Big clashes and impressive individual slashes headlined the third night of week eight of the NBA 2K League. Jazz Gaming claimed sole control of the second spot in the league, while Blazer5 Gaming got a huge bounce-back win, Warriors Gaming swept Hornets Venom GT and Heat Check Gaming upset the Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai in a two-game sweep.
Jazz Gaming def. Wizards District Gaming 2-0
What Went Right
Jazz Gaming executed most of its gameplan throughout the night. Compete made life extremely difficult for the No.1 overall pick JBM, Ria was relentless in the trenches, and Splashy continued his ascension as one of the top rookies of a loaded season three draft class. Jazz power forward Lord Beezus was brilliant, averaging 10.5 points on 57% shooting, and also came up with a huge block on Dayfri late in game two.
What Went Wrong
While Dayfri had a good night early, finishing with 26 points and 10 rebounds in game one, Wizards District Gaming as a team struggled on defense throughout 90% of the series. Outside of its attempted comeback late in game two, Washington was unable to get the stops it needed to avoid having to climb out of a hole in the first place. The final quarter of game two was the only quarter the Wizards were able to win.
X-Factor: JBM’s shooting struggles
While JBM quickly bounced back from his abysmal game one performance (2/10 shooting), his efforts were quickly thrown aside after missing his final three attempts from deep late in game two. Washington was one possession away from completing its unlikely comeback, but after JBM failed to hit a wide open look, the Jazz quickly turned that miss into a Compete corner three to extend the Jazz lead to six.
Blazer5 Gaming def. Mavs Gaming 2-1
What Went Right
Blazer5 Gaming emerged from the Tipoff Tournament with a few lineup tweaks, with Majes7ic going to sharpshooter and Lavish assuming lock responsibilities. Majes7ic was fantastic in game one, finishing with 20 points on 57% shooting from deep, and the new lineup paid off all series long.
What Went Wrong
While the duo of Sherm and Dimez played well, Mavs Gaming was unable to sustain any real consistency outside of a 15-0 second quarter in game two. Even during that matchup, the Mavs allowed the Blazers to claw their way back into the game. Had Hood been able to sink a fairly clean look at the top of the arc, Dallas would have been convincingly swept.
X-Factor: Host of Freak Show
MamaImDatMan promised the Blazers would get back to their winning ways and he didn’t leave room for any doubt from the moment the game tipped off. By halftime, Mama already had 15 points and 12 assists, while shooting a perfect 3 of 3 from outside. Mama went on to miss only five threes on an additional 12 attempts the rest of the series, highlighted by a 31-point, 21-assist output in game one.
Heat Check Gaming def. Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai 2-0
What Went Right
Heat Check Gaming has been at its best this season when Glennratty finds the perfect balance between keeping his teammates involved and knowing when to take over. In the Heat’s game one comeback victory, all five players finished in double digit scoring. To finish off the sweep, however, Glenn called his own number on the way to 44 points and a big series upset.
What Went Wrong
The Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai didn’t play terribly, but they also didn’t look their best. We referred to Gen.G as a Jekyll and Hyde type of team in our previews, and that storyline came alive in this best of three series. While the fault doesn’t completely fall on Turnupdefense, his numbers stand out for all the wrong reasons, including a series of zeroes in points, assists, and rebounds in game two. Allowing Glennratty to earn his slashing takeover in both fourth quarters was also a huge turning point.
X-Factor: Early Game Disconnect
For a moment it looked like Miami was still warming up early in game one. By the time the disconnection occurred, the Tigers were up 16-4, with ShiftyKaii scoring most of his 14 points on the fast break. The Heat shot 1/6 during those initial three minutes. Once the series resumed, the Heat emerged with a different intensity and did not look back to earn their third win of the year.
Warriors Gaming Squad def. Hornets Venom GT 2-0
What Went Right
The answer for Warriors Gaming Squad was pretty much everything. CB13 expanded his horizons and attempted double-digit threes on his way to 38 points in game one, Slaughter finished with a double-double in game two, and Gradient continued his hot streak. When the Warriors are firing on all cylinders like this, it’s easy to remember a time when they were grouped in the same tier as Toronto.
What Went Wrong
Conversely, the answer for Hornets Venom GT was pretty much everything. Charlotte was completely outclassed in game one, and despite trading punches with the Warriors early in game two, the Hornets were unable to keep up. A 14-0 run to close out the second half drained Charlotte of any morale and momentum it had created.
X-Factor: Gradient
After averaging just under 10 points per game during the Tipoff Tournament, Gradient has been unleashed on the league. The No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft finished the night averaging 22 points on 82% shooting while hitting 5 of his 6 three-point attempts. Gradient has now scored more than 20 in four straight games and capped off the night off with a breakaway 360 dunk.
