TORONTO– The Raptors’ Uprising GC has increased its winning streak to 12 and clinched a playoff spot Thursday, pushing back the gen Tigers.G in an international match in the NBA 2K League play.
Toronto (12-0) won a 101-62 victory in game 1, but got cold in game 2 and lost 76-72. Despite some technical problems of long-distance play in the rubber game, normal service was resumed while the Raptors beat the expansion gene.G (5-7) 106-53 to win the esports series in the best of the three games.
It is the fastest team to clinch a playoff spot in the league’s three-year history.
The win was worth for the Toronto team, which participated in the playoffs during the league’s inaugural season but missed out last year.
Toronto has a regular season 24-4 record this season, with only Wizards District Gaming, Hornet Venom GT, Blazer5 Gaming and Gen.G forcing a third game in the series. General G also pushed the Raptors to a third game in the semifinals of the 160,000 U.S. Tipoff tournament, which Toronto won last month.
The Raptors, who have four games left in the regular season, will face the Pacers on July 16.
Toronto, which has already erased the league’s record for the start of a season (10 from Mavs Gaming last year), is just two wins away from matching Blazer5 Gaming’s record for the longest regular-season winning streak of 14, set in the season.
T-Wolves Gaming won 12 consecutive victories last year during the regular season and playoffs.
Regular season games were one-off competitions in the league’s first two seasons before being switched to the best-of-three distance games this year.
The star leader Kenneth (Kenny has work) Hailey managed his first five shots, including four to three points, in game 3 to pave the way to Toronto in a first quarter interrupted by a technical backlog in the long-distance game.
As soon as the game resumed, Toronto rolled on and took a lead. Another technical problem caused a delay in the game before the Raptors closed it.
Hailey finished with 50 points in 20 of 23 shots and scored 10 three-point attempts from 11th lockdown defenseman Trent (Timelycook) Donald added 29 points for Toronto in 10 of 10 shots with seven three-point shots.
Hailey scored 29 points and 11 assists in Game 1, while Donald, who had managed his 10 shots in the fourth quarter, finished with 27 points on 11 of 13 striking. Center Jerry (ill) Knapp finished with 20 points and 15 assists.
The Mercedes Center (Dead Eye) Williamson received 22 points to lead General G, who went through 22 turns.
Hailey led Toronto in Game 2 with 23 points and 11 assists. The leader of the Dhwan Tigers (ShiftyKaii) White, the fifth pick in the February Draft, led all markers with 44 points.
Toronto took a 27-11 lead after the first quarter of Game 1 and moved ahead in the second quarter to take a 51-28 lead. Hailey and Donald each scored 15 points in the half and made a total of 12 of 14 shots.
The lead increased to 43 to 81-38 after a third quarter that surprised Toronto’s gene.G 30-10.
Game 2 started closer with a Toronto lead of 20-19 after the first quarter. White scored for his team’s 15 points.
The Tigers led 41-37 at the half, opened the third with a 6-0 run and increased the lead at the end of the third third to 64-50 – dominating Toronto 23-13 in a normally Raptors—dominated quarter. White scored 29 points for the Tigers in fourth.
Toronto reduced the lead to 75-70 with 21.5 seconds to play, but it was too little too after.
