RotoWire – Zak Hanshew

Blazers Gaming faced Celtics Crossover Gaming on Friday for the second night of THE TICKET, powered by AT&T.

Game 1 was a tight-knit affair throughout, as the contest began with a 26-26 score at halftime. Blazer5 Gaming took a 40-35 lead after three quarters and took over the game in the final frame. The team used an 11-4 run to start the fourth quarter to build the lead to 12 – a lead that it would build on substantially in the final minutes. Blazer5 Gaming ended the game on a 15-5 run and won the fourth quarter 26-9 to take a 66-44 victory. Mama Im Dat Man led all scorers with 35 points, and OneWildWalnut provided a double-double with a strong final stat line. Celtics Crossover Gaming committed 19 turnovers and shot just 19-of-47 from the floor in the blowout loss.

Game 2 was much of the same, as the two squads played each other evenly through the first half. Despite a huge 21-point half from FT, Celtics Crossover Gaming fell behind 41-36 at the break, as Blazer5 Gaming won the turnover battle 2-7. Blazer5 Gaming turned up the heat in the second half, taking a 16-point lead into the fourth quarter thanks to a 28-17 third quarter advantage. MaJes7ic scored eight and OOC Slim scored 12 in the pivotal quarter to give Blazer5 Gaming another insurmountable lead.

Blazer5 Gaming finished the fourth quarter 15-14 to clinch an 84-67 victory and sweep the series. FT had another big game, going off for a game-high 39 points, though it wasn’t enough for CLTX Gaming, which recorded 12 turnovers and shot sub-50 percent for the second straight contest. Mama Im Dat Man had a monster double-double with 24 points and 18 dimes in the winning effort, while OOC Slim led the team with 26 points.

With the loss, CLTX Gaming is officially eliminated from THE TICKET, powered by AT&T and will not have a chance to earn a playoff berth. Blazer5 Gaming will advance in the tournament with a trip to the playoffs on the line.