Pacers Gaming started off THE TICKET, powered by AT&T, with a solid 60-53 win over Hawks Talon GC on Thursday.

Both teams have made recent lineup adjustments coming into this game, which paid off to varying degrees of success. On the positive side of change: Pacers Gaming. Moving Swizurk to point guard when he was averaging about 21 points a game at small forward might’ve been a head-scratcher, but the Pacers had seen the writing on the wall. Moving Ramo to a shot creating post scorer, as is slowly becoming standard, and giving Man In A Car the starting small forward nod, has changed the complexion of this Pacers offense. Ramo led the way against the Hawks with 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting while Man In A Car had 15 of his own. With defensive attention on those two, the rest of the team scored seven or eight points apiece to keep the Pacers ahead while providing solid defense. Forcing 11 turnovers while only committing six fouls all game is a testament to how much this Pacers defense slowed the game down and prevented the Hawks from taking off as it earns a next-round matchup with Nets Gaming. Then again, Hawks Talon GC might’ve done that to themselves.

Hawks Talon GC made some baffling decisions coming into this matchup. Dat Boy Shotz, one of the best power forwards in the game, was put into the center position as a pure glass cleaner while emerging star center Arsonal played a slashing stretch four. Combine that with XxSTL2LAxX playing a slashing defender small forward and Rando playing a pure sharpshooter shooting guard, and you have a team that must’ve had a hell of a time experimenting in scrims. Shotz finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, but Arsonal only put up five points on limited shooting. Running off-meta builds to try and get a favorable matchup is one thing, and should be commended, but putting players into situations where they look unfamiliar while an equally uncomfortable teammate could’ve better filled that role is simply mind boggling. MrStylez_ had an 11-point, 11-assist double-double, and the Hawks managed to win the third quarter 16-10, but that’s about all that went well as the Hawks got bounced from THE TICKET, powered by AT&T.