Rotowire

The Gen.G Tigers impressed in their NBA 2K League debut, despite losing to Warriors Gaming Squad 2-1. The Tigers’ 2-1 win over Lakers Gaming to wrap up Week 1 showed that, while there are some kinks to need ironing out, Gen.G might just be the next breakout team.

Gen.G came close to making a comeback happen in Game 1, but Lakers Gaming held on to take a 52-51 win. The Lakers set the tone early in the first half, holding Gen.G to just 18 points while scoring 31 points of their own. Leading the charge was SAV, who ended with 30 points on 13-of-25 shooting. Center Tactuk pitched in with eight points and a game-high 21 rebounds.

The Tigers did well to fight back late in the game after putting up a 20-7 third quarter, but they had trouble getting the job done on the glass. In the loss, ShiftyKaii put up 23 points on 11-of-25 shooting, and Gen put in 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc.

Gen.G came roaring back in Game 2, dominating the Lakers 88-62. ShiftyKaii led the way with a whopping 57 points on 23-of-40 shooting and also chipped in four assists and five steals. Gen put up 11 points and Deadeye scored 12 of his own.

The Tigers took control early with a 21-8 first quarter, setting the tone for Game 2. While the Lakers’ offense would pick up after a lackluster start, the Tigers won every quarter, scoring 26 points in the fourth. Gen.G’s TURNUPDEFENSE was crucial in the win, slowing down the Lakers’ offense and forcing SAV to earn his 33 points through tough shots.

In the series-deciding Game 3, Lakers Gaming had a chance to come back late in the game, but the team from Shanghai held on to pick up its first win in franchise history.

The Lakers put up a good fight in a losing effort, with Tactuk leading the team with a monstrous 22-point, 20-rebound double-double. SAV put up 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting, but found his shot selection limited thanks to TURNUPDEFENSE’s tight coverage.

Gen.G showed signs of a top-class rookie team throughout the final game, for better and for worse. The Tigers won the assist battle 15-12 and had 10 steals to their opponents’ four. ShiftyKaii had another impressive game, putting up 49 points on 21-of-28 shooting to go along with seven assists. Gen.G started strong with a 21-16 first quarter and also finished strong with a 22-19 fourth. One area where the Tigers showed their youth, though, was in the foul department.

The Tigers picked up 15 personal fouls, compared to just seven for the Lakers, including a dangerous one late that gave Tactuk an and-one lay-in to make it a one-possession game. The defense ultimately held, though, and the Tigers held on to win 73-70 and claim both the game and the series.