Rotowire

Hornets Venom GT, the newest addition to the NBA 2K league, wasted no time making a splash in their inaugural matchup against Cavs Legion in Week 1, claiming a 2-0 series victory. Coach Austin Peterson and his Cleveland squad entered Season 3 hoping to improve upon an 8-8 record, a campaign in which they finished at the bottom of the league in both made and attempted three-pointers. Cavs Legion made a move to improve upon those numbers by acquiring Doza, who they stole from the Raptors in exchange for a second-round pick. They handled the Pacers on Opening Night, but the youth and relative inexperience of the newly-minted Hornets squad proved to be too much for the Legion on Wednesday, as they dropped to 1-1 on the season.

Hornets Venom GT controlled all aspects in the first game of the series and walked away with a convincing 65-56 victory. The Hornets were led by their expansion draft pick, Type, who posted a stellar 21-point/16-rebound double-double. The Venom also received excellent support from their first-round pick, as Snubby aptly played floor general and finished with 14 points and three steals. After making it rain in their season-opening win, the one-two punch of Strainer and ESPY winner oLarry got it done again, with Strainer scoring 24 points and oLarry hauling in 16 rebounds. The Legion’s Godddof2k is one of the best defensive players in the league, but he was quiet in Game 1, finishing with only two points and three rebounds.

The Hornets continued to roll in Game 2, cruising to a 73-58 victory behind Snubby’s 29 points. The biggest surprise of Game 2 was Type’s dominance over oLarry in the paint, as the Venom’s center notched a rare triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists) against the Legion’s marquee big man. Zae chipped in with 17 points, six rebounds and three assists for the Hornets. On the other side of the floor, Strainer dropped another big line with 24 points and four assists, but the rest of the Legion’s offensive attack was effectively shut down by the league’s newest team.

An expansion team won Season 2 as T-Wolves Gaming took the title, and the aggressive all-around play of Hornets Venom GT on Wednesday made a compelling statement for expansion teams to go back-to-back. The Charlotte squad look to keep things going against 76ers GC on Friday, and the Legion will attempt to bounce back against Bucks Gaming in Week 2.