Magic Gaming Knocks Off Heat Check Gaming in Thrilling 3v3 Series

The Lead

Sunshine State rivals Magic Gaming and Heat Check Gaming have now played each other twice this season – once earlier in the year in 5v5 and on Tuesday in 3v3. Bragging rights so far, and perhaps for the year if they don’t meet again, belongs to the Magic, who for the first time this season won a decisive Game 5 in a series victory over the Heat in their first of five 3v3 seed week contests.

Game 1

Joshua “unguardable” Hunter posted 12 points and hit the game-winning 3-pointer off a Robert “May” May offensive rebound and kickout in Magic Gaming’s 22-18 victory. Orlando, which led the entire way, withstood Miami’s late comeback attempt by tightening up their defense. Matthew “Matty” Grant collected eight points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals, while May finished with two points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal.

Game 2

The Heat once again had no answer for unguardable, who made all but one of the Magic’s baskets in Orlando’s 23-17 victory. The rookie guard, acquired by Orlando several weeks ago in a four-team blockbuster trade from Portland, tallied 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting overall and 6-of-9 from 3-point range. The Magic also held the Heat to just 3-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc.

Game 3

The Magic were one bucket away from pulling off the sweep after unguardable knocked down his fourth triple of the contest to give Orlando a 21-20 lead. However, Miami’s Sten “Sav” Aleksander Valge-Saar drilled his third 3-pointer of the game on the next possession to lift the Heat to a 23-21 win. Sav led Miami with 13 points, while Kennedy “Sawc” Tauala Jr. recorded 10 points. Unguardable posted 12 points for Orlando, while May had six points and five rebounds.

Game 4

Sav erupted for 15 points and Alexander “BSmoove” Reese filled up the box score with five points, five rebounds and two assists in the Heat’s 22-14 victory. Unguardable and Matty each scored seven points, but the Magic only hit two of their six 3-point tries. They also got whistled for five fouls, while the Heat didn’t have any.

Game 5

Coming into this series, Magic Gaming had lost all six of their Game 5s in 3v3 this season. They finally were able to break through and end that streak, as unguardable tallied 13 points and Matty had nine, including the game-winning layup, in a 22-20 victory. The Magic were up 20-14 before Sav buried back-to-back threes to even the score. Miami even had a chance to win it, but Sav missed his final 3-point attempt.

Quotes of the Night

“Honestly, I feel like it looked like I was in a rhythm, but I was not. I feel like my team really picked me up. We got a lot of stops, especially game one. They missed a lot of shots and that’s not common in (three v. three). I feel like that’s what played the difference in the series – my teammates more than myself.” – Unguardable

“Last year we went one-and-three against them, but that’s the first time we’ve ever lost (the season series) to the Heat. We tend to beat the Heat. It’s kind of a thing we do, so we talk about it in the room. We beat the Heat here, it’s what we do. I don’t care how bad we are. I don’t care if we are at the bottom of the standings or whatever it may be. We beat the Heat, so it feels good to beat them for sure.” – Magic Gaming General Manager and Head Coach Jonah Edwards

Up Next

Magic Gaming will be back in action for more seed week 3v3 action on Wednesday at 10 p.m. when they take on Hornets Venom GT. Sitting just below the playoff line in the 3v3 mode, Charlotte has plenty at stake these next couple weeks. The last time they were in the park, the Hornets advanced to the bracket stage where they lost to Pistons GT in the Round of 16. Big man Damon “DJ” Jones, who was excellent in THE SWITCH, will be a player to watch in this series. The Magic, nonetheless, feel like they match up well with anyone right now, with their confidence continuing to rise.

“I feel like the chemistry is getting better every day,” Unguardable said. “We (are) coming in playing, coming in practicing. People obviously were already cool here…I think we have a great chance (going) into THE TICKET and THE STEAL.”