Week 8 Opens With Pistons GT, Heat Check, Grizz & Blazer5 W's - NBA 2K League

Week 8 Opens With Pistons GT, Heat Check, Grizz & Blazer5 W’s

Pistons Survive Against Kings

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Pistons GT overcame a slow start to pick up a crucial 64-61 win over Kings Guard Gaming to open Week 8 of the NBA 2K League on Friday.

Coming out of the gate, Kings Guard (3-6) looked to be in full control over their game, racking up an early 13-5 lead. The lead was a bit short-lived, however, as Pistons GT (6-3) eventually found their groove and began to chip away at the advantage as the first quarter progressed. By the end of the opening six minutes where Kings Guard led 15-11, it was a battle between timelycook of the Kings and Lets Get It Ramo of the Pistons, as both tallied seven points in the opening frame.

Once the second quarter got underway, however, it was all Pistons GT, all the time. Early into the quarter, they found themselves in the lead and never looked back. They outscored Kings Guard 36-26 in the second and third quarters, which was all they needed to keep this game out of reach. Kings Guard did try to make things interesting in the fourth quarter when Mootyy hit a couple of big threes to close the game in the final two minutes, but each time, Pistons GT wasted no time marching right up the floor and knocking down clutch baskets. The biggest of those clutch baskets came from Im So Far Ahead when he nailed a jumper from just inside the three-point line to put his team up 64-58 with 48 seconds left in the game. That was all Pistons GT needed to secure this win.

Pistons GT might have come away with the win, but it certainly wasn’t easy. They had to overcome a Kings Guard Gaming squad that saw four members score in double-digits, with timelycook leading the way at 20 points. An over reliance on outside shooting ended up being Kings Guard’s doom, however, as they shot just 9-of-22 from beyond the arc. Pistons GT capitalized on this with the trio of Im So Far Ahead, Rux, and Lets Get It Ramo putting up a combined 48 of the team’s 64 points in the win. It certainly didn’t help that both iiNsaniTTy and JosephTheTruth added in eight points each to round things out.

With the win, Pistons GT should have no problem securing a top seed for next week’s THE TICKET, while Kings Guard could be looking at a tough road during the second and final mid-season tournament.

Heat Check Gaming Notch The Victory vs. Celtics Crossover Gaming

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In what is quickly becoming a trend, Heat Check Gaming (5-4) won another heated affair, defeating Celtics Crossover Gaming (5-5) 68-65 on Friday.

One week after besting Jazz Gaming and their most outspoken member, Tifeworld, Heat Check Gaming utilized a similar strategy against MEL EAST and Celtics Crossover Gaming. That strategy ended up seeing Heat Check celebrating on the divider table after the game having survived a late push from Celtics Crossover, as the team held the pivotal small forward to zero points.

You wouldn’t have guessed Heat Check Gaming would find the momentum if you just watched the first quarter, however, as oFAB and company blitzed out to an early advantage. Multiple first quarter three pointers from the Celtics Crossover point guard seemed to give them the early edge, and it didn’t get any rosier through the second quarter as oFAB continued to provide a serviceable amount of offense.

Thanks to the new archetype changes, though, Heat Check Gaming small forward Hotshot kept with oFAB stride for stride offensively, registering nine points in the opening 12 minutes before finishing with a team-high 25. Utilizing a dominating quick first step and a variety of powerful dunks, Heat Check worked its entire offense off of Hotshot’s first half success – opening the door for a tiny amount of three point opportunities coupled with mid range jumpers from 24k Dropoff. That essentially became the difference maker as oFAB’s scoring assault tailed off in the second half while Celtics Crossover Gaming failed to foster much additional firepower. While center ARSONAL x did score 12 points in the second half, the combination of MEL EAST, Speedbrook and Profusion tallied just four points combined in the final two frames, ultimately leading Celtics Crossover to a middling seeding entering THE TICKET.

Grizz Gaming Roll On With A Week 8 Victory vs. Bucks Gaming

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Friday’s contest between Bucks Gaming and Grizz Gaming quickly got out of hand, as Grizz Gaming locked in a 73-63 win.

The archetype changes have caused waves in the NBA 2K League thus far, but you wouldn’t have really guessed it watching this contest. Bucks Gaming’s decision to inject Proc into the starting lineup for the first time since the beginning of the season echoed back to the previous patch when driving into the paint then kicking out to the three-point line was all the rage. While the lineup decision might have been a blast from the past, the results were very reminiscent of the present, as Grizz Gaming have now won four of the last five games.

Chalk that up to the fast-rising AuthenticAfrican, who at one point was the sole bright spot of a floundering Grizz Gaming squad, but now is arguably one of the most impressive players on a surprisingly deadly squad. By the end of the second quarter, Double A, as he’s been affectionately called on the broadcast, had already piled on 15 points, going a perfect 7-of-7 from the field. That unblemished field goal percentage was snapped late in the third quarter, but not before the damage was done, as Grizz Gaming had essentially locked up the game long before then thanks to a 43-25 advantage through the second and third quarters. AuthenticAfrican did manage to finish the game with a double-double (29 points, 11 rebounds). To place the win solely on the performance of AA would be a disservice to the rest of Grizz Gaming, however, as the other four players only missed 13 shots the entire game.

Grizz Gaming have now earned one of the top spots entering THE TICKET thanks to their recent performance, while Bucks Gaming may be forced into a play-in game.

Blazer5 Gaming Secure Pivotal Victory

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Blazer5 Gaming (8-1) rallied to win a pivotal game over Cavs Legion GC (6-4), registering a 64-53 win to conclude Friday’s slate of games.

One week after their first regular season loss, Blazer5 Gaming quelled any speculation that they might be a team limping into THE TICKET, knocking off a Cavs Legion squad that could have come within a half game of their Friday opposition in the standings with a victory.

It certainly wasn’t easy, as both teams battled for buckets throughout the four quarters. The scouting report was clear from both sides, as Blazer5 and Cavs Legion seemed hellbent to take away each other’s strengths. A team that has thrived with a space-and-pace offense, Cavs Legion’s half-court offense was stymied throughout the opening 12 minutes, relying on a plethora or fast break opportunities to score the majority of their buckets. Those opportunities were uncharacteristically yielded by Blazer5 thanks to seven first half turnovers. And the few times Blazer5 managed to keep possession of the ball, missed three-pointers gave way to long rebounds and outlet passes as Cavs Legion continued to build their advantage with quick strike scores.

Those chances evaporated in the second half as Blazer5 slowly but surely began to get their feet underneath them. Long considered one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the league, Blazer5 Gaming finally began to break through what was thought to be an impenetrable rebounding unit of Cavs Legion in the fourth quarter. Capitalizing on at least three second chance scoring opportunities, Blazer5 Gaming finally registered a lead in the final six minutes of the game, connecting on a handful of three-pointers while also holding their opposition to just six fourth quarter points. A three-pointer at the end of the third quarter ultimately seemed to be the Blazer5 offensive ignitor, as the team went on a 25-6 run to end the game.

As a result of the victory, Blazer5 Gaming will have an opportunity to claim a No. 1 seed for THE TICKET depending on the outcome of Pacers Gaming vs. 76ers GC. Cavs Legion GC will await their tournament fate with a number of high profile games set to take place Saturday.