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Jazz Gaming improved to 1-1 during the regular season of the NBA 2K League, defeating Cavs Legion GC 59-51 to conclude the opening week of the inaugural campaign.

It was an uncharacteristically poor shooting performance from both teams in a matchup billed as elite teams squaring off, as the first quarter ended with Jazz Gaming holding a slim 13-11 advantage.

The low scoring had more to do with missed opportunities as opposed to stifling defense, with a surprising amount of open elbow jumpers clanking off the rim for both teams. It was an especially startling opening sequence of events for Cavs Legion (0-1), as the team exploded through THE TIPOFF tournament thanks to combo guard Hood, who piled up 182 points during the previous weekend.

That positive outing was thanks to an obvious five-out offensive strategy that surrounded Hood with shooters, opening the team’s first-round pick for a litany of open driving lanes. That gameplan fell to the wayside Saturday against Jazz Gaming, as Cleveland seemed to forfeit their spacious offense for a more defensive approach – a move that seemed to backfire from the tip.

While Jazz Gaming center MrSlaughter01 still found opportunities to score down low, posting 10 points by the third quarter, it certainly hindered the Cavs ability to rely on its outside shooting as the team attempted just six three pointers through 18 minutes. While Hood and Sick x 973 still were able to get their points, the offense as a whole seemed to flounder under the additional stress, with Utah maintaining a healthy advantage throughout the game.

It was telling that Utah small forward Smoove was the player that benefited from his team’s floor spacing, as the versatile scoring option was 4-of-5 from beyond the three point line, leading the team in scoring throughout the game. It’ll be interesting to see whether Cavs Legion will stick with the same prototype heading into their next contest against Kings Guard Gaming on Saturday. Meanwhile, Jazz Gaming will attempt to register their second win of the season against Raptors Uprising GC the same day.