Magic Gaming Set to Begin Regular Season With Games Against NetsGC and Gen.G

Fresh off a deep run in THE TIPOFF, Magic Gaming will start regular season play this week with a pair of intriguing matchups.

First, they will take on a new-look NetsGC squad on Wednesday starting at 9 p.m. Then on Friday at 7 p.m., they will face off against the Gen.G Tigers, which like Brooklyn made substantial changes over the offseason. Regular season NBA 2K League matchups will be played in a two-game format this year, with each game counting separately in the standings.

Behind stifling defense, balanced production and timely buckets, the Magic advanced to the semifinals in THE TIPOFF. In the opening round, they went 3-1, splitting their two games against 76ers GC and defeating Cavs Legion GC in both of their meetings. Orlando overcame a 14-point halftime deficit in the opener to stun Philadelphia, lost handily in the second meeting, rolled past Cleveland in their first clash and then eked out a two-point win in the finale behind 30 points and 13 assists from Brendan “Reizey” Hill.

In the quarterfinals, which they qualified for as the “wild card” team, Orlando swept Pistons GT, the former team of Magic Gaming center Robert “May” May, who compiled double-digit rebounds in each of those victories. In a rematch against 76ers GC in the semifinals, wins were exchanged in the first two contests before Philly advanced with a convincing Game 3 triumph despite Reizey erupting for 39 points. The Sixers lost to T-Wolves Gaming in the championship series.

Magic Gaming General Manager and Head Coach Jonah Edwards was encouraged by his team’s resilience, energy and attention to details throughout the tournament. He’s not surprised, though, as during training camp and scrimmages they were locked in and eager to make an early statement.

“Obviously, I think it helps getting a couple wins under our belt early, get our feet a little wet and understand that we can be a competitive team,” he said. “It’s funny, I don’t even think we needed the games to know this, though. I think that in scrimmages and just being around the group. We just have a group of guys that are all confident. I don’t think the confidence is ever wavering in any individual. That’s the impressive part about this group. We are going to get better as the season goes on.”

All 23 NBA 2K League teams this season will play 28 regular season games. There are two conferences this year – East and West – and each team will play against opponents from both conferences, although the majority of the matchups will feature teams from the same conference.

Magic Gaming vs. Nets GC: One of the most significant trades made during the offseason involved Brooklyn when they acquired Connor “Shotz” Rodrigues along with a couple draft picks in a three-team deal with Grizz Gaming and Blazer5 Gaming.

By adding Shotz, the Nets now feature a dynamic one-two punch with he and Josh “Choc” Humphries, an explosive point guard taken by Brooklyn in the first round of the 2020 draft. Last regular season, Choc, who hails from Tampa, averaged 29.5 points and a league-best 9.8 assists to lead the Nets to the playoffs.

Expected to get the call to try and slow down Choc in this matchup will be Josue “FutureClutch” Acosta Gomez, a rookie lockdown defender who showed in THE TIPOFF he’s not going to back down to any challenge. The California native, chosen by the Magic in the second round of the 2021 draft, lived up to his nickname by coming up with big stops and making big shots.

“I excel at just being a voice,” said FutureClutch, who is reuniting with May after the two played on a successful Pro-Am team this past year.

Magic Gaming’s other draft pick in 2021 was Jackson “Potts” Potts, who played with the Nets last season. Although not expected to play in either of the two games against his former team this week as he’s currently in a sixth man role, the Ohio native believes his experience with Brooklyn will allow him to make a positive impact on his new squad through both his leadership qualities and versatility on the floor.

“I think what I dealt with last year was a lot of adversity and I think I learned how to overcome it and work as a team and kind of do things that a lot of people didn’t think we could do,” he said. “We weren’t a team that people thought could make the playoffs. We weren’t a team that a lot of people took seriously. We fought through a lot of off-the-court stuff, but I think me going through all the stuff that I went through last year can really help the team.”

Brooklyn’s four players aside from Choc and Shotz were added via the 2021 draft. They took Wahid “Faiz3752” Faiz and Jake “Legit 973” Knapp in the second round and Dante “Notorious” Colache and Stephen “SlayIsland” Lay in the third round.

Magic Gaming vs. Gen.G: Another big trade that happened during the offseason involved the Tigers, who sent Dhwan “ShiftyKaii” White to T-Wolves Gaming in exchange for Mihad “Feast” Feratovic and Jordan “JMoney” Martinez. Draft picks were also included in the trade.

The Feast vs. May battle at center will be a matchup to pay close attention to. Both are excellent rebounders and have high basketball IQs.

May, back with the Magic for a second consecutive season, believes the sky’s the limit for his team this year.

“I think we showed that this year we could go as far as we want to,” he said. “I think what’s most important following this TIPOFF is coming in and having the same energy in practices and continue to outwork teams, work on new stuff, get better every single day.”

Gen.G relocated its NBA 2K League franchise to facilities at the University of Kentucky this season. Their other players besides Feast and JMoney are Chris “Turnupdefense” Anderson, Alex “BSmoove” Reese, Donald “BumpyDon” Newsome and Kennedy “Sawc” Tauala Jr.