RotoWire – Juan Pablo Aravena

Blazer5 Gaming delivered an absolutely dominant performance in the first game of the series, as they quickly grabbed the advantage in the first quarter, 23-12, and never let it go. In fact, Blazer5 would quickly ice the game in the second quarter after posting a 28-8 score, aided by timely defense and some excellent offensive execution. Blazer5 kept pounding the Grizz in the second half and outscored 42-26 in the final two quarters en route to a 97-50 victory. They were so dominant that they scored 20-plus points in every quarter, while limiting the Grizz to 13 or fewer points in each period.

Mama Im Dat Man paced Blazer5 with 48 points and nine assists, and he almost outscored the Grizz Gaming on its own after shooting 21-of-29 from the field. MaJes7ic and OOC Slim each added 18 points, while OneWildWalnut posted six points with 19 rebounds. G O O F Y 7 5 7 and DDouble were the only Grizz players who scored in double digits, as they finished with 15 and 11 points, respectively — G O O F Y 7 5 7 also posted 12 boards. Vandi was a massive disappointment, as he ended with seven points and eight rebounds while committing 13 turnovers.

Game 2 was far tighter, as the Grizz played with a different attitude and that was quite noticeable based on how they played. Grizz Gaming jumped out to a 21-19 lead in the first quarter, but Blazer5 bounced back just before half time to earn a six-point advantage (34-28). The Grizz were not ready to give up, however, and made it a one-game for them with a 19-12 third quarter. Chaos would ensue in the final seconds, though.

Blazer5 recovered the advantage late in the fourth quarter, as both teams changed leads in the final minute. Mama Im Dat Man connected on an alley-oop with only 3.6 seconds left in the game leaving the Grizz with the responsibility of making the final shot or getting eliminated. AuthenticAfrican had a clear path to the rim, but his dunk attempt was blocked and B5 advanced to the next round with a 2-0 sweep.

Mama Im Dat Man (25 points, 12 assists) and OneWildWalnut (14 points, 15 rebounds) led the Blazers in Game 2, as they carried the team down the stretch when things got tough. As for the Grizz, Vandi finished with 27 points and 10 assists, while G O O F Y 7 5 7 posted 15 points, nine boards, four assists, three steals and three blocks.

With the win, Blazer5 Gaming clinched a spot in the semifinals of THE TICKET, powered by AT&T.