RotoWire – Joe Bartel

In a pivotal series for both Cavs Legion GC and Blazer5 Gaming’s playoff aspirations, it appeared as if the Cavs had scored a stunning upset victory in pursuit of a playoff berth. Blazer5 Gaming would eviscerate the notion, ultimately claiming a statement 2-1 series win.

Game 1 was startling in favor of Cavs Legion GC for the majority of the contest. Five first quarter turnovers were ultimately the spark that lit the Cavs Legion runaway flame, as a six-point first quarter lead expanded into a double-digit deficit by the end of the third quarter, with Mama Im Dat Man almost single-handily making sure the Blazers weren’t outscored in every quarter thanks to his 13-point effort in the final frame.

Defense truly was the name of the game in the opening match of the series, as Cavs Legion kept their opposition under 50 percent from the field through three quarters, forcing a shockingly high 12 turnovers to boot. The Cavs capitalized on those turnovers with a number of 3-point shots, as three different members hit an attempt from deep in the 67-58 win. Not surprisingly, each of Doza, Strainer and All Hail Trey scored in the double digits, with oLarry joining the double-digit scoring club as the only member to not attempt a long-range shot.

Not surprisingly for Blazer5 Gaming, it was a two-man show between the back-to-back MVP pair, as Mama and OneWildWalnut accounted for 44 of the team’s total 58 points, although much of that production came in a fourth quarter that was already well out of reach.

It was essentially a reverse script in Game 2, with Blazer5 Gaming immediately jumping out to a 12-point first-quarter advantage to a combined 21 points from Mama, OneWildWalnut and OOC Slim. The 2018 MVP arguably contributed to the runaway scoreline, as OneWildWalnut had six rebounds in the first quarter, and a scintillating 15 in the first half, most of which resulted in easy putback opportunities. The scoreline of Game 2 was never really in doubt after the first 12 minutes, as Blazer5 Gaming held a 24-point lead which ultimately became an 84-67 win thanks to some fourth-quarter shenanigans that allowed Cavs Legion to pile together a string of inconsequential buckets.

OneWildWalnut put together a vintage performance, tallying 21 points and 22 rebounds, while Mama Im Dat Man registered his usual 38 points to go along with 14 assists. Other than Doza, who posted 35 points in the losing effort, the entirety of Cavs Legion struggled from the field, routinely missing wide open threes en route to a dismal 51 percent from the field.

You could say Game 3 was closer than Game 2 after the first quarter, but there was little doubt Blazer5 Gaming would lose the game, or the series for that matter, after the first quarter. This time it wasn’t Mama or OneWildWalnut that propelled the Blazers to a lead, but shooting guard MaJes7ic who connected on both of his 3-pointers to the tune of eight first-quarter points. It almost seemed as if Blazer5 Gaming wanted to make a statement in Game 3, as Mama Im Dat Man repeatedly, and relentlessly, hunted for assists, ultimately finishing the first half with eight points (3-10 FG) and nine assists, with both MaJes7ic and OneWildWalnut posting 12 points each.

The final score would be 80-57 in favor of Blazer5, but the uniqueness of the game came not from the score, but from MaJes7ic’s series-high 28 points on 13-of-22 from the field. OneWildWalnut finished with his second consecutive 20-plus rebound contest, posting 16 points and 21 rebounds. Doza had 30 points for Cavs Legion, but make no mistake, another stalwart defensive effort from the Blazers, who held the Cavs this time to under 50 percent of the field, coupled with a breakout contest from MaJes7ic, was should be the main takeaway from this nightmare reverse sweep of Cavs Legion GC.

Blazer5 Gaming will continue their pursuit for a possible playoff spot Friday against the lowly Pistons GT, while Cavs Legion GC take on Hawks Talon GC the same day.