Fair warning, if you’re looking for an easy or fast way to knock these games out, it’s not happening. Domination is easily the most monotonous grind in NBA 2K18. The worst part is that they make it annoyingly difficult at times. If you’re struggling to reach your point count for the 3-star pack rewards, I got you. You can get it done with a couple ways to make it there, even when the game is trying to play with your feelings.
NBA 2K18 3-Star Domination
I’ve complete domination in the first week of nearly every NBA 2K year. There are always some glitches that will help. For example, spamming LT/L2 to trigger the post animation before you shoot. This sets up the “post move score” bonus points. This year, they really did make it possible to beat almost all the games without having to abuse something like that. As long as you play smart and don’t take dumb shots, you should be able reach the 3 star cap every time. I’m personally almost done with historic domination. So, I’m not exactly sure what the all-time domination point requirements will look like. As far as what works for me, here’s what to keep in mind:
A must-have for the go-to post option, I like to use the Amethyst Shaq from the legend gold pre-order bonus. That’s why I don’t regret paying the $150 because, he truthfully is a great player to have. He’s easily the best center in the mode and he carries me whenever I absolutely need a bucket.
I remember when I was struggling with the last game of domination and asked my boy how he beat it.
He casually said: “Oh, I just put Shaq at point guard and post-spun Curry all game.”
Not Everyone Has Shaq
If you don’t have Shaq, I’d suggest getting Shareef Abdur-Raheem from the Grizzlies collection because, it’s easy to get good releases with his post fadeaway form. Not to mention, you can cheese with post spins just the same.
From there, I’d say practice a fairly up tempo style of play. Try to score off assists on the fast break for the “assist” and “fast break score” bonuses. The games get harder as you go. So, you’ll have to adjust your playstyle along the way depending on what shots start missing. I use Alvin Gentry as my coach for a Pace & Space system. I could also use the D’Antoni 7 second offense. However, your team plays less defense and might get out-rebounded more often in that system.
Pace & Space allows me to get more perimeter shots off in the half-court. Since shooting got touched slightly, seeing “wide open” and “good release” actually makes me feel a little bit more confident. Simply put, the more shots and possessions you get, the more points you can accumulate. You just have to find a balance as far as when it’s okay to run and when you should slow the game down.
The goal is really to get around 100 to 150 points per quarter and only take the most open of threes you get. Keep in mind, whatever percentages you shoot from the field, 3-point and free throw line will be the amount of bonus points you get from each respective category at the end of the game. And if you play well enough, you could honestly make the point count without getting one of those bonuses. Watch the video above.
Play on-ball defense. The computer will eat off mid ranges contested by your CPU if you don’t. You can off-ball help but the computer likes to pull up off the pick and roll. It’s best to just use your discretion as you see fit. Even if they start cooking, you get points for good shot contests. You may as well try to on-ball contest as much as you can. Also, don’t try to jump for blocks. Just play hands up defense with the right stick when in the paint. You’ll get called for less fouls and contest the CPU just enough to force more misses and get out on the break. If you don’t get a good fast break scoring opportunity though, don’t force it. That’s what your post player is for. Run a 4 out pick and roll to collapse the defense for open shots or just dump it down low for the easy two.
After that, it’s just winning the game. A lot of games against the super teams might be close, but as long as you play smart, you’ll meet the point count. Honestly, towards the end it becomes harder to beat the team than to get the points. If you played well enough to beat the team, you likely did get enough points. So keep at it, don’t be too pissed if you lose a game or miss a point count here and there. And don’t be surprised when your open shots start to miss and the computer starts consistently dotting your eye with pull up mids from the free throw line. It happens to us all. That’s the domination grind.
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