Magic Gaming Drops TURN Tournament Opener to NBL Oz Gaming
June 21, 2023
ORLANDO – Through the early stages of 5v5 action, Magic Gaming’s offense looks like one of the best in the NBA 2K League.
However, on the other end of the floor, Orlando is still attempting to find its rhythm and live up to its reputation of being one of the most stifling defensive squads year in and year out.
That was once again the case on Wednesday night as Magic Gaming opened up group play in THE TURN by struggling to slow down NBL Oz Gaming in a 75-64 defeat.
“There’s no question at this point that our defense has been struggling,” said Magic Gaming General Manager and Head Coach Jonah Edwards. “It’s a constant conversation of what the right fixes are. There are stretches of games where we play great defense. And there are a lot of stretches where we get a little overaggressive and get caught in lanes and do things the wrong way.”
Jyden “Jyden” McBath-Spencer was at the forefront of NBL’s offensive attack. The shooting guard went a scorching 7-for-10 from beyond the arc and finished the contest with a team-high 27 points. NBL point guard Harry ‘RealHvzn’ Spierings – just the second Australian to make it to the 2KL – also did his share of damage, notching 19 points and 10 assists.
“Harry played a great game,” said Edwards. “I thought he looked really good and really just took what was there the entire game and didn’t force anything.”
While Orlando needs to tighten things up on the defensive end, it’s certainly generating plenty of offense. Magic Gaming point guard Joshua “unguardable” Hunter posted team highs in points (27) and assists (10), while Devin “Scoreo” Lawrence went a perfect 9-for-9 from the floor and finished the contest with 18 points.
“We’re able to find ways to score even when we’re not playing well, which is what I think happened tonight,” Edwards explained.
Orlando won’t have much time to sit and reflect on its loss to NBL Oz Gaming. Magic Gaming will step back on the virtual hardwood less than 24 hours later when they face Cavs Legion GC on Thursday at 6:15 p.m. ET in TURN group play action.