Four more series brought four bounce-back wins to a variety of teams, with high-table Hornets Venom GT and T-Wolves Gaming bouncing back and 76ers GC picking up an emotional first win of the season.
Grizz Gaming def. Knicks Gaming, 2-1
Game 1: KNX 80-72
Game 2: GZG 84-79
Game 3: GZG 84-70
Grizz Gaming advanced to 5-5 on the season by reverse-sweeping Goofy’s former team, Knicks Gaming. After dropping game one, in which Goofy underperformed, Memphis was able to right the ship in games two and three. The story for Grizz Gaming was how well its backcourt performed. Vandi averaged 40 points, 10 assists and 5 steals per game while scoring in a variety of ways. Authentic African chipped in 11, 14 and 27 points in the three games, and the Memphis offense enjoyed plenty of success all evening. The series win means the Grizz split their week seven matchups, rebounding after a loss against the Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai on Monday night.
Knicks Gaming wasn’t able to capitalize on the momentum the team created in game one. However, New York put together an impressive performance in the first contest while their rookie point guard was on fire. Duck went for 38 points and 9 assists on 67% shooting, all while recording zero turnovers. The very next game, Duck led a Knicks second-half comeback bid, posting 40 points overall, but the team fell short. Their chances of winning the series dipped, and kept dipping, as the second half of game three progressed. Shooting guard Malik posted solid scoring totals in both losses (21 and 28 points) but the Knicks defense allowed 84 points in games two and three. New York aims to put this loss behind them quickly with a matchup against Wizards District Gaming tonight.
76ers GC def. Pistons GT, 2-1
Game 1: PGT 72-65
Game 2: SGC 72-61
Game 3: SGC 62-55
In its first regular-season game since week three, 76ers GC finally earned its first win of the season by taking down Pistons GT. In the second half of game one, the 76ers put together arguably their best quarter all season, though Detroit responded with a 15-4 run to start the fourth quarter to reclaim a lead it would ultimately keep. Scretty’s 18 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting wasn’t enough to overcome a series of unforced turnovers late in the game. Ramo was also fantastic for Detroit, finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds, including a few on the offensive end that resulted in key second chance opportunities.
Fortunately for the 76ers, the team got off to a quicker start and maintained its intensity through all four quarters in the next two games. Radiant provided fans with glimpses of what he did on a regular basis during the first two seasons, finishing game two with 34 points and 11 assists and hitting six 3-pointers.
This up and down affair continued in game three, with Detroit following up Philadelphia’s dominant second quarter with one of its own. Most of this final game involved both teams grinding out possessions, with much of the offensive production coming deep into the shot clock or on fast breaks. Late in the fourth, Scretty swiped a clutch steal and hit a jumper to seal the deal for the team’s first win of the year.
Hornets Venom GT def. Pacers Gaming, 2-0
Game 1: HVG 76-66
Game 2: HVG 63-53
Despite Type not playing once again, Hornets Venom GT walked away from its matchup with Pacers Gaming unscathed and unharmed. Charlotte moved versatile rookie big man Zae to the center spot, while Gliz manned a two-way stretch four and Type stayed locked to the virtual bench. Zae looked at home at center, averaging 13 points and 19 rebounds per contest. We also saw an aggressive Snubby, who scored 30+ points in each game on 51 total shots. If Type remains unable to play, Zae and Snubby could quietly develop into one of the better guard-big duos in this league. Charlotte will take the rest of the week off, moving forward with a 6-3 record.
Pacers Gaming recently benched a player of its own: 2020 fourth-overall selection Bohio. Indy stayed true to the recent lineup changes, and Swizurk remained in charge of lead ball-handling duties. Although he did score 30 in game one, the veteran scorer shot 12-for-26 and recorded 6 turnovers. In game two, his struggles continued: 12 points on 5-for-17 shooting while recording more turnovers (6) than assists (4). It’s not really Swizurk’s fault, since his style of play is best suited for an off-ball scoring role, but that level of play from your point guard isn’t going to win many games. If there was any bright spot, it was NateKahl and Jomar still playing really solid 2K despite their team’s recent struggles. After benching its high draft pick, Indy goes 0-2 during week seven play.
T-Wolves Gaming def. Lakers Gaming, 2-0
Game 1: TWG 66-58
Game 2: TWG 84-50
T-Wolves Gaming stole the night’s headlines even before putting a single shot up when it was revealed that JMoney (previously at sharpshooter) had replaced Bear at point guard. At point guard, JMoney finished the night averaging 35 points while shooting 66% on 44 total shots. While this was a dramatic increase on the 11 shots per game he previously averaged, JMoney took advantage of the opportunity and greened what seemed like every other shot.
It was odd not seeing Bear’s face cam during the game, but the reigning Finals MVP brought in the slashing sharpshooter archetype and settled nicely into his new role. As the secondary ball-handler, Bear provided the T-Wolves with added playmaking from the wing spot, and a series sweep is certainly a satisfactory result. Lost in the shuffle, Feast had a dominant night, averaging a double-double to go with a total of 7 steals and 5 blocks.
Meanwhile, for Lakers Gaming, any positive momentum sparked from a win over Celtics Crossover Gaming earlier this week was completely negated. The Lakers will regroup before facing Knicks Gaming on July 2, while T-Wolves Gaming will put its new lineup up against Kings Guard Gaming on June 25.
