Rotowire

Warriors Gaming Squad played spoiler in the debut game for Gen.G Tigers, taking the expansion team down in a tight 2-1 series.

Game 1 started with a bang and set the tone for this explosive series. Warriors Gaming Squad held a 42-40 lead heading into the second half, largely thanks to CB13, who finished Game 1 with 31 points and 15 assists. The Gen.G Tigers had scoring threats of ther own, namely ShifteyKaii, who put up 34 points in his first ever NBA 2K League match.

Things went back-and-forth all the way through the fourth frame, where a clutch shot block and transition dunk by TURNUPDEFENSE tied things up at 74-74 and forced an extra period. Unfortunately for the Tigers, the Warriors’ veteran savvy, and a big OT period from Bsmoove as part of his 31-point Game 1, helped the Warriors take an 89-79 overtime win.

While Gen.G shot well, the Warriors were a well-oiled machine, not panicking throughout the game and outrebounding the Tigers 21-19 while winning the assist battle 21-16. In addition, while the Tigers managed to turn the ball over fewer times, Gen.G ran into foul trouble, finishing with 16 personal fouls compared to the Warriors’ nine.

Game 2 started slow, with the teams grinding it out in the first quarter. A 24-13 second quarter from the Warriors put them ahead at the half, but the Tigers responded well with a 26-19 third quarter. ShiftyKaii led the comeback with a 32-point, 12-assist double-double on 13-of-20 shooting, while center Killeyy put up 16 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 12 rebounds.

Despite CB13 scoring a series-high 49 points on 20-of-26 shooting, the rest of the Warrior players couldn’t find their rhythm. Jin uncharacteristically missed open three-pointers in the corner, only converting 2-of-8 attempts from three, and Bsmoove only scored five points on six attempts.

Despite stalling somewhat, the Warriors fought back in the end, trailing by just three points with one minute left. Gen.G were struggling down the stretch, which is expected of a new roster in their league debut, but a clutch offensive rebound iced the game, giving the Gen.G Tigers their first game win 73-68.

In similar fashion to Game 2, both teams were relatively even through the first quarter. The Warriors exploded for a 20-to-11 second quarter, led by Center Slaughter, who dominated the paint en route to a 14-point, 16-rebound double-double. The Tigers fought back in the third quarter with a 23-10 outing, taking a 51-47 lead into the fourth and final quarter.

Gen.G had been diligent in making sure CB13 couldn’t get easy shots throughout the game, but the Warriors’ point guard came alive in the fourth quarter. Despite some foul trouble for Bsmoove, who had five personal fouls as early as the third quarter, the Warriors slowed the Tigers offense down.

While Warriors Gaming showed its veteran mettle, the Tigers showed the telltale signs of “Rookie in the headlights” syndrome. Giving up a brutal clear path violation late in the game gave the Warriors a five-point swing in their favor. When CB13 sliced through Gen.G’s defense for a layup as part of his 34 points, Gen.G had 23 seconds to make a shot and earn another trip to overtime.

They took too long to get up a shot, though, and called a timeout with 0.2 seconds remaining after SF Gen got an offensive rebound under the rim. While Gen.G’s first loss is a brutal one, things are looking promising for the rookie squad to take a team as respected as Warriors Gaming Squad down to the wire.