Grizz Gaming picked up its first regular-season win of the year with a convincing series over Lakers Gaming, while Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai fought down from 1-0 to beat Bucks Gaming. In the late series, Kings Guard Gaming got the sweep over Jazz Gaming to improve on its solid season.
Grizz Gaming def. Lakers Gaming 2-0
Mootyy ditched the two-way stretch four in favor of the traditional glass cleaner, while the rest of the lineup remained the same. However, the Lakers blew another fourth-quarter lead. Down just one point in game one, the team lost the final six minutes by six points. Game two was essentially one long Lakers fourth quarter, as nothing went LA’s way, dropping their record to 0-7. Sav and co. will get an early jump to their weekend with no game tomorrow evening. Maybe they’ll use the extra time to find a lineup that plays defense.
Everything came together for the Grizz in game two. After pulling out the victory in game one, the team just started to click. Sharpshooter Jrod caught fire, and Vandi played solid point guard for Memphis, averaging 30 points and 9 assists per game in the series sweep. The Grizz’ trade for Goofy finally yielded results, as the big man was dominant in the paint tonight, even recording a game two triple-double. With Memphis catching that elusive first win, the team looks to build upon their momentum next Monday versus Celtics Crossover.
Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai def. Bucks Gaming 2-1
Heading into the series, Gen.G power forward TurnUpDefense switched from the glass cleaner archetype to a two-way stretch four build. Gen.G’s gameplan was clear: run fast and hoist a lot of 3-point attempts. However, the offense ran dry, Gen.G lost the fourth quarter 20-5, and in the process dropped game one. Gen.G found their stroke again in game two, flooding the Bucks behind ShiftyKaii’s 53-point effort. Once Gen.G found their offense in game two, they never lost it, absolutely routing the Bucks behind another strong ShiftyKaii showing (41 points and 13 assists). The team will get back on the sticks after a week five bye against Blazer5 Gaming.
Closing out game one on a 13-1 run behind impact plays from lockdown defender Ty, the Bucks had all the momentum in the series but failed to take advantage. Game two got out of hand quickly for Milwaukee, recording 16 team turnovers, and missing the majority of their attempts from behind the arc. The Bucks struggles carried over into the final game, as they continuously turned the ball over. Point guard Regg struggled in a way we haven’t seen during his young career. He and the team will take off next week to re-evaluate after a rough week four.
Kings Guard Gaming def. Jazz Gaming 2-0
Sacramento’s flair for the dramatic was on display for a second straight week after a go-ahead dunk with 3.9 seconds sealed a victory over Jazz Gaming. On this play, Utah overcommitted on the 3-point shot, and Kings center Dat Boy Shotz slipped on the pick and roll for an emphatic one-handed jam
Midway through the series, it didn’t even look like overtime would be a possibility with how often Utah struggled on offense. Kings Guard lived up to their name and only gave up 30 points in game one while forcing 24 turnovers. Jazz Gaming failed to register its first field goal until the 10-second mark of the first quarter.
Carrying the scoring responsibility in game one, Jazz center Ria shouldered an even larger role in game two. With his backcourt struggling, the 2019 No. 1 pick stuffed the stat sheet averaging 18 points, 15.5 rebounds and 5 assists in the series. He would also add a total of 7 steals and 5 blocks in the losing cause.
At the point of attack, rookie lockdown defender Crush led the way for Sacramento’s defense with 10 steals. Meanwhile, Yusef averaged 3 blocks per game, showcasing his prowess as a help-side defender
Both teams will match up next against the undefeated Blazer5 Gaming. While Kings Guard has nearly a week to prepare, Utah will have to recover quickly if it plans to hand Portland its first loss tomorrow on ESPN2.
