Magic Gaming secured a much-needed and dominant victory in the NBA 2K League, crushing Hawks Talon GC 96-57 at their home court. This win held significant meaning for the team, not just because it snapped a home winless streak, but also because it keeps them in contention for a playoff berth in The TURN tournament.
Magic Gaming Secures First Home Victory Against Hawks Talon GC Behind Electric Crowd
Coach Jonah Edwards explained the significance of the win, “It was huge for us to have a victory like this in the NBA 2K League,” he said. “We were on the cusp of it a couple of times this (5v5) season, and just haven't hit our open shots and knocked down shots in big moments. In the second half, everything just clicked.”
The win was particularly special because it came in front of their home crowd at the leAD Lake Nona Sports & Health Accelerator. The energy was electric, highlighted by a thunderous applause when center Ashton “LowkeyGodlike” Agredano slammed home a dunk to close out the first quarter, giving Magic Gaming a 10-point lead. Edwards echoed this sentiment: “We haven't won at home,” he said. “To finally get our first win at home just feels really good.”
“𝙏𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙖 𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙬𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚.” – @Snubby21 @AdventHealthCFL pic.twitter.com/O67BNW1kTW
— Magic Gaming (@MagicGaming) June 1, 2024
The game started strong for Orlando, but Atlanta's Hawks Talon GC wouldn't go down without a fight. Their shooting guard MarkDavid “MDS” Smith exploded for a game-high 12 points in the second quarter alone, propelling Atlanta to a surprising one-point lead at halftime.
However, the second half was a completely different story. Orlando came out with a vengeance, going on a dominant 13-0 run to open the third quarter. Magic Gaming small forward Justin “Snubby” Stemerman described the offensive surge perfectly: “On offense, we were pretty much flawless,” he said. “We were making no mistakes.”
Magic Gaming Looks Forward To Pivotal Matchup With Nets GC
This offensive clinic continued throughout the half, with Orlando outscoring Atlanta by a staggering 40 points. The newly acquired shooting guard, Emmanuel “FantaSZN” Gosman, led all scorers with an impressive 32 points, including hitting a scorching 8 out of 13 three-pointers. Gosman couldn't hide his excitement about being part of the winning team: “The gravity that (LowkeyGodlike) has on the court … is like a black hole,” FantaSZN said of the 3v3 MVP finalist. “He just pulls people towards him and everything else just opens up … Everybody is just so capable … I love this team, honestly.”
Other Magic Gaming players also had strong performances. Point guard Joshua “unguardable” Hunter chipped in with a well-rounded performance of 20 points and 11 assists, while power forward Julian “Jboolin” Manzanares added a stat line of 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals and assists. Agredano continued his strong showing with a near triple-double of 6 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists.
This win keeps Magic Gaming in the playoff hunt for The TURN tournament. They currently hold a strong 2-1 record and will look to solidify their position with a strong performance next week. Their next game is on Wednesday against Nets GC at 6 P.M. ET. Fans can catch the action live on the NBA 2K League's Twitch and YouTube channels.
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