Magic Gaming Rolls Past Gen.G for SLAM OPEN Series Victory

The Lead:

It’s been less than 48 hours since Christopher “Duck” Charles touched down in Orlando and became an official member of Magic Gaming after he was acquired by the franchise from Knicks Gaming as part of a four-team blockbuster trade. However, Orlando already looks like a much more balanced and cohesive squad. The new-look Magic put that on display on Wednesday as they rolled past the Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai to take a 3-1 SLAM OPEN series victory.

Game 1:

Robert “May” May picked up the nickname Octo-May for a reason. Known for his ability to disrupt passing lanes and cause defensive disruption, May lived up to his moniker in Game 1. The versatile big man came up with a game-winning steal and slam to give Magic Gaming a 22-16 victory over Gen.G.

“That’s something that hasn’t been there for us. We haven’t created as many turnovers as we might of liked in three v three the past two weeks,” May explained. “So being able to get that (steal and slam) definitely put a smile on my face because I’ve been practicing it a lot and trying to get it at the right moment.”

Orlando’s Matt “Matty” Grant led all scorers with 11 points, while Duck added seven points and four assists. May finished with four points, three rebounds, and two assists.

Game 2:

Building off the momentum from the series opener, May and Magic Gaming cruised to a 23-12 Game 2 triumph over Gen.G.

May led all players in points (13) and rebounds (six), while Duck tallied 10 points and four assists.

Game 3:

Magic Gaming came close to completing the sweep as May found himself wide-open for a potential game-winning three. However, his shot attempt rimmed out, Gen.G. took it the other way, and Darjean “ReturnofDJ” Henderson drilled a triple to give his squad a 21-19 victory over Orlando.

Game 4:

Unfazed by a heartbreaking Game 3 defeat, Magic Gaming had control from start to finish in a 21-13 series-clinching triumph over Gen.G.

“We went to the next game with a fresh mindset,” May said. “We felt like we were the better team tonight. We just had to take care of business and we did that.”

Matty posted a team-high 10 points, including the game-winning slam. Duck tallied seven points and four assists, while May notched four points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one block.

Quotes to Note:

“Winning definitely feels good. It’s been a while. Hopefully, we’re trending upwards. We’re going to continue to work hard, practice, and (hit the) film room to keep trending upwards and keep making the push to hopefully get in the money rounds for (upcoming tournaments).” – May

“The rallying around Duck in the group has been incredible to be honest. Today showed that we put a lot of work in the last two days. I know I said it last night, but I’m exhausted, and I didn’t have a flight and have to move my entire life across the country like Duck did. So, I can only imagine how he feels. Hats off to him and how he’s handled this whole thing because he’s really been an absolute professional through this process and he’s made it really easy on me, to be honest. I’m thrilled with what he’s given us so far.” – Magic Gaming General Manager and Head Coach Jonah Edwards

Up Next:

Last week, Handlez – an amateur team – took the NBA 2K League by storm. Not only did they go 3-0 on the week by taking SLAM OPEN series victories over Magic Gaming, Gen.G, and Grizz Gaming, but NOTELITESHOOTER also became the first ever non-pro 2KL player to be named the league’s Player of the Week. Magic Gaming will look to cool down that group on Friday when the two teams go head-to-head at 7 p.m. ET.

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.