Magic Gaming Rolls Past Blazer5 Gaming in SWITCH OPEN Bracket Play

ORLANDO – Magic Gaming is on a mission to make it to the stage in the SWITCH OPEN and show that they’ve turned their 3v3 season around.

Orlando took a step in turning that dream into a reality on Tuesday night as they tipped off SWITCH OPEN bracket play with a 3-1 series win over Blazer5 Gaming.

“We were definitely sharp this evening,” said Magic Gaming General Manager and Head Coach Jonah Edwards. “We played really challenging teams (in group play) and I think that definitely gave us an edge tonight.”

Game 1: Magic Gaming put together an efficient offensive performance to claim a 21-16 victory over Blazer5 Gaming in the series opener.

Point guard Joshua “unguardable” Hunter notched nine points and two assists, small forward Matthew “Matty” Grant tallied six points and two rebounds, and power forward Robert “May” May scored six. Orlando went 9-for-10 from the floor and did not commit a single turnover.

Game 2: It’s imperative in 3v3 action that teams have multiple ways to win. Magic Gaming flashed that versatility in the second contest of the series as May notched 11 points and four rebounds to propel Orlando to a 22-14 win over Portland.

Unguardable demonstrated that he’s more than just a scorer by dishing out a whopping eight assists. Matty poured in seven points while going a perfect 3-for-3 from the floor.

“It was an unorthodox box score for us where Josh has eight assists and I’m getting double-digit points,” said May. “They were pretty aggressive on their drops and Josh was able to hit me when I was open, and I guess I was able to do my part tonight. We countered their game plan.”

Game 3: Blazer5 was able to extend the series as Magic Gaming struggled to control the glass and convert from beyond the arc in a 22-12 defeat.

Portland power forward Austin “KayAus” Caterino racked up nine points and four rebounds, while point guard Claude “Claude” Knight scored nine.

Unguardable poured in a team-high eight points for Orlando, but they were unable to knock down any of their three 3-point attempts.

Game 4: Unguardable lived up to his handle and made sure his former squad had no chance at forcing a do-or-die Game 5. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NBA 2K League Draft erupted for a game-high 14 points to give Magic Gaming a 22-14 triumph and secure the series.

“We joke about Josh being unconscious,” said May, who recorded three points and two rebounds in the series finale. “When he is, he’s really just the best player in the league, in my opinion. I think he showed that tonight. Again, Matty I thought played very well defensively. It all led to us getting a win tonight.”

Up Next: Magic Gaming continues SWITCH OPEN group play action on Thursday when they take on Bucks Gaming at 7:30 p.m. ET.

“Milwaukee, similar to us when we’re at our best, is an incredibly efficient team,” said Edwards. “They take twos when they’re there. Both of their frontcourt players dawsix and JohhnyRed are very efficient players. Both are really, really competent with the ball (and with their) decision making. So, we go in expecting them to all be playmakers. … If we can get defensive rebounds and force Cooks into a couple of tough situations, I like our chances. … They’re a great team and it’ll be a great game.”