NBL Oz Gaming and Pistons GT won their opening matches as bracket play began Tuesday in the NBA 2K League’s The Turn event.
NBL, which finished tied for second in the Eastern Conference’s Group D play but was fourth in the group after tiebreakers, swept its encounter with Warriors Gaming Squad, the outright winner of the Western Conference’s Group B.
The scores were 75-70 and 68-64. Jyden “Jyden” McBath-Spencer averaged 22 points to lead NBL, followed by Gerald “Sick One” Knapp at 13 points and 12 rebounds per game, and Harry “HarryVZN” Spierings at 17.5 points.
The Pistons, winners of the West’s Group A, needed three games to defeat Knicks Gaming, the fourth team in the East’s Group C. The Pistons opened with an 82-71 win, but the Knicks took the second game 81-77. Led by 21 points and 10 assists from Anthony “Ant” Costanza, the Pistons survived a comeback bid by the Knicks to win the clincher, 71-65.
Brandon “BRich” Richardson led the way with 20.7 points per game for the Pistons, followed by Ant at 19.7.
The winning team takes home $100,000 in prize money, with the runner-up pocketing $50,000. The matches are best-of-three, and the tournament runs through July 22.
Four more teams will begin bracket play on Wednesday. Blazer5 Gaming, the third seed from the West’s Group B, will take on Raptors Uprising GC, which took second in the East’s Group D. Then, DUX Infinitos, the third seed in the West’s Group A, battles 76ers GC, the second seed from the East’s Group C.
NBA 2K League The Turn prize structure:
1. — $100,000
2. — $50,000
3-4. — $25,000 each
5-8. — $12,500 each
–Field Level Media