Hawks Talon GC edged Grizz Gaming 62-60 on Friday in the opening round of The Ticket tournament in Indianapolis, keeping alive their hopes of reaching the NBA 2K League’s 5v5 Championships.
Fourteen teams are competing in The Ticket at the NBA 2K League Studio, with only the event’s top team from each conference due to punch a ticket to the playoffs.
The conference semifinals and finals will be held on Saturday, as will The Ticket’s championship round. All matches are best-of-one.
Juan “Hotshotx305” Gonzalez led the Hawks on Friday with 22 points and 16 rebounds, while teammate Caesar “Ceez” Martinez compiled 18 points and 12 assists. Michael “BP” Diaz-Cruz paced the Grizz with 19 points and 10 assists.
The Hawks are headed to an Eastern Conference semifinal against Magic Gaming, who downed Raptors Uprising GC 70-61. The other East semifinal will feature Celtics Crossover Gaming, who got a first-round bye, and Hornets Venom GT, who eliminated NetsGC 71-65.
In the Western Conference, Cavs Legion GC topped DUX Infinitos 64-50 to earn a crack at Kings Guard Gaming, who received a first-round bye. The other West semifinal will see Mavs Gaming, a 71-65 winner over Blazer5 Gaming, oppose Pistons GT, who nipped Pacers Gaming 71-68.
The Ticket features a $50,000 prize pool. The previous winners were Knicks Gaming in 2018 and 2021, Warriors Gaming Squad in 2019 and Blazer5 Gaming in 2020.
–Field Level Media