Pistons GT and NetsGC picked a bad night to take their first losses at the NBA 2K League’s The Turn event.
The only two teams to go perfect in group play and win their bracket-play opener, the Pistons and Nets each got bounced in three games in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, the first day of in-person play at District E in Washington.
Instead, 76ers GC and Hornets Venom GT picked up wins — and 10 additional points in the overall standings.
The Turn is one of three tournaments taking place during the NBA 2K League 5v5 season. The Tipoff, The Turn and The Ticket will set the field for the playoffs, scheduled for Aug. 2-5 in Washington. 76ers GC defeated T-Wolves Gaming to claim The Tipoff in June, and The Ticket takes place in late July.
Group- and bracket-play wins are each worth 10 points, with a win in The Turn final worth 30. Two more quarterfinal matches will be played Thursday, followed by the semifinals on Friday and the final on Saturday.
On Wednesday, the 76ers and Pistons opened things with a thriller. After the 76ers won the first game 72-65, the Pistons rebounded with an 80-74 triumph in Game 2.
The 76ers carried a 13-point lead into the final quarter of Game 3, but the Pistons rallied to get within one on multiple occasions, including with 5.2 seconds remaining. But Andre “Dre” Marshall hit a pair of free throws, then the 76ers fouled before Anthony “Ant” Costanzo could get a shot off. Ant made both free throws, but the 76ers were able to inbounds the ball and throw the ball into the air as the clock ran out, giving the 76ers a 64-63 win.
Enrique “630” Xavier Barraza was the star for the 76ers, averaging 25.7 points and five assists per game.
In the other matchup, none of the three games finished with margins closer than nine points. The Hornets won Game 1 by the matchup’s biggest margin, 65-52, followed by the Nets’ 81-72 win in Game 2. Entering the final quarter of the deciding game up by one, the Hornets outscored the Nets 20-12 in the fourth to prevail 67-58. The win also kept the Hornets’ playoff hopes alive.
Antoine “antoinelove” Times averaged 21 points across the three games for the Hornets. Iball “Greens” Reed averaged 24 in a losing effort for the Nets.
The other half of the bracket’s semifinal field will be set Friday, as NBL Oz Gaming faces Blazer5 Gaming in one quarterfinal, with Pacers Gaming and Cavs Legion GC playing in the other.
The Pistons’ loss also gave life to several teams’ playoffs hopes. Blazer5 and the Pacers entered this week still with a shot at the playoffs out of the Western Conference, with Blazer5 10 points behind the Pistons and the Pacers 30 back. (Standings are an accumulation of points acquired through the Tipoff and Turn tournaments.)
The Pacers can only sneak into the playoffs by emerging as champion of The Turn.
In the East, the Hornets moved 10 points ahead of the Cavs thanks to their Wednesday win, with those two teams battling for the last automatic playoff bid. Heat Check Gaming were eliminated from contention thanks to the Hornets’ victory.
NBA 2K League The Turn prize pool
1. $100,000
2. $50,000
3-4. $25,000 each
5-8. $12,500 each — Pistons GT, NetsGC, two more teams TBD
–Field Level Media