Magic Gaming Looks to Keep Momentum Going in Second Leg of 3v3 Seed Week Play

The Lead

Right after they completed 5v5 seed week play, Magic Gaming General Manager and Head Coach Jonah Edwards stated that he felt his team would perform even better in 3v3 mode. At least through a couple series, that has proven to be the case. After beating both Heat Check Gaming and Hornets Venom GT, Orlando will have another three series this week to sharpen up ahead of THE STEAL, a win-or-go-home tournament that will give the last team standing a spot in the 3v3 playoffs.

Recapping Last Week

While it took five games to beat the Heat and just three to knock off the Hornets, what was clear in both is that Joshua “unguardable” Hunter is among the best 3v3 players in the NBA 2K League. That was especially conspicuous in Game 2 against Miami when he made all but one of the Magic’s baskets. He also came up big in the decisive Game 5 with 13 points. The rookie guard, whom Orlando acquired a few weeks ago from Portland in a four-team blockbuster trade, stayed hot against Charlotte, scoring 43 points in the three games combined.

Tuesday, July 26 at 8 p.m. vs. Hawks Talon GC

How the Magic do against the Hawks will tell us a lot about where they stand because there are not many teams playing better in this mode than Atlanta. Currently in third place in the 3v3 standings, the Hawks rolled past Wizards District Gaming and Knicks Gaming last week. They are led by Caesar “Ceez” Martinez, who accumulated 43 points in the four games combined against Washington and 63 in the four contests combined against New York. While this will be the first meeting in 3v3 between the Magic and Hawks, they did square off in 5v5 earlier this season, with Atlanta squeaking out a three-point victory.

Thursday, July 28 at 8 p.m. vs. Cavs Legion GC

This will be Orlando’s first Western Conference opponent in 3v3. Right now on the outside looking in, Cleveland will have plenty at stake this week as they hope to qualify for the playoffs without having to enter THE STEAL. They kept themselves in the hunt with a pair of victories last week against DUX Infinitos and Mavs Gaming. Antoine “Antoine” Featherstone, recently acquired by Cleveland in a trade from Warriors Gaming Squad, racked up a combined 41 points in the series that went four games against Dallas.

Friday, July 29 at 8 p.m. vs. Pistons GT

The Pistons are one of the teams that has looked dramatically different in 3v3 compared to 5v5. Their poor play in 5v5 caused them to trade Ethan “Radiant” White to the Knicks a few weeks back, but they continue to excel on the 3v3 side. Last week, they took down Jazz Gaming in five games behind strong play from center Ramo “Ramo” Radoncic. Despite losing the next night against Bucks Gaming, that series came down to a final possession in Game 5. Detroit is currently in third place in the West in the 3v3 standings, but have a chance to finish as high as second.

Quotes of the Week

“Obviously, the wins, they matter for morale. When you are losing all season, I know better than anybody, it hurts…Winning is definitely going to boost morale for everybody – not just me, Matty (Matthew Grant) and May (Robert May). The whole room is going to feel the morale boost. I feel like it’s going to change a lot.” – Unguardable

“We’re certainly focused on Atlanta on Tuesday. I think that’s a really good temperature gauge of kind of where we are at in the league. They are obviously I would say a top five team in three-v-three at the moment. If we are able to beat them, it really shows we are a really good three-v-three team.” – 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.