Season two of the NBA 2K League came to a close Saturday night with T-Wolves Gaming lifting the trophy in the NBA 2K League Championship. T-Wolves Gaming defeated 76ers GC in five games to earn the top spot of the NBA 2K League’s second season.
[irp posts=”28283″ name=”Semifinal sweeps set NBA 2K League playoffs final”]
T-Wolves won the first-ever best-of-five series in league history in a full five games to take the top spot this year. Members of T-Wolves Gaming also took home a share of $360,000.
Michael “BearDaBeast” Key was the 2019 NBA 2K League Finals MVP. Key led T-Wolves Gaming in scoring and assists from the point guard position.
.@BearDaBeast23 is your 2019 #NBA2KLeague Finals MVP! 🏆🐻 pic.twitter.com/SJyQucxoex
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) August 4, 2019
How the NBA 2K League Championship was decided
The studio was packed full with fans from both teams, and the energy matched the tensions leading up to this matchup. After the player introductions, the NBA 2K League title was ready to be decided.
Game 1
With so much hype around this matchup, the first game did not provide the battle many fans hoped for in the final. T-Wolves Gaming came out firing and could not be stopped. After a 17-9 first quarter, Minnesota continued to produce on both ends of the floor. T-Wolves went into halftime with a 36-17 lead.
The second half was much of the same for both teams. 76ers GC struggled to score and T-Wolves Gaming kept the offensive push going. The first game of the championship ended in a blowout, with T-Wolves Gaming earning the early advantage, 71-36.
Key dominated the game with 32 points and backed up his trash talk. He added 10 assists to finish the opening game with a double-double.
32 PTS & 10 AST@BearDaBeast23 went OFF in Game 1. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/E09eUMPf4X
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) August 3, 2019
Game 2
76ers GC came out for the second game looking like a completely different team. Philadelphia stopped T-Wolves Gaming consistently for the first time on defense, holding Minnesota to just four points in the first quarter. Late in the second quarter, Christopher “BreadwinnerLA” Lafanette hit a buzzer-beater three to give 76ers GC a 31-13 lead at the half.
Building off the dominant first half, 76ers GC left a loud message that this series was not over. The team showcased its lockdown defense in the fourth quarter with a 22-2 scoreline. The Philly group outscored the opposition 39-10 in the second half to even the series at 1-1.
What a way to tie the series up.#HereWeCome pic.twitter.com/NYYIe8pJbn
— 76ers GC (@76ersGC) August 3, 2019
As a team, 76ers GC committed four turnovers compared to T-Wolves Gaming’s 19. Lafanette flirted with a triple-double after finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds, and nine steals. Four of 76ers GC’s player reached double-digit points.
Game 3
Technical difficulties kept both teams off the stage for over three hours. Once they entered the studio again, the atmosphere held from the fans and players. The championship final seemed to finally even out after both teams ended the first quarter tied at 14-14. T-Wolves Gaming broke the deadlock with a second-quarter rally that put the team up by seven at the half.
T-Wolves rode the momentum from the second quarter into the third quarter and doubled the output of 76ers GC by the end of the third. With the game all but finished, 76ers GC made one final push for a comeback, but they fell short by the final buzzer. T-Wolves regained the series lead at 2-1.
76ers GC was its own worst enemy in the third game. Philadelphia had 18 turnovers in the game versus the nine of T-Wolves Gaming. Key helped his team to the win with 23 points. 76ers GC’s Rashann “ZDS” Petty had a game-high 28 points in the loss.
23 PTS & 8 AST
Bear did Bear things to help @TWolvesGaming take Game 3. pic.twitter.com/BRQrP2p94D
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) August 4, 2019
Game 4
The fourth game produced the closest of the series. Back-and-forth action through the first three quarters gave T-Wolves Gaming a two-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. With elimination looming, 76ers GC made a final push for a deciding game. Philly went on a run and outscored Minnesota 15-6 in the fourth quarter to secure the fourth game and force a fifth and final game.
.@76ersGC rolling into Game 5 of the #NBA2KLeagueFinals 🔔 pic.twitter.com/BUMckF5COl
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) August 4, 2019
Ethan “Radiant” White led 76ers GC with 24 points and 10 assists. He had the only double-double of the game. Alexander “Steez” Bernstein had 14 points and eight rebounds down low for 76ers GC.
Game 5
The deciding game of the NBA 2K League championship was the best defensive battle of the night. After the first-quarter buzzer, the two teams combined for 13 points. In the second quarter, T-Wolves Gaming began to mount a run to pull away from 76ers GC. The two teams went into halftime with T-Wolves holding a seven-point lead.
For the second game in a row, it took a definitive fourth quarter to decide the game. After a fairly even third quarter, T-Wolves slowly pulled away in the fourth. As each minute ticked away, the championship became clearer for them. The final buzzer hit, and T-Wolves Gaming celebrated winning the 2019 NBA 2K League championship.
💪🏽 PANDEMONIUM FOR @TWolvesGaming 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/sjjNRBaK13
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) August 4, 2019
Key was yet again the biggest piece to T-Wolves Gaming’s success. He closed out the playoffs with 23 points and six assists.
Stay tuned to Daily Esports for more from the NBA 2K League and general NBA 2K news.
