While Magic Gaming, Heat Check Gaming, 76ers GC and Celtics Crossover Gaming all try to climb out of the basement, the rest of tonight’s teams look to solidify a playoff push as we enter the back half of the season.
Warriors Gaming (6-2) vs. Magic Gaming (2-6), 6 p.m.
After a gut-wrenching buzzer-beater loss last night, Warriors Gaming Squad looks to bounce back when it takes on Magic Gaming. While there are already several moments from remote play that will forever be remembered, there will likely be few more analyzed than the shot Mavs Gaming’s PeteBeBallin put up to sink the Warriors on Thursday for the series win, a result the team needed to accept as it slipped to a 6-2 record.
Meanwhile, the Magic sport a reverse record of 2-6, and are coming off a sweep at the hands of Raptors Uprising GC. Orlando was plagued by turnovers, especially from its point guard Reizey and center May, who were constantly sped up to make decisions from baseline-to-baseline.
Key Matchup: Orlando’s frontcourt vs. Warriors’ defense
While the Magic have struggled this season, they did successfully split their matchups with Hawks Talon GC and Kings Guard Gaming in last week’s Tipoff tournament. During group play, the frontcourt of Toxsik, Profusion and May averaged 29.5 points in wins and only 15.5 points in losses.
Heat Check Gaming (1-6) vs. 76ers GC (1-6), 6 p.m.
Down in South Beach, Heat Check Gaming continues its downward spiral after getting swept by Jazz Gaming last night. As it has been this entire season, the Heat couldn’t keep up with the opposing team’s firepower and also failed to either generate or sink clean looks in close games. If Miami is to get back on track, it will need both a good shooting night from GlenRatty and contributions from the rest of the roster. Additionally, Miami may also need to increase its 3-point attempts after only averaging 10 last night.
For 76ers GC, it’s coming off its first win of the season after a grind-it-out series with Pistons GT. While Philadelphia was led by its point guard Radiant, Scretty—the veteran 76er—shot perfect from the field in their game one victory and also provided exceptional two-way play in the decisive game three.
Key Matchup: Steez vs. Hotshot
While Steez’s overall numbers against the Pistons do not jump off the page, he was able to come up with timely rebounds that led to pivotal second-chance opportunities late in the game. How effective Steez is against former iso 5-out star-turned-center Hotshot could decide tonight’s outcome.
Gen.G Tigers (5-4) vs. Jazz Gaming (6-1)
Two fast-paced teams square off when the Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai attempt to outshoot Jazz Gaming tonight. Both franchises are led by electric point guards who spearhead a track meet style of offense. For the Tigers, expect to see ShiftyKaii shift between the scoring machine and offensive threat archetypes depending on any potential delays. When the Rookie of the Year candidate is on the offensive threat and utilizes his playmaking badge, it can be extremely difficult for opposing teams to stop the barrage of 3-pointers the Tigers shoot, evident when Gen.G sunk 24 threes on its way to snapping Memphis’ four-game winning streak earlier in the week.
The Jazz bring their own four-game win streak into tonight’s game but unlike the Grizzlies, Utah carry themselves with the confidence of a team that has been elite all season long. There isn’t a single hole on the roster and outside of one seven-point half against Kings Guard, Utah has been able to flip a switch whenever it has been backed into a corner.
Key Matchup: Shiftykaii and Deadeye vs. Splashy and Ria
After playing various positions for the Tigers, Deadeye has settled into his role as the team’s center and has formed a legitimate pairing with fellow rookie Shiftykaii. Surrounded by shooters and Kai’s playmaking badge, Gen.G’s offense has reached new heights since the lineup change. On the other side is one of the deadliest duos in the league with the combination of Splashy and Ria. Expect both pairs to have a significant impact on tonight’s game.
Celtics Crossover Gaming (0-8) vs. Mavs Gaming (7-3)
While these two historically great franchises are moving in opposite directions this season, Celtics Crossover Gaming and Mavs Gaming prepare to collide tonight in a best-of-three series. The Celtics are the final remaining winless team, and if they plan on upsetting the Mavs, they will have to consistently execute throughout an entire game rather than show us glimpses. Boston was only able to win one of eight quarters in its recent battle with Pistons GT.
On the other side, Dallas has leveled out since beginning the season at 4-0 but is coming off a last-second win against Warriors Gaming. In a series that featured two one-point games, various Mavericks provided heroic moments, including a daring layup from Sherm to seal game one, and the now-legendary basket from PeteBeBallin in game two.
Key Matchup: Celtics defense vs. Sherm
We’ve looked for the Celtics offense to relieve Fab of the pressure to put up 50 points a night, but it may be more realistic to see if any improvements can be made on the defensive side. If Boston can contain Sherm and restrict the rest of Mavs Gaming to half-court sets, it could slow the game down enough to give the Celtics a chance.