Magic Gaming Set to Play Two of NBA 2K League’s Elite Teams

ORLANDO – Magic Gaming shot up the Eastern Conference standings prior to the entire NBA 2K League going idle last week to celebrate the holiday weekend by winning all four of their combined games against Cavs Legion GC and Hawks Talon GC in Week 5. At 8-6, they sit in sixth place in the conference, percentage points behind 76ers GC for fifth and one game back of NetsGC for fourth.

Orlando will have an opportunity to climb up even further this week when they take on two of the NBA 2K League’s elite teams. First on Friday, starting at 9 p.m., the Magic will square off against Grizz Gaming, who are tied with Hornets Venom GT for second place in the East. Then on Saturday at the same time, awaiting the Magic will be the team in first place, Wizards District Gaming.

Key defensive plays in the closing moments propelled the Magic to a pair of thrilling victories over the Cavs. In the opener, Justin “Snubby” Stemerman stripped the ball away from Albano “oFab” Thomallari and then raced the other way for a go-ahead dunk with 13.8 seconds remaining. On Cleveland’s last possession, Daniel “DT” Tlais blocked a potential game-tying 3-pointer by William “Strainer” Morales at the buzzer.

DT had another big block late in Game 2 and Robert “May” May made a go-ahead jam with 37.5 seconds left to complete the sweep.

In each of their two games against the Hawks, the Magic dominated from start to finish. A 24-3 run in the first half in Game 1 by the Magic set the tone for the entire series. All five Orlando players scored in double figures in the opener, with Brendan “Reizey” Hill leading the way with 25 points and both Snubby and Josue “FutureClutch” Acosta Gomez each finishing with 17.

Game 2 had the same kind of vibe, as Orlando built a comfortable lead early and then stayed aggressive after halftime to cruise to another lopsided win. Snubby posted a game-high 29 points and Reizey and May each notched double-doubles.

“Obviously, going into this week we had two opponents we thought we should be able to take care of business,” Magic Gaming General Manager and Head Coach Jonah Edwards said. “A lot of times in the past I think we were a team that will surprise some teams, we will beat some teams that are on paper better than us. But yet we would drop a game or two to teams that maybe we think and the league thinks we are better than. A big focus going into this season is to make sure we don’t blunder in games against teams we are supposed to win because we know we are going to compete with the top teams in the league in those matchups.”

Magic Gaming vs. Grizz Gaming: One of the things the Magic and Grizzlies have in common is that they both feature dynamic backcourt duos. Starring for Orlando are Reizey and Snubby and in the spotlight for Memphis are Zach “Vandi” Vandivier and Kori “Chess” Taylor.

Whichever tandem is more efficient in each game will likely determine who wins. Confident the Magic’s pair will play at a pace favorable for them is May, who says the addition of Snubby in the offseason has made a huge difference on the team, both on and off the court.

“I was telling Jonah the other day. I feel like he’s one of my favorite teammates ever,” the Magic Gaming center said of Snubby. “He’s never going to be an issue in terms of his attitude or how he plays and he’s very smart. He’ll call a lot of stuff out on offense and even defense sometimes. I feel like that helps takes pressure off Reid. Also becoming a championship team is mainly from their bond and how they play together. I feel like as the season has progressed they’ve gotten better at it each week involving each other and just working off each other.”

The Grizzlies stumbled a bit in Week 5, losing three out of four to the Wizards and 76ers combined. In their lone victory against Philadelphia, though, Vandi and Chess were sensational, combining for 48 points and drilling nine 3-pointers.

Magic Gaming vs. Wizards District Gaming: No team right now is hotter than the defending champion Wizards. Winners of seven straight, their last defeat came in Week 3 against Warriors Gaming Squad.

Ryan “Dayfri” Conger, last year’s Finals MVP, hasn’t missed a beat this season. He’s currently second in the league in field goal percentage, a category May is fourth in. It’s individual matchups like this that really hype May up.

“I prefer going up against better centers in the league because they are more likely to try to make plays. It keeps me more locked in and also it helps me try to outsmart them because they are not just going to try to do the same thing every play, offense or defense. So, it’s more strategical when it comes to beating better centers, which leads also to more preparation. I think (that) is one of the most fun things about the 2K League.”

Before sweeping the Grizzlies in Week 5, Washington won all four of its combined contests against NetsGC and Raptors Uprising GC the prior week. John “JBM” Mascone, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA 2K League Draft, is certainly in the MVP conversation with averages of 25.1 points and 10.4 assists. He and Dayfri are arguably the most dangerous one-two punch in the league.

“If it’s not them, they are certainly up there regardless,” Edwards said. “Obviously, they are both super-efficient, very intelligent players. They are going to understand the game at a different kind of level and you’re going to have to throw different stuff at them. You can’t do the same thing every time or they will pick you apart. The interesting thing about that matchup is the fact that stylistically our teams are very, very similar. So that matchup is going to be kind of who can play that style a little bit better, where it’s kind of that slow pace, maximizing possessions, stopping other teams from dictating the pace. We’ll see exactly what comes from that matchup but I’m really looking forward to that one.”

How to Watch: Games will air live on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch and YouTube channels.