Week eight’s final night saw the solidification of the season’s first playoff berth and a gritty semifinals rematch as all four series went to a deciding third game.
76ers GC def. Celtics Crossover 2-1
What Went Right
Radiant was his usual brilliant self, but his team also had standout moments. Userpick came up with big shots in game one and three, averaging 16.5 points in both of 76ers GC’s wins. Tucker hit the incredible game one buzzer beater, Bread hit a crucial corner three late in overtime, and Steez provided stops when it counted. It was rough at times—evidenced by their 42 total turnovers—but the 76ers did just enough.
What Went Wrong
Give credit to Celtics Crossover Gaming for bouncing back after a gut-wrenching game one loss. After Tucker’s miraculous shot at the end of regulation, and with each passing 76ers three in overtime, you could see Fab’s morale being sapped from his body. The point guard got the help he needed from his frontcourt in game two, while Bulley provided enough shooting to keep things close in game three. Unfortunately, the Celtics couldn’t generate or sink their looks when they needed them the most in a gritty game three.
X-Factor: 76ers GC made fewer mistakes
There was a sequence midway through the fourth quarter, where Fab found TooxCool wide open in the corner twice on the same possession. Each time, takeover or no takeover, the highly sought power forward clanged his shot off the rim. The 76ers eventually grabbed the rebound and ran in transition before throwing the ball away with an errant alley-oop pass. Several grind-it-out moments like this occurred throughout the night, and the 76ers were able to execute just enough—really, just enough—times to take the win.
NetsGC def. T-Wolves Gaming 2-1
What Went Wrong
After winning game one, T-Wolves Gaming dropped two straight behind a disappointing display on both ends of the court. Jmoney loves his baseline middie, but the problem is that the defense knows it too. The T-Wolves lead guard struggled to put the ball through the hoop last night, shooting 50% or under in all three contests. His offensive partner BearDaBeast was able to get involved earlier, and the Finals MVP looked like his old self offensively in games one and two, scoring from all three levels of the floor. His problem wasn’t the baseline jumper but rather his defense, which was as bad as his offense was good, including when the superstar turned in a 6/15 performance in the series deciding game.
What Went Right
When I called Choc a polarizing player in today’s previews, I didn’t know he’d come out wearing a pair of shades. The Brooklyn point guard’s Zen (Zenni)-like concentration enabled him to notice something he liked in game one, and he exploited it during games two and three, facilitating to the tune of 40 series assists and often finding Bear’s or Jojo’s assignment in the right corner. Randomz burned both players on well-timed cuts or simply took advantage of the wandering defender and waited for Choc’s pass to hit his open corner three. Choc did a good job of timing his passes, and took open shots when the defense presented them, really putting together a complete series as a floor general.
X-Factor: Randomz
Brooklyn’s lockdown defender erupted for back-to-back 30+ point performances. At times, especially in games two and three, it felt as if it was just shooting practice for the rookie, as he was left by himself time and time again. Choc kept finding Randomz and the returned lock kept taking advantage, leading to the Brooklyn reverse sweep.
Raptors Uprising def. Gen.G Tigers 2-1
What Went Right
A few things went right for both squads tonight, and it resulted in a regular-season sequel that was just as good as the first installment in the Tipoff. It’s extremely difficult to play Raptors Uprising GC on its home court, and falling behind early is a death sentence. For opposing teams, beating the Raptors not only requires outplaying them on the court, but also overcoming the psychological factor that they bring to each matchup. Teams know the floodgates could open at any time, and it must be stressful to execute a gameplan while knowing water is already beginning to pool under your feet.
What Went Wrong
One of the reasons why the Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai continue to be able to take at least one game from Toronto is their ability to leak out in transition. Shiftykaii has mastered how to free himself after a turnover or a missed shot and turn them into easy baskets. It is nearly impossible to trade punches with the Raptors entirely in the half court, though turning it into a track meet propelled the Tigers to a game two victory. Unfortunately, this approach requires getting stops throughout an entire best-of-three series, and the Tigers weren’t able to do so.
X-Factor: The turnover battle
Whichever team took care of the ball won the game. In the opening game of the series, the Tigers coughed up the ball 22 times. In the next game, they turned it around on Toronto and forced the Raptors into 24 giveaways. The Tigers ultimately lost the turnover battle in game three by 14 and correspondingly lost the decisive game by more than 40 points.
Knicks Gaming def. Lakers Gaming 2-1
What Went Wrong
Lakers Gaming played one of its most competitive series, stringing together three solid games and never letting one get out of hand, but it wasn’t enough. Sav was a bucket in all three, as usual, scoring 33 points per game but falling short in two out of three contests. A game three reset, albeit coming from their end, didn’t go in their favor, killing any and all LA momentum. The series loss continues a disappointing 2020 season and drops the Lakers Gaming record to 2-10.
What Went Right
Knicks Gaming seemed to be playing behind the whole series, but successfully completed a pair of comebacks to take the series win. Even when Duck and Malik were struggling to shoot efficiently, New York’s remaining starting five had their backcourt’s back. In the end, it was an extra pass from Malik that found BigRim for a green corner three with just over 12 seconds remaining in the third and final game, pushing the contest virtually out of reach. New York didn’t have a whole lot go right over the course of the series, but things went their way when they needed, pushing their record back to .500.
X-Factor: Fresh reset
If it weren’t for a Lakers lagout near the end of game three, New York may have lost this series. All momentum was going the wrong way, and the restart allowed Duck and Malik to reset what had been a horrendous display of shooting. This gave Knicks Gaming an opportunity to turn it around, and they took full advantage, as they should have.