A historic night of action tipped off week four of the NBA 2K League in style, as Blazer5 Gaming’s MamaImDatMan stole the show. Check out the standings after a night that saw the T-Wolves and Hornets assert themselves, the Mavs continue their slide, and Blazer5 Gaming remain undefeated.
NBA2KLeague on Twitter
Week 4⃣ started with a whole lotta points scored! Looking at you, @MamaImDatMan_! 👀 Watch the best plays from Night 1. 👇 https://t.co/sDwByHUUrM
Blazer5 Gaming def. Bucks Gaming 2-1
Game 1: Blazer5 105, Bucks 62
Game 2: Bucks 83, Blazer5 72
Game 3: Blazer5 71, Bucks 65
We’re going to get through this series without mentioning the obvious, which is even harder than you may think. More to come on that front, obviously, soon.
Blazer5 point guard MamaImDatMan was incredible tonight, including 71 points through three quarters in game one. Mama didn’t miss on his first 20+ attempts. Despite losing game two, Mama went off for another 32 points and 11 assists. He followed up that performance with a game three win and another 42 points, capping his series average at a light 50 points per game. It was that type of night for the MVP as Blazer5 rolled to a perfect 3-0 season start.
The Bucks’ team defense was non-existent in their game one loss. After being brutally beat down, the Bucks did manage to steal game two win behind Regg’s 30 points and 17 assists. However, the team couldn’t complete the reverse sweep, dropping their season record below .500 with the loss. Rookie Regg was impressive again, averaging 27 points and 12 assists per game. Bucks Gaming has an opportunity to right the ship against Gen.G Thursday night.
Righting the ship, of course, will be better managed if they themselves manage not to mention the obvious.
Cavs Legion GC def. Magic Gaming 2-1
Game 1: Magic 59, Cavs 54
Game 2: Cavs 67, Magic 55
Game 3: Cavs 64, Magic 47
Heading into this series the Cavs adjusted their starting lineup, moving Strainer back to point guard, JoshJay from the bench to power forward for his first career start, All Hail Trey to shooting guard, and former starting guard Doza to sixth man. After fumbling away the second-half of game one, the Cavs found life with their new-look lineup and cruised through the remainder of the series. oLarry impressed, even flirting with a triple-double in game two and averaging 13 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game for the series. Next up for the Cavs is Knicks Gaming on Friday evening as they look to continue their newfound momentum.
The Magic made their own lineup adjustments, benching Profusion (33% shooting) after game two in favor of backup guard Djbama. The switch was made in an effort to relieve the pressure from Reizey, and, simply put, it didn’t work. Djbama scored 14 points on 16 attempts in game three and the Magic offense was inconsistent at best, as the team converted on just one three-point try in game three. Reizey and co. will have time to get back to the drawing board as they take the remainder of the week off.
T-Wolves Gaming def. Mavs Gaming 2-0
Game 1: T-Wolves 70, Mavs 48
Game 2: T-Wolves 77, Mavs 46
The night’s big matchup, highlighted in our daily preview, was predicated on how the T-Wolves’ defense would fare against the Mavs’ dynamic backcourt of Sherm and Dimez.
Two games later, the answer is clear. The T-Wolves completed a dominant sweep of Mavs Gaming built on the back of a smothering defense, allowing just 47 points per game in the series. After a blowout in game one, the defending champions followed that up with a 9-0 run to begin the second game, and then opened the second quarter on a 11-2 run.
It would have been forgivable for any new viewers to have walked away with the impression that Dallas has an anemic offense, but Mavs Gaming has already proven itself to be a top ranked team. This matchup, then, may have said more about how terrifying the T-Wolves can be when firing on all cylinders. At times, it felt like there was a sixth defender on the court, as evidenced by the Mavs’ 19 turnovers. Dallas also finished the night shooting 42% from the field and just 29% from beyond the arc.
The T-Wolves have a quick turnaround with Gen.G Tigers waiting on deck Wednesday night, while Mavs Gaming takes on NetsGC later this week.
Hornets Venom GT def. Knicks Gaming 2-0
Game 1: Hornets 83, Knicks 56
Game 2: Hornets 85, Knicks 71
Hornets Venom GT continued its impressive start to the season, sweeping Knicks Gaming in confident fashion for their fourth win of the season. The Knicks, meanwhile, fell to 2-3 on the season, though they’ll have two more games in week four (Blazer5 Gaming, Cavs Legion GC) to right the ship. As play-by-play man Scott Cole called it, the series was “just a business trip” for the Hornets, and they certainly took care of business.
In game one, the Hornets romped to an early lead and never looked back. Every starter except Snubby finished with double-digit scoring, keyed by a season-high 27 points from sixth overall pick Expose and 24 from power forward Zae. Team captain Type added 13 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists in his first triple-double of the season. Duck scored 34 points in the loss.
Game two saw more of the same from the Hornets. For the second consecutive game, Hornets Venom held the Knicks to under 10 points in the first quarter, ensuring a never-to-be-relinquished advantage. Type posted a 12-point, 16-rebound double-double, while Zae and Expose combined for 53 points.
