What an unbelievable tournament. 10/10, GOAT, No. 1 in the tournament power rankings, however you want to describe it, THE TICKET powered by AT&T in Orlando was special. From the crowd to the wild finishes to the great guests, it was one of the highlights of the season and gave us even more to breakdown as we get closer to the playoffs. Before we get to our Week 9 preview, let’s go through some notes from THE TICKET.

Thursday (Night 1, Play-in Games):

1. If you ever needed an example as to why MaJes7ic is the 2nd most valuable player on the Heat Check roster, go check out what Plondo’s numbers were in the game before THE TICKET that won him the Intel Player of the Week for Week 8. Now, feast your eyes on his line in the play-in game. 5 PTS, 6 REB, 7 TOV, 2/7 from the floor. He put on a defensive clinic.

2. It shocked the whole arena when it came out that GOOFY 757 wasn’t playing, but at 2-9 a shakeup was needed. The way that he and the whole team handled the situation should make the franchise proud. Goofy handled it well and was on the bench every game supporting his team. The team used the new lineup to create more spacing and allowed OriginalMalik and HazzaUK to have more open shots on the perimeter.

3. The decision to move Arsonal to the 4 and Dat Boy Shotz to the 5 was an interesting one. Hawks Talon seemingly beat everyone to the punch with the Post Scoring build at the 4 with Shotz, but went away from it in THE TICKET. Arsonal and Shotz have been the only two consistent parts of their team this season, so changing things up against a stout Pacers Gaming team appears like a risk that just didn’t necessarily pay off.

4. It may be time to start talking about the Cavs Legion GC frontcourt as the best in the entire league. The 1-2 punch of All Hail Trey and oLarry has opened up everything for Legion and their ability to switch and communicate on both ends of the floor has benefited both massively. The stat lines these two have been putting up recently are mind-boggling.

Friday (Night 2, Play-In Games):

1. Heat Check Gaming jumping off the stage and getting mauled by their fans after they upset Blazer5 Gaming was one of the best moments of the entire year. On the other hand, Blazer5 is now facing even MORE pressure. Five first-round exits in tournaments in unthinkable for a team that has dominated the regular season like they have. Being back in New York for the Playoffs should definitely help their chances.

2. Day 2 was the day of thrilling finishes. Knicks-Mavs, Heat Check-Blazer5, Raptors Uprising-Celtics Crossover Gaming all came right down to the wire and set the tone for the rest of the tournament. It goes to show just how much the tournament atmosphere balances the power and that it really is anyone’s game whenever the ball is tipped.

3. Shout out to the No. 2 overall pick, Gradient. Point Guards averaged only 13.3 PPG, 8 apg, on 47.6% shooting during THE TICKET while committing almost 4 turnovers a game when defended by Warriors Gaming’s lock.

Saturday (Night 3, Championship Saturday):

1. Sports have a fascinating way of finding balance. Whether it’s injury or draft luck, things usually find their way to the middle. However, sometimes that balance can be extremely cruel. Knicks Gaming x Cavs Legion GC is a perfect example of this concept. Less than a month removed from their miraculous 18-point, fourth quarter comeback against T-Wolves Gaming, Cavs Legion saw Knicks Gaming come back from a eight-point deficit with 18 seconds left to force OT only to then lose by six. Last thing about Knicks-Cavs: the two teams combined for 46 points in that fateful 4th quarter! That was the most points scored of any quarter during THE TICKET and one of only three quarters to break the 40-point mark.

2. It needs to be noted that, despite losing in the Finals, Pacers Gaming were the only team to play five games in this tournament. Going 4-1 is a testament to the maturity of that team and the great coaching of Cody Parrent. Ramo was also pretty ill during the run, so props to him for sticking it out.

3. The Final was a true heavyweight boxing match. Big shot after big shot, stop after stop. It was a truly great basketball game. The difference ended up being Bsmoove. Showing true championship DNA, he nailed a pair of massive 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Warriors Gaming Squad was a deserving champion and one who should certainly be among the favorites to win it all heading into the playoffs.

What To Watch For In Week 9:

1. Must-See Game:
   1. Warriors Gaming Squad (7-4) vs. Mavs Gaming (10-1):
      1. Time: Wednesday, 7 pm/et
      2. Best Match-up: PeteBeBallin vs. Type
      3. Summary: Who doesn’t love a great big man matchup? Well, we’re getting a doozy to start the week. Two of the best defensive players in the entire league going head to head coming off polar opposite trips from THE TICKET.
2. Game Flying Under The Radar
   1. Bucks Gaming (6-5) vs. NetsGC (5-5)
      1. Time: Friday, 10 pm/et
      2. Best Match-up: Plondo vs. Shuttles
      3. Summary: Shuttles was the only one who could really make a dent in Ramo’s incredible run at Post Scorer during THE TICKET. Let’s see what he can do against ROY candidate Plondo.
3. Elite Position Battles For Week 4
   1. Point Guard:
      1. CB13 (Warriors Gaming) faces off against Dimez (Mavs Gaming) at 7 pm/et on Wednesday.
      2. Stats don’t necessarily back it up, but the amount of energy flying between Mama Im Dat Man (Blazer Gaming) and Yeah I Compete (Jazz Gaming) is going to be awesome.
   2. Shooting Guard:
      1. Sherm (Mavs Gaming) vs. Gradient (Warriors Gaming) is going to be a thrilling matchup.
   3. Small Forward: 
      1. Lotty (Jazz Gaming) makes his Jazz debut against King Peroxide (Blazer5 Gaming).
      2. THE TICKET MVP Bsmoove (Warriors Gaming) faces on one of the best rookies this year in Mo (Mavs Gaming).
   4. Power Forward: 
      1.  It’s time to stop ignoring the great defensive power forwards! Yusuf_Scarbz(Kings Gaming) and HazzaUK (Knicks Gaming) take center stage in a game the Kings really need.
      2. Hotshot (Heat Check Gaming) takes his insane hot streak against Shuttles (NetsGC), who did a decent job against Ramo in THE TICKET.
      3. Dayfri (Wizards District) has a huge challenge against a red-hot Ramo (Pacers Gaming)
   5. Center:
      1. Ria (Jazz Gaming) & OneWildWalnut (Blazer5 Gaming) have a thrilling matchup between two guys who are looking to rebound from Orlando.
      2. oLarry (Cavs Legion GC) squares off against Gilly (Wizards District Gaming)

Top Stats of the Week (THE TICKET):

1. Hotshot led all scorers at 32 ppg, but what’s more impressive is when you break the numbers down and realize he scored 96(!) points in just three games.

2. WoLF 74 was outstanding at THE TICKET, holding opposing PGs to just 43% shooting while forcing over 5 TO a game.

3. In a stark contrast to his season long shooting numbers, BeardwinnerLA led all qualified players at 93.75 eFG%

4.  JMoneyRep817 continues to be a great move for T-Wolves Gaming, shooting 64% from 3, No. 1 among qualified Small Forwards.

Content You May Have Missed: 

• Lotty and MOAM were traded this week to Jazz Gaming and Heat Check Gaming respectively.
• T-Wolves Gaming made a fantastic piece about their trip to Orlando.
• Bucks Gaming was back at it again with another hilarious press conference.
• Grizz Gaming coach Lang Whitaker didn’t have a problem finishing these lyrics.

Scott Cole and Dirk Moment Of The Week:

This call was as good as the play.

GRADIENT, ARE YOU SERIOUS?! pic.twitter.com/LUiWNB8rBA

— NBA2KLeague (@NBA2KLeague) June 15, 2019

Keep up the good work, fellas.

This article represents the opinion of the writer and not of the league.