14-0 Raptors Uprising look to continue record-breaking season vs. Lakers Gaming

TORONTO, Canada—Raptors Uprising GC are back in action Thursday evening with an opportunity to make even more history when the team from the North takes on Canadian Sav and Lakers Gaming.

Having already become the fastest NBA 2K League side to ever clinch a playoff berth, while breaking the league record(s) for best start to a season and most points scored in a single game (twice) in the process, Raptors Uprising (14-0) can set two more league milestones with the team’s 15th win of the season on Thursday.

“Being able to make history night-in and night-out is really exciting for us,” said ReeceMode, the sharpshooting rookie out of Chicago. “We’re at the point in our season where we really need to buckle down and stay focused. Every team is going to give us their best shot, and that’s what’s going to keep it interesting for us as we strive to keep breaking records and head into the playoffs with some momentum.”

While no team has won 15 games in regular season before, Raptors Uprising are inching closer after tying Blazer5 Gaming’s 2019 feat of 14-straight regular season victories last night against Kings Guard Gaming (2-0 series), prevailing in a back-and-forth thriller.

Point guard and two-time tournament MVP Kenny Got Work finished the series-clincher with 51points on 22-for-27 shooting from the field, and he’ll look to keep that same energy against a Lakers Gaming (3-11) squad who are playing much better basketball as of late.

After winning just two of their first 17 games in all competitions, Lakers Gaming have won two out of their last three, most recently coming from behind to beat Heat Check Gaming (2-1 series) on Wednesday. A big reason for their recent success has been point guard Sav, the 2020 seventh-overall selection. The native of Calgary, Alberta enters Week 11 fifth in league scoring, averaging 32.4 points per game.

Like the rest of the league, however, he was stumped by Raptors Uprising earlier in the year when Toronto made quick work out of the Season 2 expansion side on June 17 at THE TIPOFF, winning two group-stage games by an eye-opening average of 42 points. The Canadian, himself, was held to just 19.5 points per game in those two outings, turning over the ball a staggering 24 times.

His counterpart at point guard Kenny Got Work, meanwhile, excelled against L.A., knocking down 10 three’s en route to a career-high 58 points. The ever-consistent Sick One also dominated at centre, putting in a ridiculous 30-point, 17-rebound double-double performance.

If this contest looks anything remotely like earlier in the year, get your umbrellas out Raptors Uprising fans: it could get floody.

In addition to setting the league records for most wins in a single season and consecutive wins, a victory on Thursday would also officially clinch first place for Raptors Uprising in the NBA 2K League regular season standings. They currently hold a 2 ½ game lead over the second-place Jazz Gaming (11-2).

Stat to Watch: 34.5 PPG – After Wednesday night’s 51-point performance, Raptors Uprising point guard Kenny Got Work has moved into sole possession of first place in the NBA 2K League scoring race. The frontrunner for Season 3 MVP enters Thursday’s matchup against Lakers Gaming averaging 34.5 points through 32 regular season games, holding a slim lead over Celtics Crossover Gaming point guard oFab for the scoring title. In two games against L.A. this season, Kenny Got Work is averaging 44.5 points on 70 per cent shooting from the floor, highlighted by aforementioned 58-point career-high performance. Will he be able to separate himself from the pack in Toronto’s final two games of the regular season?

Key Matchup to Watch: Timelycook vs. Sav ¬– Lining up against the high-scoring Sav, Raptors Uprising lockdown defender Timelycook has another opportunity to solidify his case as the NBA 2K League Defensive Player of the Year. Timely, who leads the NBA 2K League in steals averaging 4.1 per game entering Week 11, recorded a combined 10 pickpockets against Lakers Gaming at THE TIPOFF. Sav, who can be prone to turning the ball over, will have to keep his head on a swivel against the relentless Raptors Uprising full-court press, led by Timely. If Sav manages to take care of the basketball and continues his hot run of form, Lakers Gaming may just have a whisker of a chance.

How to Watch: Fans can watch Raptors Uprising play Lakers Gaming in its entirety via the Twitch Command Center, which is available on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch channel. The matchup will also be available on Sportsnet and ESPN’s digital platforms, plus streamed on the league’s YouTube channel. Can Raptors Uprising cap off another historic week or will Lakers Gaming shock the world and pull off a jaw-dropping upset? Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.