Written by afox96_.
Raptors Uprising and Hawks Talon headlines the third night of week three action. Check out last night’s roundup as well as the up-to-date standings page for more coverage on this week’s action. Games tonight are viewable on ESPN.com and the ESPN App, as well as the NBA 2K League’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
Raptors Uprising GC (5-0) vs. Hawks Talon GC (3-1), 7 p.m. EST
The Raptors absolutely manhandled the Knicks on Tuesday night, forcing the team to turn the ball over time and time again, leading to easy points all night. Simply put, the Raptors are a well-oiled machine right now, decimating league teams left and right. It doesn’t matter who they play or what server they’re on, the team produces night in and night out. Tonight Toronto takes on a 3-1 Hawks Talon team that has tasted success of its own.
The Hawks front office had quite the offseason, based on early returns. BP looks to be worth every asset Atlanta spent in their trade with the Kings. Kel has been a top-three secondary scorer in the young 2020 season (why did Memphis not retain the talented two-guard?). So far, so good for the roster overhaul in Atlanta, as they head into the Raptors matchup with just one loss.
Key Matchup: ReeceMode vs. Kel
Both point-guards (Kenny, BP) are going to eat in this series. It comes down to which secondary scorer can pack a more violent punch to pair with their lead-guard’s production.
Grizz Gaming (0-2) vs. Heat CheckGaming (0-4), 7 p.m. EST
Grizz Gaming had to debut their season against the two red-hot teams in the above matchup, so being winless after its opening week isn’t as damning as the record suggests. The Goofy acquisition hasn’t worked out yet, but point guard Vandi proved he could score at will on this year’s league build, averaging 29.4 points per game through five contests this season. Tonight, the Grizz try to take advantage of a Heat Check team that finds itself in shambles.
There is no nice way to say this, so I’m just going to say it: the Heat have looked awful to begin remote play. Their 57.2 points per game ranks them among the bottom three teams in offensive production. On average, they’re losing games by ten points. It’s only a matter of time before we start seeing more drastic lineup changes, as the plans made this past offseason have clearly fallen flat.
Key Matchup: Both Teams vs. the Win Column
Both these teams are winless heading into the third week of remote play. While Miami might be in a more desperate situation, Memphis is just as hungry for its first W.
Cavs Legion GC (1-3) vs. Celtics Crossover Gaming (0-0), 9 p.m. EST
Whether or not the team wants to admit it, the Cavs have struggled to open their season. Inconsistent, stagnant offense led to Cleveland swapping Strainer out at point-guard for Doza. While they have played higher-tier teams close in some games, they haven’t been able to put a complete series together. Cleveland looks to put a bumpy season start behind them against Boston tonight.
Celtics Crossover, led by Fab and Mel East, tinkered with its roster in the offseason. The team traded for shooting guard Easy from Miami and drafted TooCool (former Blazer5 member and Fab’s Pro-Am center) after retaining the tight-knit group of Fab, Mel, Bulleyy, and No Autographs. The moves make for an experienced, talented roster. Teams haven’t had the best luck debuting, but taking on a struggling Cleveland team could be the smooth start the Celtics need after opening the 2019 season 1-5.
Key Matchup: oFab vs. Cavs Point Guard
Will Cleveland start Doza or Strainer at point guard, or give us a new look altogether? Either way, their point guard will have his hands full trying to match the production of MVP-caliber point guard oFab.
Jazz Gaming (0-0) vs. Magic Gaming (1-1)
The Jazz will open remote play tonight against Magic Gaming, debuting their 2020 roster, of which rookies comprise half. Utah gears up to take on last year’s top rookie, Reizey, with the expectation that former No. 3 pick Compete will be tasked with locking him down. The Jazz will hope that their own rookie point guard Splashy is up to the task in his very first game.
After sweeping Bucks Gaming, the Magic took their lone loss at the hands of Washington’s star duo JBM and Dayfri. Reigning rookie of the year winner Reizey, picked up right where he left off from last season, averaging 23 points and 9 assists per game. We’ll see what the frontcourt duo of DT and May, in his third game with the team, can do against last season’s No. 1 pick Ria.
Key Matchup: Reizey vs. Splashy
Reizey has continued his league success in year two while Splashy prepares to begin his own NBA 2K League career. Rookie point guards have taken the league by storm (Regg, ShiftyKaii)—can Utah’s No. 10 overall pick do the same?
