Bebeto Matthews/Associated Press
Ten teams will make the NBA 2K League playoffs. Six teams have already confirmed their postseason status, with three spots still up for grabs before the regular season ends. The 10th and final spot will be rewarded via a play-in tournament among the league’s remaining 14 teams.
Seven of the eight teams that played Wednesday either (a) clinched a playoff spot already, (b) found themselves in a coveted top-nine spot position before play began or (c) were just on the outside looking into the playoffs.
The postseason picture gained some measure of clarity after Wednesday, but not too much.
Hornets Venom GT is now seventh with a 9-7 record, but they are only one game ahead of 8-8 NetsGC, who are 11th. Bucks Gaming (8-6), T-Wolves Gaming (8-7) and Blazer5 Gaming (8-7) sit between them.
In other words, the final week of 2K regular-season play will prove chaotic as the postseason picture shakes out. That was the case Wednesday, at least, with three of the four series going the full three games.
Here’s a look at Wednesday’s results, notable stats and highlights.
Week 12, Day 2 Results
Hornets Venom GT 2, NetsGC 1 (70-56, 64-67, 79-70)
Celtics Crossover Gaming 2, Hawks Talon GC 1 (65-68, 63-61, 77-67)
Blazer5 Gaming 2, Wizards District Gaming 1 (69-66, 47-89, 99-59)
Jazz Gaming 2, T-Wolves Gaming 0 (73-53, 78-59)
All results and statistics are via NBA 2K League’s official YouTube page or website.
Hornets Venom GT 2, NetsGC 1
Type’s 26-point, 12-rebound effort paced Hornets Venom GT in Game 1, while Snubby posted 24 points and six assists. They shot 23-of-32 combined.
For NetsGC, Choc added 23 points and 10 dimes, while Shuttles dropped a 16-point, 16-rebound double-double.
Game 2 went the Nets’ way thanks to Choc’s 29 points and 10 boards. Shuttles registered another double-double, going for 10 points and 11 rebounds. This game featured a ferocious comeback from the Hornets, who entered the fourth down 58-42 but lost by just three.
Game 3 went the Hornets’ way, though, with Snubby and Expose each scoring 18. Choc had 29 points and 11 assist, while Shuttles earned his third double-double with 15 points and 15 boards.
This one had massive playoff implications with the Hornets sitting at 8-6 and the Nets at 8-7 pregame. Now the Hornets are in the driver’s seat for a playoff berth at 9-6, while the Nets have now lost control of their own destiny.
Will Beverina, the NetsGC team writer, outlined the scenarios before Week 12 began:
“If Brooklyn loses just one of its final two games, the situation gets murkier. If NetsGC beats Knicks Gaming on Tuesday but loses to Hornets Venom GT on Wednesday, Brooklyn needs both Bucks Gaming and T-Wolves Gaming to finish 8-8 because it holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over those two teams. Brooklyn must also hope that 76ers GC doesn’t finish 8-8 since Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker over Brooklyn.”
Those scenarios are still possible, but the Nets now need help with their regular season over.
Celtics Crossover Gaming 2, Hawks Talon GC 1 (65-68, 63-61, 77-67)
FT scored 30 points to lead all scorers, but he needed 33 to send Game 1 into overtime. However, the Celtics Crossover Gaming superstar’s game-tying three-point attempt from the corner with time winding down went in and out, ending the game. BP paced Hawks Talon GC with 26 points and 11 assists.
Game 2 flipped the script: This time, the Hawks came up short on a game-tying attempt, as Lee’s hook shot in the post hit the side of the backboard, giving the C’s a 63-61 win. FT’s 29 points and NO xAUTOGRAPHSx’s 22 points and 18 boards were good enough to hold off BP’s 14-point, 15-dime night.
The third game was all C’s, as they led 17-8 after one and 34-20 at halftime. FT crushed the Hawks with 50 points on 20-of-27 shooting, besting BP’s 35 points and 11 assists.
The Hawks fell to 6-9, while the Celtics improved to 4-12.
Blazer5 Gaming 2, Wizards District Gaming 1 (69-66, 47-89, 99-59)
The strangest series of the night came courtesy of Blazer5 Gaming and Wizards District Gaming, which featured one game that came down to the last possession and two others decided by an average of 41 points.
In the end, the Blazers’ close Game 1 victory proved to be the difference, as LavishPhenom stuffed ReeseDaGod’s long game-tying three-point attempt at the final horn.
Mama Im Dat Man’s 41 points led all Game 1 scorers, while Blazers teammate OneWildWalnut had 12 points and 15 boards. JBM led the Wizards with 31 points.
The Wizards got a measure of revenge in Game 2 with an 89-47 win. JBM nearly outscored the Blazers by himself with 43 points. The rest of his teammates each had nine or more. OneWildWalnut’s 13 points and 13 rebounds led the Blazers.
Game 3 was all Blazers, with Mama Im Dat Man exploding once again with 44 points and 11 assists. OneWildWalnut went for 10 points and 19 rebounds, and LavishPhenom poured in 26 points. JBM’s 27 points led the Wizards.
The Blazers are now 8-7, good enough for a ninth-place tie in the standings with the T-Wolves. Their final game will be against the 6-8 76ers GC squad.
The playoff-bound Wizards dropped to 12-3 and fourth in the league.
Jazz Gaming 2, T-Wolves Gaming 0 (73-53, 78-59)
Jazz Gaming continued their stellar season with an easy 2-0 sweep over a talented T-Wolves Gaming squad in the thick of the playoff race.
Game 1 went Jazz Gaming’s way after they outscored their opponents 24-9 in the first quarter and never looked back.
Yeah I Compete’s 20 points led five Jazz starters in double digits in Game 1. Ria had a 14-point, 17-rebound, seven-assist performance. BearDaBeast’s 18 points and FEAST’s 10-point, 10-rebound stat line led the T-Wolves.
Game 2 was far closer, with the T-Wolves jumping out to a 20-14 lead after one and holding onto a 29-28 edge into the break. It was all Jazz in the third quarter, though, as they outscored the T-Wolves 22-9 in that frame and 50-30 in the second half.
Splashy’s 30 points and Ria’s 16 points, 14 rebounds and six dimes led the way for the Jazz. Big Saint led the Wolves with 21 points, BearDaBeast had 19 points and FEAST contributed 16 points, 13 rebounds, five dimes and three steals.
Jazz Gaming sit at 13-2, good enough for second in the league behind 15-0 Raptors Uprising GC. The T-Wolves fell to 8-7.
