In the 10th game simulation put on by the Phoenix Suns, Arizona Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds took the sticks for the Suns, leading the team to a 75-65 win over Miami Dolphins defensive end Shaq Lawson‘s Oklahoma City Thunder.
OKC held the lead for the majority of the game, before the Suns got close late in the third quarter and pulled away in the final frame.
Devin Booker was the highest scorer between the teams with 19 points, while Deandre Ayton had 17. Chris Paul notched 12 points in a losing effort.
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With the win, the Suns improve to 4-6 in the simulated season, with three wins in their last five games.
It was the second Suns simulation game involving NFL players. The first happened on March 20, with Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen controlling the LA Clippers to a 102-59 victory over former Arizona Cardinal Tony Jefferson guiding his beloved Suns.
This was one of the only simulations presented by the Suns with game commentary turned off, so the full focus could be on Edmonds and Lawson.
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Lawson was by far the most animated, expressive player of the athletes who have participated in the simulated regular season, with constant screams of “Come on!” followed by him jumping out of his seat.
Edmonds took a different approach, calmly blaming the game itself. His exclamation, “it’s the game’s fault,” is one that gamers know all too well.
Each game broadcast involving athletes, including this one, has consistently exceeded 10,000 combined viewers across Twitter and Twitch. Along the way, the Suns have added a social media Bingo card and a pictorial look back at the history of the matchup of the day. One matchup was even broadcast in full on a radio station in Phoenix.
The Suns would have had seven games left on the regular-season schedule, leading up to the finale against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 15. If the Suns continue playing out their season via 2K, the next game would be Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In Monday’s Suns vs. Cavaliers tilt, Cavs Legion coach Austin Peterson led the Cavs to a 95-87 win over NBA2K content creator Bud Lane and the Suns.