Rotowire

Over the past few weeks, Jazz Gaming has vaulted itself from borderline playoff team to legit contender, and Friday’s contest pitted the squad against an expansion team that also has what it takes to make a run for the postseason. The Gen.G Tigers have slipped a bit in the rankings, but there’s no doubt that point guard ShiftyKaii, who ranks second in the league in points and first in assists, would be able to keep pace with the Jazz’s standout floor general, Splashy. The end result was a pretty convincing 2-0 sweep for the Jazz, who are improving on both sides of the ball on a nightly basis.

Both games in this series were mirror images of themselves, as bursts of offensive production by the Tigers were met with extended runs and lock-down defense from the Jazz. The situation got very bleak for the Tigers in the third quarter, as the Jazz, a team that isn’t known for its defense, put the clamps on the opposing team’s playmakers. Unable to mount a charge, the Tigers were silenced by the Jazz in Game 1 with an 84-51 blowout. Splashy was stellar with 35 points, and Lotty had one of his best games of the season with 25 points and four assists. Ria was also solid under the basket with 17 rebounds and six steals. On the losing end, ShiftyKaii struggled with his shot, scoring 15 while missing every 3-point attempt.

The Jazz picked up where they left off in Game 2, jumping to an early lead thanks to Splashy’s continued excellence at the point. The Tigers’ backcourt presence, which had some good moments in Game 1, was overshadowed by their interior game as Deadeye was the only effective element of their attack in the first half. The first quarter ended 21-11 in favor of the Jazz. The Tigers kept pressing with that advantage to close the gap in the second quarter. Gen turned on the offense to help the Tigers roar back to striking distance and knocked in 16 points in the first half. The half ended with the Jazz up, 36-34. The Jazz refused to give this game away and made a huge statement in the third quarter. Their defensive half-court press gave the Tigers fits, and they could only muster 10 points in the frame. Splashy shifted into high gear and had great success getting the ball inside to his playmakers, and Gen.G’s recklessness with the ball resulted in a few key transition baskets for the Jazz. The Tigers fell further behind in the fourth, as they appeared to give up defensively. Ria was wide open in the paint for several possessions, and Splashy dished the ball into him at will, and every Jazz starter began to pad their stat lines as the game ended decisively, 87-64. Both Splashy (28 points, eight assists) and Lotty (23 points, six assists) excelled again in this game, while Yeah I Compete was perfect from the floor in a 13-point effort. Every Jazz starter posted double-digit scores. Gen took his turn to lead the Tigers with 20 points, and ShiftyKaii bounced back with 16 points and 10 assists.

Jazz Gaming (7-1) will try to keep rolling against Hawks Talon GC next week. The Gen.G Tigers (5-5) will look to right the ship against Heat Check Gaming in Week 8.