Grizz Gaming earns 2-0 sweep over Blazer5 Gaming, moves to 9-1

Memphis, Tenn. — Grizz Gaming, the NBA 2K League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies, earned a 2-0 sweep over Blazer5 Gaming in the Game of the Week on Friday night to improve to 9-1 on the season. Grizz Gaming went 4-0 in Week 4 of the NBA 2K league and continue to build on the best start in franchise history.

Grizz Gaming jumped out to a 19-10 lead in the first quarter, going 7-for-13 from the field. Grizz Gaming capitalized on two turnovers from Blazer5 Gaming as Chess (Kory Taylor) led the squad with eight points while Vandi (Zach Vandivier) tallied eight. Bash (Matthew Robles) led Blazer5 Gaming with seven points in the first quarter. Bash found his stride with seven points in the second half to finish with 14 at halftime, but Grizz Gaming shut down any first-half comeback attempt as Vandi and Chess traded buckets to give the team a 36-21 advantage at halftime. Chess led the team with 14 points on 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range. Blazer5 Gaming cut the lead to 57-50 in the fourth quarter behind a second-half offensive explosion from Bash, but Grizz Gaming was able to hold the lead to pick up 66-61 victory in Game 1. Vandi finished with 24 points and nine assists and Chess scored 22 points with two steals. AuthenticAfrican (Mehyar Ahmed-Hassan) notched a double-double with 14 points and 18 rebounds. Bash tallied 36 points and six assists in Game 1.

Vandi picked up where he left of to start Game 2 as his 15 first-quarter points helped Grizz Gaming build a 23-12 lead. The battle between Bash and Vandi, two of the most prolific scorers in the league, was on full display in the first half with both scoring 17 points to lead their respective teams as Grizz Gaming led 41-33 at halftime. Blazer5 Gaming held Grizz Gaming to just 14 points in the third quarter to claim a two-point lead heading into the final quarter. Vandi helped Grizz Gaming reclaim the lead and hold off Bash to secure the 78-74 Game 2 win and sweep against Blazer5 Gaming. Four of Grizz Gaming’s five starters scored in double digits as Vandi finished with a 31-point, 11-assist double-double. Chess scored 17 points while Spartxn (Josh McChatten) added 11 points. AuthenticAfrican recorded another double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Bash filled the score sheet with 39 points, seven assists and two steals.

Grizz Gaming will face Wizards District Gaming in Week 5 of the NBA 2K League on June 25 at 6 p.m. CT. All regular season games will air live on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch and YouTube channels. To view the Grizz Gaming game exclusively, enter the ‘Command Center’ on the league’s Twitch channel.

Fans can follow the team on Twitch at twitch.tv/grizzgaming, @grizzgaming on Twitter and Instagram, as well as GrizzliesGaming on Facebook to follow along with the team’s 2021 season.