Magic Gaming advances in the NBA 2K League playoffs, overcoming 76ers GC to reach the lower bracket semifinals.
After a challenging start in the 2024 NBA 2K League 3v3 playoffs, Magic Gaming overcame adversity to secure a spot in the lower bracket semifinals with a critical win over 76ers GC. The Orlando-based team, now guaranteed a top-four finish, continues its quest for the championship, albeit through a more challenging path.
Magic Gaming's journey in the playoffs began with a setback against the Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai. This loss, while disheartening, ignited a determined response from the team. “We knew that we weren’t playing our best ball, so survive and advance was our mentality. That’s what we did,” explained Magic Gaming's general manager and head coach Jonah Edwards. However, despite advancing, Edwards expressed his dissatisfaction with just reaching the top four, emphasizing the team's ultimate goal of winning a championship, “Top four isn’t what we set out to do this season. It’s to win a 2K League championship. We made our path significantly more challenging.”
Magic Gaming Rallies To Overcome Initial Setbacks
The series opener against 76ers GC highlighted initial struggles, with Magic Gaming’s offense faltering in a 21-14 defeat. Philadelphia's small forward Damon “DJ” Jones and point guard Andre “Dre” Marshall played pivotal roles, scoring eight and seven points respectively. Meanwhile, Magic Gaming's Joshua “unguardable” Hunter and Julian “Jboolin” Manzanares each contributed six points.
In Game 2, the team looked to their star player, unguardable, who changed his build to an inside-out playmaker. This strategic move paid off as he scored a game-winning three-pointer, leading Orlando to a narrow 22-20 victory. Edwards elaborated on the adjustment, “We thought let’s get Josh on a build where he can dunk it when he needs to. That’s what we did and it showed that it was helpful.”
ball movement ✅@NBA2KLeague | @AdventHealthCFL pic.twitter.com/lsFBlMFmxt
— Magic Gaming (@MagicGaming) April 27, 2024
Game 3 saw a significant improvement in Magic Gaming's offensive execution. Ashton “LowkeyGodlike” Agredano delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 11 points alongside four rebounds and three assists, propelling his team to a 22-12 victory. Jboolin and unguardable also made significant contributions, scoring seven and four points respectively.
The defensive prowess of Magic Gaming came to the forefront in Game 4, as they forced five turnovers from Philadelphia en route to a 22-14 series-clinching win. Unguardable led the scoring with 13 points, supported by LowkeyGodlike’s seven points.
Magic Gaming's Journey Through The Upper Bracket
Earlier in the night, Magic Gaming faced a tough challenge against Gen.G in the upper bracket semifinals. They began strongly with a 22-11 win in Game 1, fueled by an impeccable performance from unguardable, who scored 16 points. Despite their initial success, they faltered in the subsequent games, losing the series 3-1. Notable performances included Gen.G's Jaiden “gallow” Frank, who consistently troubled Orlando's defense. Gallow’s excellent form continued, as he led his team with 17 points in Game 2 and 21 points in Game 3, proving too much for Magic Gaming to handle. The series concluded with a tight 22-19 defeat in Game 4, where Gallow again was decisive, hitting the game-winning three-pointer.
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Tomorrow we will see who comes out on top of the 2024 NBA 2KL 3v3 Playoffs presented by @GooglePixel_US! pic.twitter.com/A8aaPoz3RW
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) April 27, 2024
Looking ahead, Magic Gaming is set to face Bucks Gaming in the lower bracket semifinals at 3:45 PM ET on Saturday. A victory there would pit them against the loser of Lakers Gaming and Gen.G in the lower bracket finals. If they were to win that matchup, the path to the championship would require them to secure two straight series victories. Edwards remains focused on the team's approach, stressing the importance of bringing high energy to their games. “Of course, we’ll have to score the ball at a more effective rate,” he said. “But it’s going to be more about the energy we bring towards the game, even in the first game versus Milwaukee.”
As Magic Gaming prepares for their upcoming matches, their path to the championship remains daunting yet achievable. Their resilience and adaptability have been key to their success thus far, and they will need to maintain this momentum if they are to overcome the challenges ahead and achieve their ultimate goal of winning the NBA 2K League championship.
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