Magic Gaming Edged by NetsGC

After a strong showing in THE TIPOFF, Magic Gaming hoped to carry that momentum into the 2019 NBA 2K League regular season.

However, after the first week of action, they’re still in search of their first win.

Despite strong scoring performances from Brendan “Reizey” Hill and Cameron “KingCamRoyalty” Ford, Magic Gaming (0-2) dropped another narrow contest, this time a 61-58 decision at the hands of NetsGC (2-0) on Friday.

Reizey posted team-highs in both points (22) and assists (12), while KingCamRoyalty delivered another stellar outing with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

“He’s the most reliable guy on our team right now,” Reizey said of KingCamRoyalty. “We know what he’s going to do every single game, he’s a double-double machine.”

Magic Gaming started off the contest with suffocating defense, propelling them to a 16-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Orlando, led by Mykel “KelMav” Wilson, also did an exceptional job of limiting NetsGC standout Joel “Lav” Lazu to just two points on 1-for-7 shooting from the floor in the first half.

But costly turnovers at the end of the second quarter brought NetsGC back into the game and a 10-0 Brooklyn run at the end of the third forced Orlando to play from behind down the stretch.

“We talk about pace every day,” Magic Gaming Head Coach Jonah Edwards explained. “These guys are probably sick of me saying the word, but we’re going to keep working on it and that’s definitely the goal moving forward.”

Lav broke free in the second half, going 6-for-7 in the final two quarters on his way to 16 points, and Nathaniel “NateKhal” Khal poured in 16 points for Brooklyn as well.

After a two-point loss to Cavs Legion GC just one night earlier, Magic Gaming has dropped their first two regular season contests by a combined five points.

They’ll now head back to Orlando and look to regroup before returning to action against Knicks Gaming on Saturday, April 24 at 6 p.m. ET.

The break will provide much needed rest to a team that’s not only faced regular season games on back-to-back nights, but also dealt with extended action due to advancing in THE TIPOFF as well as a grueling practice schedule leading into season play.

In the gap between games, they’ll also look to add different looks to their game play and build on their consistency.

“We definitely want to get some more diversity in the way we play,” Edwards added. “We have one very distinct play style … so we’re going to vary our style a little bit and mix it up.”