Magic Gaming Tips Off SWITCH OPEN with Victory Over Nets GC

Orlando Subsequently Falls to DUX Infinitos in Tournament Group Play Action  

ORLANDO – One day after a memorable Magic Gaming Night at Amway Center – hosted during the Orlando Magic’s home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers – the organization’s NBA 2K League franchise gave the city something else to celebrate. 

Magic Gaming tipped off the SWITCH OPEN, the league’s second 3v3 tournament of the season, with a thrilling 3-2 series victory over Nets GC on Wednesday night.

Orlando rolled out a lineup of point guard Joshua “unguardable” Hunter, small forward Matthew “Matty” Grant, and power forward Robert “May” May and the trio was able to recapture the magic that earned the franchise its first playoff berth and banner title last season.

Game 1: In 3v3 action, with the margin of error razor thin, ball security and efficiency are paramount. Unfortunately for Magic Gaming, they struggled in both of those areas in the series opener.

Brooklyn used a balanced offensive attack as small forward Shun “Streetz” Brown recorded 10 points, point guard Tariq “Greens” Reed posted seven, and power forward Alexander “Steez” Bernstein added six.

Unguardable led Orlando with eight points.

Game 2: After struggling in the opener, Magic Gaming flipped the script in the second contest of the series. Matty fired off a game-high 12 points and unguardable tallied nine points and three assists as Orlando cruised to a 21-14 victory.

Magic Gaming shot a scorching 9-for-10 from the floor and did not commit a single turnover.

Game 3: While a few late miscues made this contest closer than it had to be, Matty threw down a game-winning reverse slam to give Orlando a 22-20 victory over Brooklyn.

Unguardable put up a contest-best 12 points, while Matty and May each scored five. Magic Gaming never trailed in this one.

“We believe in each other,” said unguardable. “They believe in me to make every shot, no matter what I shoot and I believe in them. That’s really the key to everything.”

Game 4: Magic Gaming was unable to slow down Nets GC as Brooklyn rolled to a 23-13 win.

Greens led Brooklyn with 13 points, while Streetz and Steez each put up five.

Unguardable scored all of Orlando’s 13 points.

Game 5: In the deciding contest of the series, Magic Gaming delivered a vintage performance on their way to a 22-17 victory. Unguardable knocked down one of his patented step-back 3-pointer and finished with a team-high 10 points. Matty scored seven, including a game-winning driving dunk. Octo-May lived up to his moniker, coming up with a crucial steal and offensive rebound to go along with five points.

“It was nice to see the guys look in rhythm again,” said Magic Gaming General Manager and Head Coach Jonah Edwards. “It’s really the first time since we started playing 3v3 this year that we looked in the same rhythm that we did last year. It was great.”

Magic Gaming Swept by DUX Infinitos 

Just a few hours after a hard-fought series win over Nets GC, Magic Gaming took the virtual hardwood floor once again to face DUX Infinitos.

Unfortunately, unlike the prior series, Orlando struggled to get into a rhythm and was ultimately swept 3-0 in SWITCH OPEN group play action.

Game 1: DUX Infinitos caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down six triples, as they handed Magic Gaming a 22-11 defeat in the series opener.

Point guard Brian “Killeyy” Diaz and power forward Ashton “LowkeyGodlike” Agredano each drained three 3-pointers and scored 11 points apiece for DUX.

Unguardable recorded six points and two assists, while May tallied five points and two rebounds.

Game 2: Magic Gaming struggled from outside the arc as they were unable to knock down a single 3-pointer in a 22-17 loss to DUX Infinitos.

Killeyy scored 10, while small forward Julio “Hes” Roberts added eight points.

Unguardable posted a team-high 12 points for Orlando.

Game 3: Costly turnovers proved to be too much for Magic Gaming to overcome as they fell 22-18.

Killeyy led a balanced attack for DUX, posting 10 points, while Hes scored seven.

Unguardable once again led Magic Gaming with 11 points.

“We lost sight of our play style against DUX,” said Edwards. “And that just can’t happen.”

Up Next: Magic Gaming continues group play action in the SWITCH OPEN on Friday night when they face Cavs Legion GC at 8:15 p.m. and Jazz Gaming at 9:45 p.m ET.

“More than anything, I want to see just a ton of in-game focus,” said Edwards. “It’s the little things. Making sure we’re not turning the ball over. Hitting open shots are great, but at the end of the day, we need to make sure we’re trusting the preparation we’re putting into the game and playing the right way.”