RotoWire — Juan Pablo Aravena

Hawks Talon GC earned a massive win over Heat Check, and coupled with 76ers GC loss earlier on the night, clinched a spot in the second round of THE TICKET, powered by AT&T as the 13th seed. They will face the winner of the tie between Magic Gaming (16th seed) and Pacers Gaming (21st seed).

The Hawks didn’t have problems securing a huge win over Heat Check on Friday night, as they dominated the matchup from start to finish. Hawks Talon jumped out to a 16-10 lead in the first quarter, and they would never look behind. They bolstered their advantage with a 23-8, and the Heat were unable to respond in the second half. Despite their comeback attempts, the Hawks closed things out with ease en route to a comfortable 68-59 Game 1 win. The final score, however, didn’t do justice to the Hawks’ dominant performance.

BP led the Hawks with 41 points and eight assists, and Lee supported him well with 12 points and 10 rebounds. TBShiftay led the Heat with a 23-point effort, while Hotshot posted a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double. The center also added eight assists and five blocks to his name.

The Hawks started Game 2 with a clear mindset — they didn’t want to play a Game 3 and, as such, they established a 25-8 advantage following the first quarter. That 17-point lead was too much for the Heat, and Check Gaming only showed signs of life in the second half. They won the final two quarters by an eight-point differential, but it wasn’t enough. Heat Check Gaming couldn’t even sniff a come-from-behind upset, as Hawks Talon cruised to a series win after a 79-70 Game 2 win.

BP and Kel carried Hawks Talon in Game 2, as the backcourt duo combined for 50 points on 18-for-25 shooting although BP also added 14 assists and three steals. They weren’t alone, though, as Lee played a strong support role with 10 points, five boards and five steals. TBShiftay was impressive for Heat Check Gaming, as he ended with 33 points while making 14 of his 17 field goals. Hotshot did an excellent job of filling out the stat sheet (11 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, five steals, two blocks) and GlennRatty contributed 18 points with four dimes.