Type’s Last-Second Layup Seals Hornets Venom GT’s Playoff Sweep Over Nets GC
August 21, 2020
Snubby, Zae Hit Pair of Clutch 3’s in Game 1; Charlotte Advances to Quarterfinal Round
Hornets Venom GT celebrated its first-ever NBA 2K League playoff appearance with a thrilling 2-0 victory over Nets GC, utilizing a sequence of late-game heroics in both contests to advance to the quarterfinal round.
Charlotte got off to another good start in Game 1, leading 16-8 early in the second before a 23-11 Nets GC run gave the visitors a four-point lead at the break. Hornets Venom battled back in the second half though, inching ahead 64-63 with just over a minute remaining in regulation.
After a Xavier “Type” Vescovi dunk was blocked, guard Alex “Expose” Whelan picked off an upcourt pass from Brooklyn center Aziz “Shuttles” Salem and quickly found guard Justin “Snubby” Stemerman on the left arc for a three. Then leading by two on the next possession, Expose dribbled down the lane and fired a pass to the right corner for forward Zaeya “Zae” Ishak, who sank a three with 37 seconds left to put Hornets Venom up for good in Game 1.
Two MASSIVE 3️⃣'s in the final minute by @Snubby21 and @ZaeBucks helped seal a Game 1 win!!! 🏹 pic.twitter.com/WjzICbUXGN
— Hornets Venom GT (@HornetsVenomGT) August 20, 2020
Snubby (29 points) and Type (23) each had 20-point showings in the win, with the latter adding 14 rebounds, two assists, two steals and five blocks. Expose (14 points and seven assists) also scored in double figures, while Brooklyn got double-doubles from both guard Josh “Choc” Humphries (30 points and 13 assists) and Shuttles (14 points and 13 rebounds)
Separated by one point, no points and one point again after the opening three quarters of Game 2, the two sides entered the final frame neck and neck again. The hosts found themselves holding a 71-69 lead with less than 30 seconds remaining, but Choc drew a shooting foul in the lane and drained the two ensuing free throws to knot the score once again.
Now with just over 24 seconds to go, Snubby maneuvered his way through the paint, only to have his go-ahead layup blocked away by forward Marquis “Randomz” Gill. Type quickly gobbled up the loose ball and banked in the go-ahead layup, leaving just 0.6 seconds left on the clock. Choc got off a jumper at the other end, but it rimmed out right after the final horn.
👀 @type grabs a HUGE rebound and lays it in as the clock ticks down to give @HornetsVenomGT a 2-0 SWEEP in Round 1 of the Playoffs!
They advance to face the No. 1 seed Raptors Uprising GC on Friday night. 😤 pic.twitter.com/Ufn1qw4kbz
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) August 20, 2020
Snubby (29 points) and Type (21 points, 12 rebounds and four steals) led the team in scoring again, with Expose (10 points), Zae (9 points and 6 rebounds) and forward Gio “Trap” Elizondo (4 points and 3 steals) also factoring into the win. Brooklyn received another 38 points and nine assists from Choc and 18 points from guard Kory “Chess” Taylor in the season-ending loss.
Type finished the evening having connected on 19-of-20 total shot attempts, good for an outstanding 95 percent field-goal percentage. Charlotte won the rebounding battle, 46-37, committed just 15 total giveaways compared to Brooklyn’s 21 and held Choc to just 2-of-4 shooting from three-point range.
.@TYPE ABSOLUTELY BROUGHT IT TONIGHT!!! 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
22.0 PTS | 13.0 REB | 2.5 AST | 3.0 STL | 3.0 BLK | 95% FG% | 1 Game-Winner |#VENOMenal #ElevateYourGame pic.twitter.com/PeX3rwlkte
— Hornets Venom GT (@HornetsVenomGT) August 20, 2020
Hornets Venom will now look to spoil Raptors Uprising GC’s undefeated season in the NBA 2K League quarterfinals, which begin this evening at 5 PM EST. Catch the action on ESPN mobile, Twitch.TV/NBA2KLeague or YouTube Gaming.
by Sam Perley