Benjamin “Benzo” Bernstein averaged 21 points and 13.5 assists as Wizards District Gaming, the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, swept top-seeded Heat Check Gaming to open bracket play at the NBA 2K League’s The Tipoff on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
The Wizards will next face second-seeded Raptors Uprising GC in the Eastern Conference finals. The Raptors needed three games to dispose of No. 3 Knicks Gaming, winning 2-1.
After group play determined seeding for bracket play, the top four teams from each conference gathered in the nation’s capital for the in-person elimination portion of The Tipoff. The four teams from the Western Conference will play Thursday, with play continuing until Saturday’s grand final.
The Tipoff is the first of three tournaments that lead up to the NBA 2K League 5v5 Playoffs that run from June 26-29. The Tipoff is followed by The Turn (May 29-June 15) and The Ticket (June 18 and 22).
Brandon “BRich” Richardson also had a stellar effort for the Wizards. In Game 1’s 67-63 win, BRich scored 21 points, then followed that with 16 more in the 76-61 Wizards win to clinch the match. Marta “TheRealTay614” Edwards led the Heat with 39 points and 12 assists in the two games.
As for the Raptors, they pulled off a reverse sweep to advance. After losing the first game 75-52, the Raptors beat the Knicks 69-54 and 85-58.
Antoine “antoinelove” Times bookended a 15-point effort in Game 2 with a pair of 30-point performances in the win. He added a whopping 22 assists in the clincher. Waseem “BallLikeSeem” Talbert totaled 40 points and 39 assists in the three games for the Raptors.
Gerald “Sick One” Knapp led the Knicks, averaging 16.7 points and 10 rebounds on the night.
Thursday will see the Western Conference semis play out, as top-seeded T-Wolves Gaming — which ran the table to a perfect 6-0 mark in group play — will face No. 4 Bucks Gaming and second-seeded Pistons GT will play No. 3 Warriors Gaming Squad.
–Field Level Media
