Kenny Got Work shines against hometown Grizz Gaming

Kenny Got Work recorded a season-high 27 points and six steals, while Sick x 973 chipped in with 21 points as Raptors Uprising GC bounced back with an important win over Grizz Gaming (60-56) to close out Week 7 of the NBA 2K League regular season.

After stumbling against Magic Gaming earlier in the night, Memphis-native Kenny Got Work stepped up for Raptors Uprising against his hometown team, coming out aggressive from the get-go against Memphis en route to 13 points in the opening quarter — more than the entire Grizz Gaming team.

“Kenny Got Work didn’t have his best performance against Magic Gaming,” said Raptors Uprising Coach Ognjen Micic. “He knew he had to come out aggressive in the second matchup and take the game into his own hands. That’s what you get from Kenny when everything is on the line: he shows up.”

The second-year player certainly showed up in this one, connecting on five-of-eight of attempts from long-range, while doing an outstanding job defensively to make it difficult for Grizz Gaming, finishing with a game high 27 points, six steals, to go along with five assists on 11-of-19 shooting from the floor.

Grizz Gaming (4-5), who entered Wednesday’s contest as winners of three in-a-row and four of their last five, would do well to stay in the game despite leading-scorer Vanni being held scoreless in the opening half thanks to the shutdown defending of Raptors Uprising pure lockdown defender TSJosh at shooting guard, in addition to the constant help of KingQuai614 at power forward — who made his return to the lineup after sitting out against Magic Gaming.

JayRod was a big reason for Grizz Gaming’s push, catching fire in the first half en route to scoring all of his team-high 15 points in the opening two quarters, however, the small forward would go scoreless in the second half.

Meanwhile, Canadian AuthenticAfrican — who mentioned before the game that this particular matchup was personal against his hometown Raptors Uprising — ended the night with 12 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks on a perfect six-of-six from the floor for his Grizz Gaming side, who were able to battle back from an eight-point deficit to take a three-point lead in the third quarter.

But Raptors Uprising’s remarkable resiliency, a testament to their ability to bounce back all season, shone through in this one, as the team from North — led by Kenny Got Work — closed out the second half strong to get their fourth win of the NBA 2K League regular season.

“After the loss to Magic Gaming, I told my guys to forget about the first game for now,” said Coach Ogi. “You have to have a short memory in these types of situations. Our season was on the line, and there was no way we wouldn’t come out fighting. It was a must-win for us, and our team came through.”

Earlier Wednesday night, Raptors Uprising were pummeled by Magic Gaming (50-72) as Coach Ogi experimented with a new-look lineup that found themselves down early.

Magic Gaming (4-4) first-round pick Reizy took advantage of the Raptors Uprising’s slow start, finishing with a game-high 21 points to go along with eight assists at point guard, while KingCamRoyalty torched Toronto once again at the centre spot, finishing with 17 points, 15 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in a game that all but over quite early.

“We used a lineup that we felt worked for us in potentially exposing a lot of mismatches,” explained Coach Ogi. “Magic Gaming came out blazing hot, and we came out cold. Like I’ve said before, when you get into a hole early, it forces you to play perfect for the rest of the game if you want a chance at coming back.

“We were out of sync, but I’m proud of my team for not giving up and bouncing back the next game.”

Doza was a bright spot in the loss for Raptors Uprising, finishing with a 13-point, 10-assist double-double, while rookie OOC Slim checked in off the bench in his first start at shooting guard since The Tipoff Tournament to put up 12 points as a pure lockdown defender.

UP NEXT: With only seven games remaining and currently one game back of the final playoff spot, Raptors Uprising will turn their sights to another crucial double-header in Week 8 as the second NBA 2K League regular season winds down. The team from the North will face Wizards District Gaming (2-6) on June 5 before an encounter with the fourth-place Pacers Gaming (5-2) squad on June 6, as Raptors Uprising try to make a push for their second-straight playoffs appearance.

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