So far, the ambitious offseason trade for G O O F Y 7 5 7 has yet to pay dividends for Grizz Gaming, who dropped a difficult series 2-1 to Hawks Talon GC on Wednesday.

Grizz Gaming, who lost their season-opener Tuesday, continued their struggles right off the bat, as they dropped Game 1 to Hawks Talon, 74-63. Vandi drilled a three with 1:30 left to narrow the lead to five points, but that’s as close as Memphis got in the fourth quarter, as blocked shots and turnovers marred the Grizz’s comeback. Although Grizz Gaming bested the Hawks in overall rebounding and steals, they could only convert 54 percent of their shots. Hawks Talon’s star point guard battled through a cold night of shooting, as BP posted only 17 points, but Kel stepped up in his place with 27 points. Under the basket, Lee squelched G O O F Y 7 5 7 with nine points and 12 rebounds. For Memphis, Vandi dominated the box score with 68 percent of Grizz Gaming’s points, as he exploded for a stat line of 43 points, five assists and two steals. No one else reached double digits for the Grizz.

Grizz Gaming managed to keep things close in Game 2 until Hawks Talon rattled off a 7-0 run to end the third quarter. Technical issues forced a game reset with one quarter to play, and Grizz Gaming refused to quit, tying the game with 3:25 left. Behind some excellent shooting from Vandi, they surged to a six-point lead with a minute left. Grizz Gaming went on to split the series with a 60-54 win after outscoring Atlanta 19-7 in the fourth quarter. Vandi kept the cylinders humming for the Grizz with 31 points, three assists and two steals. Jrod also got hot for Grizz Gaming, tallying 11 points while drilling a hat trick of 3-pointers. Although BP went 0-for-7 from beyond the arc, he collected a team-high seven assists to go along with 17 points for HTG, and Lee pitched in an 11-point, 13-rebound double-double in the loss.

Grizz Gaming finally ran out of gas in Game 3, as a 17-7 second quarter by Hawks Talon essentially put the game out of reach. They led 32-24 at the half and turned the game into a decisive 75-57 blowout. BP racked up his best stat line of the series, providing 34 points, five assists and a whopping six steals, while Kel posted another stellar stat line with 24 points and two rebounds, MrStyles also showed some excellent defensive play with seven steals in the contest. DDouble led the way for Grizz Gaming with 16 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots, and Vandi notched 15 points, his lowest total of the series.

Grizz Gaming (0-2) will have nine days to regroup before facing Heat Check Gaming in Week 3, while Hawks Talon GC (2-1) will look to keep things rolling against Pacers Gaming on Friday