Rotowire

Thursday’s matchup between Blazer5 Gaming and Raptors Uprising GC was a tale of teams headed in opposite directions. The Raptors have rattled off seven straight to remain the only unbeaten team in the league, while Portland was suffering through four consecutive losses heading into this contest. Although Portland managed to notch one game and forced overtime in the third match, Raptors Uprising won the series 2-1 to go 8-0.

The first quarter was evenly matched as the Blazers turned up the heat defensively. Kenny Got Work got hit with a cold ring early on but Timelycook did his best to pick up the slack. The highlight of the quarter occurred in the final two seconds when Portland threw the inbounds pass right into Timelycook’s hands, and with less than a second left he hurled it up from long-range and drained the three at the buzzer. The tight defensive play continued in the second quarter and the half ended with a surprisingly low 30-30 tie. The game stayed competitive until the fourth quarter when Portland and Mama Im Dat Man took over. OneWildWalnut swatted three balls in the fourth to spearhead an excellent defensive performance, as the Raptors were held to only four points in the final stanza. Blazer5 Gaming pulled the upset win in Game 1, 57-50. Mama Im Dat Man kept all cylinders humming with 30 points and seven assists, but the game would have been lost were it not for the excellent play of OneWildWalnut, who snagged 18 rebounds to go along with 10 points, five assists, four steals and three blocked shots. The Raptors standout backcourt combined for seven steals but it was a bit of an off night for both Kenny Got Work (21 points) and Timelycook (18 points), although Timelycook did shoot a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor.

The Blazers got off to a hot start in Game 2 with a 9-2 lead, but Toronto stormed back with a 9-0 run to get back into it. Toronto proceeded to pull away a bit to a nine-point lead at the end of the first quarter behind some excellent rebounding play from Sick One. Raptors Uprising is known for their defense, but they let their backcourt loose on the offensive end in the second quarter as Kenny Got Work got to work from beyond the arc. Both sides rained down threes throughout the second stanza, as Mama Im Dat Man drilled a couple of long-range balls to keep them in the game. The Raptors proved to be too much for Portland in this quarter, going into the intermission with a 17-point lead. Kenny Got Work logged an astonishing 26 points in the first half. Blazer5 Gaming began to fold in the third quarter, as the Raptors couldn’t miss a shot and pulled out to an insurmountable 32-point lead heading into the final quarter. Ultimately, Portland failed to find an answer to Toronto’s huge offensive barrage and dropped the second game of the series, 101-55. Turnovers proved to be the defining stat for the game, as the Raptors turned the ball over just four times, while Toronto’s stifling defense forced 19 Portland turnovers. Kenny Got Work bounced back with a massive 46-point, 11-assist double-double, and Sick One pulled his fifth hat trick of the season with a 10/20/13 triple-double. TimelyCook also contributed 21 points and five steals. Mama Im Dat Man didn’t reach his season average but still scored 26 points in the loss, and OneWildWalnut pitched in with a 12-point, 14-rebound double-double.

The second game showed everyone just how dominant Toronto can be when they’re dialed in, but their defense is the cornerstone of their success, and they put it on full display in Game 3. While Blazer5 took an early lead, the momentum shifted as Portland committed some costly turnovers, giving the 33-26 led to Toronto at the half. Game 3 was also a time for TimelyCook to shine, as he helped his team sustain a lead throughout the third quarter with some key shots from the corner. The Raptors entered the final frame with a 52-45 lead, and Portland allowed them to keep it, as Blazer5 started taking too much time for plays to develop on offense. The momentum shifted quickly after a couple of costly turnovers by Toronto, and Portland was able to cut the Raptors’ lead to four points with 1:28 to go. Mama Im Dat Man then hit a key three to bring it to a one-point game and also jammed one in to take the lead seconds later. After a couple of possession changes, Mama held the ball for the final shot but was unable to score, which sent the game into overtime. Timelycook kicked off overtime with a long three, and the trend continued as they stretched it to an eight-point lead and went on to win, 75-70. Kenny Got Work poured in 37 points and dropped 10 dimes for a double-double, and Timelycook had his best game of the series with 23 points.

Raptors Uprising (8-0) will face Celtics Crossover Gaming on Friday, while Blazer5 Gaming (4-5) will be in Group 6 (along with Toronto) in next week’s tournament.