Blazer5 Gaming rallied for a 2-1 win over 2-1 win over Pacers Gaming on Friday to advance to the championship match of the NBA 2K League’s The Turn event in Washington.
Hornets Venom GT swept 76ers GC 2-0 in the other semifinal, setting up a matchup with Blazer5 in the final on Saturday.
The other big winner on Friday was Pistons GT, who clinched a playoff berth in the Western Conference thanks to the Pacers’ loss. The Pacers would have had to capture the title at The Turn to sneak into the playoffs.
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.
The top five teams in each conference at the conclusion of The Turn qualify for the playoffs. The remaining 15 teams will compete in The Ticket for the final two playoff berths.
On Friday, the Pacers won 51-49 in the opening game before Blazer5 came back with 82-68 and 71-66 victories. In the finale, Isaiah “Harby” Harbinson paced Blazer5 with 24 points while Claude “Claude” Knight added 19 points and seven assists. Kory “Chess” Taylor had a game-high 28 points for the Pacers.
The Hornets handled the 76ers 78-75 and 63-53. Antoine “antoinelove” Times averaged 24.5 points and 11 assists for the Hornets, while Andre “Dre” Marshall logged 19 points and nine assists per game for the 76ers.
NBA 2K League The Turn prize pool
1. $100,000
2. $50,000
3-4. $25,000 each — Pacers Gaming, 76ers GC
5-8. $12,500 each — Pistons GT, NetsGC, NBL Oz Gaming, Cavs Legion GC
–Field Level Media