The entire NBA 2K League playoff bracket is full and it’s almost time to begin the official run toward crowning the fourth champions.

How Bout Dem Knicks?

Manager/coach Kyle Rudy continues to prove he is the master of The TICKET powered by AT&T as he guided his squad to their second win in the NBA 2K League’s last-chance-playoff-qualification tournament.

THE TICKET powered by @ATT finals were electric as @KnicksGaming pulled away with the banner! pic.twitter.com/9jDe4SfDOJ

— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) August 22, 2021

The Knicks outlasted a field made up of the other teams in the NBA 2K League who failed to qualify for the playoffs. In the tournament finals, Knicks Gaming came back from a crushing one-point loss in Game 1 to Blazer5 to reel off 2 consecutive victories to capture the TICKET title.

Blazer5 also qualified for the playoffs, thanks to qualifying for the finals of the TICKET. Many will remember the last time Knicks Gaming won the TICKET. Back in Season 1, Nate Kahl, who returned to the team this year, Goofy 757, IamAdamTheFirst, Yey Not Gaming, Idris Da Goat and Jomar extended their momentum into the playoffs and pulled off an improbable win in the NBA 2K League Finals over Heat Check Gaming.

Obviously, Rudy and Co. will be hoping to duplicate that performance with mostly a new group. Point guard Duck won TICKET MVP, and as he goes, so goes Knicks Gaming and their chances to extend this most postseason run. En route to MVP honors, Duck averaged 29.7 points and 14 assists per game.

If they’re going to make some noise in the playoffs, Knicks Gaming needs more of the same from Duck. Here is a look at the finalized playoff bracket:

The 2021 NBA 2K League Playoffs Delivered with @DoorDash are here! pic.twitter.com/HsuC24pcZe

— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) August 23, 2021

Blazer5 Gaming Comes Up Short, But Still in the Mix

All season long, Blazer5 has struggled to put together a string of strong performances. That’s why they found themselves in The TICKET, but their run to the finals of the season-ending tournament proves they can be among the best teams when things come together.

B5 had to play without their starting center Goofy 757 in the Game 3 loss to Knicks Gaming, which moved normal starting point guard Bash to the 5 and JoelLazu to the 1. The results were unfavorable for B5, but either way, they’re defense must improve. B5 surrendered 102 points per game against Knicks Gaming in the TICKET finals, and that isn’t a recipe for advancing very far in the playoffs.

Disappointing Seasons Come to an End

Teams like Heat Check Gaming, Cavs Legion GC, Kings Guard Gaming and Raptors Uprising came into this season with high hopes–even championship aspirations–but the regular season was marked by inconsistency.

All these clubs can do moving forward is begin the march toward Season 5, but that journey is likely to include some new faces on the roster, and perhaps even in the coaching departments.

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