those points and minutes.
Hubert doesn’t care.
Neither does Edelgard.
But Garreg Mach would lead 24-21 at the end of the quarter.
Oh hey, remember the rant I just had?
Stop attacking the inside, you have Ferdinand and Hubert for that.
Seteth and Flayn would both go off in this quarter, and Enbarr struggled to contain them.
To her credit, Bernadetta actually did what I meant for Enbarr to do. She just also came in so late in the half that she was ice cold.
But let’s be honest, I knew the game was over when Flayn pulled this:
What is that? What in the name of Patrick Lavon Mahomes the Second is that no-look bullshit?!
Cool, Hanneman makes a jumper but he can’t no-look right into Shamir’s waiting arms. Why is this even a debate?
And just to make things worse for Enbarr, a familiar face would join the party:
Petra’s no good very awful bad day would continue as she failed to contain Shamir in the final 2 minutes of the half, letting the guard hit 9 points after not scoring at all before that.
At this point, it was 61-38, and things looked very grim for Enbarr. But a surprising duo would come forward to salvage the half:
Hubert and Dorothea would combine to give Enbarr a 10-4 run to end the half. But the 2nd quarter curse was already too far gone to fully save. Garreg Mach would lead at halftime, 65-48.
The 3rd quarter did not start off promising for Enbarr either, with Rhea still in full “Immaculate Rage” mode:
With Edelgard nursing a sore wrist, it was up to one man to bring Enbarr back from the brink. Someone with unearthly noble qualities:
A man that could never be held down:
FERDINAND. VON. AEGIR.
He had an insane 30 points in the quarter, bringing Enbarr all the way back from the brink:
And to end the quarter, Constance von Nuvelle got the game-tying layup:
89-89 tie ballgame.
With both teams worn out, the final quarter was mostly played by the lower end of the benches for both teams, a rare occurrence in such a close game.
Viscardus started the quarter strong for Enbarr, giving them a 95-93 lead with this massive dunk:
Another pass from Linhardt would give Visc his second dunk later in the quarter, as the teams remained tied, 110-110.
And with only 40 seconds left, Viscardus had a major block.
The resulting foul from Catherine and made free throw from Linhardt gave Enbarr a 120-119 lead. Finally, Enbarr had it. Almost no time left and a lead.
Then Linhardt missed a huge defensive switch, leaving Visc out in the cold as KittyEmpress, another NPC player, got a wide open 3 pointer:
Petra would get another shot to win, but just to finish off her no good very bad day, it was once again blocked. I didn’t even gif it, it was too depressing to watch again.
Garreg Mach literally escapes with their 3rd win in the season series, 122-120.