Hornets Venom GT Looks to Ride Momentum into Showdown with 76ers GC
July 24, 2021
By Sam Perley
- Hornets Venom GT (13-5) vs. 76ers GC (11-7)
- Saturday, July 24, 2021 at 9 PM EDT
- NBA 2K League Twitch and YouTube Channels
- Last time out: Hornets Venom GT won 73-46, on May 8, 2020 (2-0 sweep)
Hornets Venom GT Wins 8th and 9th Straight Overall Games with Sweep of Magic Gaming
Playing in front of a live audience at Spectrum Center for the first time in franchise history, Hornets Venom GT utilized the hometown crowd and energy on its way to a 2-0 sweep of Magic Gaming on Thursday night. Hot starts keyed the big night as Charlotte outscored Orlando by a combined 27 points in both first quarters, leading to 78-65 and 82-75 victories.
Paving the way in the statistical department was the backcourt duo of Justin “Sherm” Sherman (22.0 points and 9.5 assists) and CJ “rigby” Burnett (23.0 points and 8.0 assists). The team also recorded eight steals in each of its two wins, continuing its upward trend of stellar defense dating back to last weekend’s victory in THE TURN Tournament.
76ers GC Still Searching for Consistency Amidst Up-And-Down Campaign
Philadelphia got swept by Knicks Gaming on July 10, then bounced by Kings Guard Gaming in the second round of THE TURN Tournament before righting itself with a 2-0 sweep of Raptors Uprising GC on Friday night. Firmly in the playoff picture at the moment, 76ers GC hasn’t been too high or too low at any point this season and has yet to win or lose more than three consecutive games in regular season play.
Reigning fourth overall pick and point guard Andre “HoodieDre” Marshall currently leads the team in scoring at 26.9 points per game, a mark that ranks seventh overall in the NBA 2K League. Fellow guard Aaron “ARooks” Rooks is also putting up 15.9 points on 49.3% shooting from three in eight appearances since arriving from Bucks Gaming in a trade last month.
Opposing Player to Watch: Dayne “OneWildWalnut” Downey
Following three successful years in Portland, Season 1 MVP and Defensive Player of the Year OneWildWalnut is dawning a new uniform with 76ers GC this season, although remains one of the NBA 2K League’s premier big men. Through 18 outings, the defensive-prone OneWildWalnut is averaging 18.3 points on 80.5% shooting (fifth in the 2KL), 11.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks (sixth).