Expansion team NBL Oz Gaming swept Hornets Venom GT on Tuesday in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the NBA 2K League’s 5v5 The Tipoff event.
The match was one of two on the opening night of The Tipoff’s knockout competition. In a Western Conference quarterfinal, T-Wolves Gaming edged Pistons GT 2-1.
NBL Oz Gaming, who finished atop the Eastern Conference qualifying standings with a 5-1 record, got past the Hornets 70-66 and 77-61. In the first game, NBL’s Jyden “Jyden” McBath-Spencer put up 22 points while teammate Harry “HarryVZN” Spierings had 13 points and 10 assists.
The T-Wolves, who joined Warriors Gaming Squad with 6-0 records to finish atop Western Conference qualifying, opened with a 72-51 victory over the Pistons on Tuesday.
The Pistons rebounded for a 69-68 win on Brandon “BRich” Richardson’s dunk with one second left, extending the series, but the T-Wolves captured the decisive third game 86-70.
Dhwan “ShiftyKaii” White paced the T-Wolves with an average of 28.3 points in the series, while “BRich” put up 19 points per game for the Pistons.
The NBA 2K League 5v5 season will include three tournaments — The Tipoff, The Turn and The Ticket — that will set the field for the playoffs, scheduled for Aug. 2-5 in Washington.
Remote group play in The Tipoff will set the field for remote bracket play beginning next week. The tournament will then conclude with in-person tournament play at District E in Washington, June 14-17.
The remaining Round of 16 schedule:
Wednesday
–Eastern Conference: Gen.G Tigers vs. Cavs Legion GC
–Western Conference: Blazer5 Gaming vs. Bucks Gaming
Thursday
–Eastern Conference: 76ers GC vs. Celtics Crossover Gaming
–Western Conference: DUX Infinitos vs. Warriors Gaming Squad
Friday
–Eastern Conference: Magic Gaming vs. Heat Check Gaming
–Western Conference: Pacers Gaming vs. Grizz Gaming
–Field Level Media