Hornets Venom GT Closing Out 2KL Regular Season Against Bucks Gaming

By Sam Perley

  • Hornets Venom GT (18-8) at Bucks Gaming (4-20)
  • Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021 at 7:15 PM EDT
  • NBA 2K League Twitch and YouTube Channels
  • Last time out: Hornets Venom GT won, 77-60 on July 23, 2020 (THE TURN)

Charlotte Inches Closer to #2 Seed Following Split with Celtics Crossover

After a slow start and loss in Game 1 against Boston on Wednesday night, Hornets Venom GT found its groove in the closing contest, rolled to an 84-52 blowout victory and is now one win away from a first-round bye in the 2KL Playoffs. Charlotte forced just a paltry three turnovers in the opening defeat, then cranked up the defense in the rematch leading to 14 Boston giveaways, seven of which were committed by point guard Sheriff “FT” Cruz.

The Game 2 victory was probably Charlotte’s most impressive triumph since winning THE TURN last month and another good sign was the offensive play of point guard Justin “Sherm” Sherman. The Michigan native had been struggling to score efficiently in recent weeks before averaging an impressive 28.0 points on 69% shooting (11-of-17 from three; 65%) and 9.0 assists across this two-game span.

Bucks Gaming Putting Finishing Touches on Lost Season

After qualifying for the Season 3 Playoffs in 2020, Bucks Gaming was a pre-season favorite by many to catapult itself into the upper echelon of NBA 2K League teams. Instead, nothing has clicked this year for Milwaukee and the 2021 campaign has been nothing short of disastrous with the squad currently claiming the second-worst record in the league. Long-time sharpshooter Aaron “Arooks” Rookwood and guard Lytel “Lotty” Martin were traded mid-season to 76ers GC and Jazz Gaming, respectively, giving Bucks Gaming an early jumpstart on its rebuilding efforts.

Opposing Player to Watch: Reggie “Regg” Nash Jr.

Last season’s Rookie of the Year entered Week 10 ranking 11th in the 2KL in scoring (26.8 points on 51.4% shooting), although has been inconsistent converting from long range (106-of-248; 42.7%). The high-scoring point guard recently had a season-high 49-point showing in a loss to Pistons GT on Aug. 5 and while Regg is certainly capable of putting up some big numbers in the box score, the individual production hasn’t had much impact on the win-loss column.