NBA 2K League ‘THE TIPOFF’ Preview
May 3, 2018
The anticipation built up to Grizz Gaming’s inaugural season will be finally be curbed this week at the NBA 2K League’s ‘THE TIPOFF’ event. The squad will play a minimum of four games, starting with pool play on Thursday and Friday.
Pool play runs from May 1-4, with the top eight teams advancing to playoff rounds taking place on May 5. The final four teams will walk away with a piece of the $100,000 prize pool (first place – $35,000; second place – $25,000; third and fourth place – $10,000). The winner of each pool play group will also take home $5,000.
There are four groups, with Grizz Gaming sharing Group D with Celtics Crossover Gaming, Heat Check Gaming, Mavs Gaming and Pacers Gaming. The team’s group schedule and tournament playoff schedule is below.
Grizz Gaming Pool Play Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, May 3 | Celtics Crossover Gaming | 9 p.m. CT |
| Friday, May 4 | Heat Check Gaming | 3 p.m. CT |
| Friday, May 4 | Pacers Gaming | 7 p.m. CT |
| Friday, May 4 | Mavs Gaming | 9 p.m. CT |
Playoff Rounds (Saturday, May 5)
| Round | Time |
|---|---|
| Quarterfinal 1 (Group A Winner vs. Group B Runner-Up) | Noon CT |
| Quarterfinal 2 (Group C Winner vs. Group D Runner-Up) | 1 p.m. CT |
| Quarterfinal 3 (Group B Winner vs. Group A Runner-Up) | 2 p.m. CT |
| Quarterfinal 4 (Group D Winner vs. Group C Runner-Up) | 3 p.m. CT |
| Semifinals (Quarterfinal 1 vs. Quarterfinal 2) | 4 p.m. CT |
| Semifinals (Quarterfinal 3 vs. Quarterfinal 4) | 5 p.m. CT |
| Finals | 6 p.m. CT |
Grizz Gaming vs. Celtics Crossover Gaming (Thursday, 9 p.m.)
Potential Matchup to Watch: Centers Mehyar Ahmed-Hassan (AuthenticAfrican) vs. Devon Peek (ARS0NAL x)
Two centers who were selected in the second round go head-to-head in the very first game in franchise history.
Grizz Gaming vs. Heat Check Gaming (Friday, 3 p.m. CT)
Potential Matchup to Watch: Centers Mehyar Ahmed-Hassan (AuthenticAfrican) vs. Juan Gonzalez (Hotshot)
Grizz Gaming’s second round pick, who could have gone in the first round, takes on the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft. Additionally, watch out for Grizz Gaming shooting guard Troy Minott II (AyeTHREAT) going up against his hometown team in Heat Check Gaming.
Grizz Gaming vs. Pacers Gaming (Friday, 7 p.m. CT)
Potential Matchup to Watch: Shooting Guards Troy Minott II (AyeTHREAT) and Nicolas Grech (Swizurk)
Both were selected in the top half of the draft and know how to fill it up. Minott II ranked fifth in scoring at the combine, while Nicolas Grech was among the best in the combine (sixth) in jump shot timing.
Grizz Gaming vs. Mavs Gaming (Friday, 9 p.m. CT)
Potential Matchup to Watch: Point Guards Larell Mitchell (Winner_Stayz_On) and Artreyo Boyd (Dimez)
As if it would be anything else. Winner_Stayz_On concludes pool play with the league’s first overall pick, giving him the chance to go head-to-head with the top pick in the draft and test his mettle prior to the regular season.