Grizz Gaming wins Group 3 to advance to quarterfinals of THE TIPOFF

Team Finishes With 3-1 Record in Group 3 Pool Play

Grizz Gaming posted a 3-1 group play record in THE TIPOFF powered by AT&T, the first of three in-season NBA 2K League tournaments, Tuesday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the event. The team split two games with Warriors Gaming Squad, who entered the field at 6-1 in regular season play, before winning both games against Pacers Gaming. It marks the first time in Grizz Gaming history the team has advanced in tournament play.

Grizz Gaming will take part in the quarterfinal round on Thursday night with opponent and tip-off time to be determined following group play. All tournament games will air live on ESPN2 and ESPN’s digital platforms as well as 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.

 

Grizz Gaming took a two-point lead into the second quarter (20-18) of Game 1, but Warriors Gaming Squad finished the first half on an 11-0 run to lead 40-29 at the half. The Grizz cut the Warriors lead in half in the final frame, but were unable to come up with the win. Vandi (Zach Vandivier) led all scorers with 38 points on 16-of-22 shooting.

Memphis’ team overcame an early Game 2 deficit against the Warriors for its first tournament play win in club history. The Warriors started the game on an 11-2 run, but Grizz Gaming chipped away at the lead for the remainder of the half. The Grizz then gained a 19-12 advantage in the third quarter to take a two-point lead into the fourth. The teams traded buckets for the majority of the period until Grizz Gaming took a five-point lead in the final two minutes. Warriors Gaming Squad tied it up at 68-68, but on Grizz Gaming’s final possession, Vandi laid it in with 2.2 seconds left for the win. The point guard had his second straight game with 38 points to go with eight assists. Slaughter (Malik Leisinger) had a double-double for Warriors Gaming Squad (15 points, 15 rebounds).

The Grizz turned a tight game into a double-digit lead over the course of the second half in Game 1 against Pacers Gaming. The team led 69-57 late in the fourth before a quick 12-2 Pacers run cut the lead to as little as two in the closing seconds. Vandi (34 points, 11 assists) and G O O F Y 7 5 7 (Dayvon Curry), who finished with 14 points and a season-high 19 rebounds, each posted double-doubles for Grizz Gaming.

The rout was on in Game 2 as the Grizz steadily built their lead with each passing quarter. Pacers Gaming took the lead midway through the second frame, but Grizz Gaming closed the half on a 16-3 run to take a double-digit lead into the break. Four Grizz Gaming players had three steals or more as the team had a disruptive game defensively while shooting 36-of-51 (.706) from the field on the other end. G O O F Y 7 5 7 had his second career triple-double (19 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists) while Vandi and AuthenticAfrican (Mehyar Ahmed-Hassan) combined for 59 points on 24-of-30 (.800) shooting.