Magic Gaming Continues TIPOFF Group Play With Three More Contests

The Lead

Magic Gaming resumes TIPOFF Group D pool play this week with three more contests, starting with a pivotal showdown against Hornets Venom GT on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET. The top four teams from each of the four groups will advance to the round of 16.

The Rewind

Orlando lost both of its first two TIPOFF group games. On Wednesday, April 6 in their opener, the Magic were unable to contain high-flying Raptors Uprising GC. Each making their NBA 2K League debuts, Justin “Kapp” Kaplan recorded 17 points and five assists, while Blaine “BigReign” Wilson posted 22 points and 10 rebounds. Stout defense kept them in their next game the following night against Knicks Gaming, but they struggled to generate enough offense.

Tuesday, April 12 at 10 p.m. vs. Hornets Venom GT

The Hornets opened their season with a comeback victory over the Knicks before losing two straight to NetsGC and the Raptors. In the win over New York, Charlotte trailed by 17 points midway through the second quarter before rallying. Jahaad “King Haad” Thomas led the Hornets with 22 points, while Damon “DJ” Jones tallied 20 points and 23 rebounds. They gave up a combined 148 points, however, in the two defeats.

Thursday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. vs. NetsGC

Through their first two games of THE TIPOFF, Brooklyn appears to be in good hands with Michael “Tate” Tate and Wahid “Doc” Faiz in their backcourt. Doc scored a combined 65 points in the Nets’ wins over the Grizzlies and Hornets, while Tate dished out a combined 23 assists.

Friday, April 15 at 7 p.m. vs. Grizz Gaming

Memphis made two blockbuster trades in the offseason, first acquiring Jordan “JMoney” Martinez from the Gen.G Tigers and then dealing Zach “Vandi” Vandivier to Pacers Gaming in a three-team trade that also involved the Magic. With the draft pick they received in the deal, the Grizzlies took veteran Michael “BP” Diaz-Cruz. Although winless through two games, BP has gotten off to a solid start with his new squad, compiling 13 points and 13 assists against the Raptors and 12 points and 14 assists against the Nets.

Quote of the Week

“I’m confident in the group. I truly am. My confidence has not remotely wavered. I think this group can be really, really wildly successful as the season goes on. We just have to keep building every day. We have improved so much since the start of training camp already, and I have seen it. I know what we can be, and I have seen the great scrimmages we’ve had at times, and I’ve seen the terrible ones we had at the beginning. There is a big gap there, and I think we are going to close another big gap this weekend and look to put it to those teams next week.” – Magic Gaming General Manager and Head Coach Jonah Edwards

Where to Watch

Fans can watch games live on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch and YouTube channels. Games will also be available on Dash Radio, eGG Network in Southeast Asia, Loco in India, and Sport1 in Europe.