Three series on Thursday night had no shortage of drama, as a new league scoring record in the early slot was quickly subsumed by an impressive Bucks Gaming win in a three-game series with Kings Guard Gaming.
Raptors Uprising def. Pacers Gaming, 2-0
What Went Right
While we never expected Pacers Gaming to spoil Raptors Uprising GC’s perfect season, we also didn’t expect them to fold like they did in game one. The Raptors ultimately set a new NBA 2K League scoring record, 112 points, on a team regarded as one of the better defensive units in the league. One thing that makes the Raptors so difficult to stop is that they have no problem taking what you give them. When the Pacers left Legit open, the youngster made them pay. Every time they closed in on Kenny, the MVP favorite would find Reece or Timely for an open look. Then, as usual, Sick completely dominated down low, averaging 23.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, and 7 assists on the night.
What Went Wrong
Indiana switched things up yet again for the matchup with Toronto, this time going with Wolf at center, Bobby Buckets sliding to power forward, and Swizurk moving to the two spot on a slashing build. It’s tough to take valuable information from film against the Raptors because of how lopsided games are, but it didn’t look like this was the answer the Pacers were seeking.
X-Factor: Indiana’s inability to keep pace
Let’s break down how quick it went from “Toronto gets its 13th win” to “Toronto sets a new scoring record.” To break the record, the Raptors needed to score 21 points in the final two minutes. Not only did the Raptors do just that, but they also made things slightly difficult for themselves and had to score eight points in the last 14 seconds.
– Kris Cuaresma
Mavs Gaming def. Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai, 2-0
What Went Right
Do not crack, do not fold. That was Mavs Gaming’s mantra during a listen-in last night. After enduring the stress of a game three with Jazz Gaming, Dallas was intent on getting the job done early. A dominant win in the opening matchup —led by the two-headed monster of Sherm and Mo — was followed by another dominant win, as the Mavericks would go onto hold off the Tigers in game two.
What Went Wrong
In a search for a shred of consistency, the Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai went with another lineup change after dropping their most recent games against Heat Check and Raptors Uprising. Turnupdefense went from the two the four, Killey forfeited some size to move to small forward, and Gen assumed primary lock responsibilities. Unfortunately, this didn’t work out as Gen.G hoped. ShiftyKaii had a poor start in game one and the Tigers were never able to recover from that early deficit. While game two was a closer battle, Gen.G could never break the seal, consistently inching close to tie the game but never able to take momentum away from Dallas.
X-Factor: Dimez
Unlike other teams, Dallas’ lineup change has yielded positive results. While the previous backcourt of Sherm and Dimez was arguably one of the best in the league, the Mavericks knew it wasn’t enough to keep up with the elite contenders. This higher set of expectations resulted in moving Dimez over to small forward as a pure sharp. Each time the Tigers made a run to close the gap in game two, Dimez greened a devastating three pointer. The former No. 1 pick had some help from his teammates too, with Sherm finding him when he was able to create separation on an off-ball screen from PeteBeBallin.
– Kris Cuaresma
Bucks Gaming def. Kings Guard Gaming, 2-1
What Went Right
In their wins, Arooks and Regg combined to score 122 total points, including a 50-pointer from the latter in game one. With both Bucks Gaming and Kings Guard Gaming grabbing a win apiece in the first two games, it came to a series-deciding game three, and in reality, truly came down to one shot. With his team down, facing possible playoff elimination, Regg—calm, cool, and collected—greened his three-point attempt with just 7 seconds left. Milwauwee’s defense held tight, not even allowing Bash or Shotz to get off a post hook, and here the Bucks are: right in the middle of the playoff race.
What Went Wrong
First of all, this series was primetime entertainment. Both teams had multiple opportunities to take the win, but Kings Guard ultimately fell short. This series felt similar to the recent Jazz-Bucks series. The Kings didn’t necessarily play poorly, but there were definitely a couple of plays they’d like to have back. It truly was a case of “good defense, better offense” at times, as Bucks Gaming hit shots when they needed to, and the Kings… didn’t. Luckily for Sacramento, early-season success affords a loss here and there, so their playoff status is still essentially in the clear.
X-Factor: 11 Teams Passing Up Regg
Regg is prepared to run away with rookie of the year after the past couple of weeks. With wins against Jazz Gaming and now Kings Guard, the Bucks find themselves hitting their stride at the perfect time, and it’s been because of their talented rookie. 50-point performances, 20-20s, and now an ice-cold, fearless game-winner. The world is Regg’s right now and we’re just living in it.
– Aaron Fox
