In what was easily (in my opinion) the best week of NBA 2K League basketball this season, the group stage of The Turn finished on a triumphant note. A 2OT thriller between T-Wolves Gaming and Jazz Gaming that would make any basketball fan leap out of their chair, we are primed for an incredible bracket stage next week live on stage in Indianapolis. Let’s go group by group as we usually do and break down the teams that will actually be on that stage. Reminder, the conferences are being combined for the bracket stage this year which should add a very fun wrinkle to an already fun tournament.

Group A:
T-Wolves Gaming – 5-0
Jazz Gaming – 3-2
Mavs Gaming – 3-2
Pacers Gaming – 2-3
Blazer5 Gaming – 1-4
DUX Infinitos – 1-4

Can’t talk about last week without starting with the 2OT thriller that may go down as the best regular season game in NBA 2K League history. T-Wolves Gaming and Jazz Gaming reminded us all that this esport is so incredibly entertaining at the highest levels. Elite execution, haymaker shot after haymaker shot, some incredible defensive stretches by both teams, they showed us why they are two of the best five teams in the league this season. The real question is how Jazz Gaming responds. This is one of those losses that sits with you the rest of the year. When they give up a lead at some point, is the “oh no, here we go again” thought going to cross their mind? It’s a real test of their mental fortitude. If they overcome it, they may win a title because of it. If it consumes them? Their season might be over. Mavs Gaming and Pacers Gaming make it through as the #3-4 in this group. Two solid teams that are just starting to figure out how they can win consistently. They both need points for the playoff hunt, but a Turn title? Seems a little unlikely.

Group B:
Warriors Gaming Squad – 5-0
Kings Guard Gaming – 4-1
Lakers Gaming – 3-2
Bucks Gaming – 2-3
Cavs Legion GC – 1-4
Pistons GT – 0-5

Death, taxes, Warriors Gaming Squad dominating The Turn. It’s never really a surprise, but this team is a little different than year’s past. Usually by this time, the Dubs are borderline unstoppable on both ends of the floor. This year? The offense is still a work in progress…and they still went 5-0. This Warriors Gaming Squad team was a popular title pick because their upside is as high or higher than anyone else in the league. What’s scary is it doesn’t look like they are close to hitting that upside yet…and they still went 5-0. For the rest of the group, great to see Kings Guard remember how to play basketball over a five game stretch. I dont know what happened to them during The Tipoff, but it was a whole lot of yikes. But, back and better than ever now, let’s see if they can make a little run here and get some points back. I will talk about Bucks Gaming once they prove to me that they can beat anyone that is actually good instead of just picking on bad teams. And finally, the Lakers Gaming team seem to have hit a bit of a mid-season wall. Definitely to be expected, most upstart teams will get pushed back, but how they respond will define their season. Still very much in the hunt, but let’s see them punch back.

Group C:
Wizards District Gaming – 5-0
Heat Check Gaming – 3-2
Knicks Gaming – 2-3
Hawks Talon GC – 2-3
Magic Gaming – 2-3
NetsGC – 1-4

Death, taxes…wait, didn’t I do this already? Wizards District Gaming with a 5-0 Turn record and honestly they were barely challenged. They had a couple of close, fun games, but they never truly seemed to be in any real danger of blowing a game. I’m also tired of hearing how “bad” their offense is. It’s good enough. Their defense was always going to win them the title anyway, if they hit enough threes and get enough transition buckets, they’ll be fine. There isn’t too much to say about the rest of the group. Heat Check Gaming continues to improve. I’m interested to see if their new look offense will carry over to the stage. Knicks Gaming cycles back and forth between contender and total mess more than any team I can remember, so who knows what we are going to get out of them next week. And Hawks Talon GC…well I think we can all agree we are happy that Hawks Talon has some positive momentum.

Group D:
Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai – 4-1
Celtics Crossover Gaming – 3-2
Grizz Gaming – 3-2
76ers GC – 2-3
Hornets Venom GT – 2-3
Raptors Uprising GC – 1-4

People claim that I have biases towards specific teams, but I promise I don’t. I favor good teams and I ALWAYS root for the most chaotic outcome of any sport situation. So…I will admit, I was kind of rooting for 76ersGC to miss out on The Turn. Not because I don’t like their team or anything like that. I actually enjoy watching them play, but think of the chaos! Trading for a reigning MVP only to miss out on qualifying while the team you acquired him from makes it through to the next round?! So close! Alas, it wasn’t to be and we have our Tipoff finalists back on stage. Do I think this team could make a run and win The Turn? Absolutely. Do I think it’s more likely that their clear defensive issues come back and bite them? Absolutely. Celtics Crossover Gaming and Grizz Gaming will be fun teams to track, I think they are both capable of pulling off an upset in the first round. When their defense is engaged, they can win any game. For our final team (who is also the first place team in the conference), the Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai are flying under the radar. Weird to say, but they just played easily their best week of ball of the season. I think a breakout run during The Turn is coming, but I’ll keep that in my back pocket for now. I think this Gen.G team isi ready to take off.