T-Wolves Gaming Edges Hornets Venom GT For 2-1 Series Win
July 30, 2020
All 3 Games with Reigning 2K League Champions Decided by 7 Total PTS
Perhaps one of the best overall series in the NBA 2K League regular season this year saw Hornets Venom GT come up just agonizingly short in a 2-1 series loss to T-Wolves Gaming on Wednesday night.
Trailing by three with just over 11 seconds left in Game 1, Minnesota knocked down a quick three-pointer to knot the score at 66-66. On the ensuing inbounds, Hornets Venom’s pass was intercepted by forward Mihad “FEAST” Feratovic and fired down the court to guard Michael “BearDaBeast” Key. The reigning Finals MVP quickly laid in the game-winner with virtually no time remaining, giving Minnesota a stunning two-point victory.
Guard Justin “Snubby” Stemerman finished with 31 points and five assists in the loss and backcourt mate Alex “Expose” Whelan added 12 points and another three dimes. FEAST exploded for 22 points and 22 rebounds and BearDaBeast also double-doubled with 21 points and 11 assists.
Much like the opener, Game 2 likewise came down to the final minute with Expose knocking down a massive go-ahead three in a 55-55 game and under 60 seconds remaining. Center Xavier “Type” Vescovi stuffed BearDaBeast at the other basket, leading to a transition bucket for Hornets Venom and giving the hosts just enough cushion for an eventual 60-58 win.
.@ExposeHim__ with an ice cold 3️⃣ on an ice cold ring 💍
(CLUTCH!) pic.twitter.com/TShjpwrswR
— Hornets Venom GT (@HornetsVenomGT) July 30, 2020
Snubby (25 points) and forward Zaeya “Zae” Ishak (19 points) both scored in double figures and Type added six points, 17 rebounds, six assists, three steals and four blocks. Minnesota got 41 points from BearDaBeast and another huge performance down low from FEAST, who finished with eight points, 18 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.
Massive block from @Type to help seal a Game 2 win!! ☝️ pic.twitter.com/OnexA4ivDC
— Hornets Venom GT (@HornetsVenomGT) July 30, 2020
And just like the first two contests, Game 3 was another tightly-contested affair midway through the fourth quarter. Holding a 56-53 lead at the 3:13 mark, Minnesota’s Jordan “JMoney” Martinez sank two threes sandwiched around an Expose basket to put T-Wolves Gaming up by seven. Charlotte cut the deficit to three with under a minute remaining, but a BearDaBeast triple effectively sealed the 69-65 Minnesota victory and series win.
Snubby (22 points), Expose (17) and Zae (12) led the way for Charlotte in scoring and Type chipped in six points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals and five blocks. BearDaBeast rounded out the night with a 25-point performance, with FEAST (15 points and 13 rebounds), forward Josiah “JoJo” Oetjen (12) and JMoney (11) also crossing the 10-point plateau.
Charlotte was outrebounded by a margin of 25-8 in Game 1 before consolidating a differential on the boards of +2 across the final two contests. Hornets Venom also connected on 43 percent of its three-point attempts as well (23-of-53), while Minnesota shot 51 percent from long range (22-of-43), perhaps the ultimate difference-maker in an extremely competitive series.
Hornets Venom will now face a fellow 2K League expansion team in the Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai for a home game on Friday, July 31 beginning at 9 PM EST. Catch the action on ESPN mobile, Twitch.TV/2KLeague or YouTube Gaming.
by Sam Perley