Weekly Recap: Hornets Venom GT Headed to THE TICKET, Now Seeking 3v3 Playoff Berth
July 18, 2022
By @Sam_Perley
Halfway through the NBA 2K League’s seed weeks, there’s good news and then some not-so-good news for Hornets Venom GT at the moment. Starting with the later, the squad went just 1-4 in its most recent round of 5v5 play, sealing a 12th-place finish in the Eastern Conference and a date with seventh-seeded Nets GC in THE TICKET next month.
As for the good, Charlotte currently sits sixth in the East in 3v3 points and with a solid week of play, could clinch a playoff berth (top-5) and avoid having to qualify later on through THE STEAL.
A Look Back: 5v5 Seed Week
Wednesday, July 6 at Heat Check Gaming: Charlotte jumped out to an early 5-0 lead before Miami closed the opening frame on a 23-9 run. The lead stretched to 12 by the break, 14 at the end of the third and although Hornets Venom GT got to within single digits late, never fully climbed out of the hole it dug in an 85-78 loss. DJ (career-high 28 points) and Glennratty (26) each had 20-point games, while Tate had 14 points and dished a career-high 13 assists.
Thursday, July 7 vs. Wizards DG: Hornets Venom GT stayed within striking distance of the two-time reigning NBA 2K League champions heading into the fourth quarter, but a 25-13 final frame in favor of Washington ended any chance of an upset victory. Crown tied a season high with 17 points, DJ poured in 14 points and 15 rebounds for a Charlotte squad that shot a season-worst 6-of-24 from 3-point range (25%) in the 81-54 defeat.
Tuesday, July 13 at Hawks Talon GC: Playing in front of a live audience in the Hawks Talon GC studio, Hornets Venom GT had a lackluster first half, although found itself down by just three at the break. The poor play eventually caught up to Charlotte as Atlanta won the second half by 11 points in the 80-66 victory. Glennratty scored an inefficient 19 points on 7-of-17 shooting and former Hornets Venom GT lock Nick notched 21 points and three steals for Hawks Talon GC.
.@HornetsVenomGT took the trip to the @HawksTalonGC facility to play in the first ever 2KL regional showdown!
💻: https://t.co/XjFCQsCmnn pic.twitter.com/Ky4SbbYg35
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) July 13, 2022
Thursday, July 15 at Jazz Gaming: In a game that featured position changes across the board on both sides and no Splashy for Jazz Gaming, Hornets Venom GT started strong and never looked back in route to badly-needed 97-81 triumph. Lock DJ scored a career-high 30 points, two-guard Tate had 26 points, power forward Swann added a season-high 22 points and seven rebounds at the four and Crown nearly double-doubled with nine rebounds and nine assists at center.
No crabs on the menu for @TrustDjMoney__ tonight 🦀#ALLCHAOS | @NBA2KLeague pic.twitter.com/XTbolQSR5A
— Hornets Venom GT (@HornetsVenomGT) July 15, 2022
Friday, July 16 vs. Pacers Gaming: Much like the loss to Hawks Talon GC three days earlier, Hornets Venom GT had a tough time getting anything going in its seed week finale. Down eight after the opening 12 minutes, the bottom fell out for Charlotte in the second half again, with Pacers Gaming taking control in a 75-55 blowout win. Backcourt duo Glennratty and Tate combined for only 19 points on 7-of-23 shooting (5-of-18 from 3-point range) in the defeat.
Coming Up Next: 3v3 Seed Week (ET)
Wednesday, July 20 at Magic Gaming (10 PM): It’s been another lost season in Orlando as a flurry of in-season trades has done little to get this team pointed in the right direction, at least for the short term. The squad currently sits last in the Eastern Conference in 3v3 points, winning just one group play series in both the SLAM OPEN and SWITCH OPEN.
Thursday, July 21 vs. Grizz Gaming (7 PM): Heading into 3v3 seed week, Grizz Gaming sits right behind Hornets Venom GT in seventh place with seven points. Memphis actually took Wizards DG to six games in the SLAM OPEN Semifinals back in May, but lost its first three matchups in SWITCH OPEN group play before finishing 2-4 and missing out on a return to trip to Indy.
Tuesday, July 26 at Celtics Crossover Gaming (10 PM): Celtics Crossover Gaming resides in second place in the East with 13 points and has actually already clinched a 3v3 playoff berth. The squad lost in the SLAM OPEN Round of 16, then took it two steps further in the SWITCH OPEN, losing to eventual champion Pacers Gaming in the Quarterfinals.
Thursday, July 28 at Pacers Gaming (9 PM): As mentioned, Pacers Gaming took home the SWITCH OPEN title by knocking off Pistons GT, 4-1, in the Finals. Right now, Indiana finds itself atop the Western Conference 3v3 leaderboard with 17 points – five more than the next closest team – which is also the most 3v3 points overall of any team in the NBA 2K League.
Friday, July 29 vs. Kings Guard Gaming (9 PM): Like Magic Gaming, Kings Guard Gaming has reworked its roster several times this season to no avail and dropped to last place in the West entering seed week. One noteworthy milestone – this will be the first-ever meeting between Hornets Venom GT and Kings Guard Gaming in any NBA 2K League competition.
Cover photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images