By JJ Beale

Brooklyn’s 2K team took the show on the road this past week to District E in Washington DC. NetsGC once again found themselves in the upper bracket of THE SWITCH OPEN, looking to do what they could not in THE SLAM OPEN – take home a banner. While Brooklyn did fall short of this goal, they were able to clinch a 3v3 playoff spot in the process. NetsGC matched up against higher seeds in bracket play including Bucks Gaming, NBL Oz Gaming and T-Wolves Gaming.

NetsGC lose to Bucks Gaming (3-2)

Player of the Series: JohhnyRed (Power Forward)

Series Average: 5.8 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 93% FG, 75% 3PT

NetsGC opened in-person play with a matchup against the two seed, Bucks Gaming. The momentum Brooklyn had built going to DC showed in the first two games of the series as stellar defense led NetsGC to a 2-0 series lead. With the higher seed on the ropes, Brooklyn couldn’t get the job done in game three as the Bucks went a perfect 9/9 from the field and 3/3 from beyond the arc. With a chance to close out the series once again in game four, Brooklyn came up one stop short in a back-and-forth affair. Bucks Gaming responded to every punch NetsGC threw, winning 22-19 to force a game five. In the series-deciding matchup, the Bucks once again turned in a perfect shooting performance, going 10/10 from the field and 1/1 from three. The two seed completed the reverse sweep, winning 21-15 and moved on to the upper-bracket semifinals 3-2.

 

NetsGC defeat NBL Oz Gaming (3-1)

Player of the Series: Greens (Point Guard)

Series Average: 9.5 PPG, 3.5 APG, .75 SPG, 70% FG

With their backs against the wall in lower bracket play, NetsGC showed out on the bright lights of the DC stage. NBL Oz Gaming came out of the gate firing, with shots in the game and trash talk on the stage. Brooklyn was able to weather the storm in the first game as they found themselves down 21-20 with the ball. Greens called his own number, stepped up, and hit the game winner from the logo to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The team from down under would not stay down for long, taking game two 22-14 to even the series at one apiece. Tempers would flare after the horn sounded as verbal jabs were thrown across the District E stage. A team huddle from Brooklyn allowed the team to reset and come out with a vengeance, dominating game three to win 22-8. On the precipice of moving on in the lower bracket, Greens engaged his clutch gene once again and silenced NBL Oz Gaming with a game winning three to take the series 3-1.

 

NetsGC lose to T-Wolves Gaming (3-0)

Player of the Series: ShiftyKaii (Point Guard)

Series Average: 16.3 PPG, 1.3 APG, 79% FG

NetsGC entered their second matchup of the evening with a chance to exact revenge on the opponent responsible for knocking them out of THE SLAM TOURNAMENT earlier in the season. ShiftyKaii, the leading NBA 2K League scorer, led T-Wolves Gaming in the lower bracket rematch. Brooklyn battled hard in every game, scoring at least 18 points in all three games. Ultimately, the firepower of ShiftyKaii’s offense and breaks that did not go Brooklyn’s way was the difference maker as NetsGC lost 23-18, 22-18, and 23-19, respectively. While NetsGC came up short in bracket play, Brooklyn did enough to clinch a 3v3 playoff spot for the first time in team history. 3v3 playoffs will begin the week of May, 8 as Brooklyn seeks their first title in team history.