Magic Gaming Defeats Knicks Gaming
May 26, 2018
Sometimes all it takes is a lineup tweak or two to rejuvenate a team and restore confidence. For Magic Gaming, which spent the last several days exploring new combinations and strategies, this notion proved spot-on.
Magic Gaming made some key modifications, notably injecting Cameron “KingCamRoyalty” Ford into the lineup, and it made a world of difference in their dominant 66-56 victory over Knicks Gaming on Saturday.
With his Rebounding Athletic Finisher archetype, KingCamRoyalty erupted for 23 points and grabbed 11 boards in his first appearance of the regular season. He shot 10-of-13 from the field and had five dunks, including a ferocious alley-oop slam late in the first half.
Momentum swung in the Magic’s favor when Emmanuel “UCMANNY” Cruz, who posted 22 points at the small forward position, stole away a careless pass by the Knicks in the backcourt and flew to the basket for an uncontested dunk just before the halftime buzzer. Scorching hot from 3-point range last week, UCMANNY pushed the Magic’s lead to 18 when he buried back-to-back triples early in the fourth quarter.
Perhaps most impressive about the Magic’s performance was their defensive tenacity and precision. While Christopher “KontruL” Cantrell and Bilal “SUPREME PULLER” Almashni did a phenomenal job guarding the perimeter, Jorge “marley213s” Renteria helped limit one of the league’s premier interior scorers, Dayvon “Goofy757” Curry, to just 16 points and five rebounds.
Magic Gaming did most of their damage in the third when they outscored the Knicks 22-8. Four of the Magic’s five players scored in that period, including KontruL who recorded all nine of his points during those six minutes.
One of the best mid-range jump shooters in the league, UCMANNY connected on four jumpers in the first quarter and seven throughout the game. He also had a nifty floater and emphatic dunk during his almighty 10-of-16 shooting effort.
Magic Gaming will look for back-to-back wins when they take on Warriors Gaming Squad later in the day.