No. 1 seed Raptors Uprising to face Hornets Venom in quarter-finals of 2020 NBA 2K League Playoffs

TORONTO, Canada—It’s playoff time!

Raptors Uprising GC begin their quest for the franchise’s first NBA 2K League championship when the No. 1 seed from the North takes on Season 3 expansion side Hornets Venom GT in the quarter-finals of the 2020 NBA 2K League Playoffs delivered by DoorDash.

After a historic regular season, Raptors Uprising (16-0) enter the postseason confident. Toronto became the first team to go undefeated in league history, winning 28 straight matches in 2020, including both in-season tournaments along the way: THE TIPOFF and THE TURN.

Two-time tournament MVP and the NBA 2K League leading scorer Kenny Got Work leads the charge. The face of the franchise has come into his own in Season 3 since shifting full-time to point guard, averaging career-bests in points per game (35.3), assists (8.3), and steals (3.5). He is the frontrunner for the 2020 MVP award, which will be announced on Friday, Aug. 28 as part of a special 15-minute preshow for the 2020 NBA 2K League Finals.

“Right now, we’re the hottest team in the league,” said Kenny Got Work. “So, we’re looking to keep that momentum going forward. We’re going to take it one possession at a time and one game at a time.”

Raptors Uprising are met by a Hornets Venom squad who are looking to build off their franchise’s first-ever playoff victory.

Shifting back to a lineup that found success earlier in the year, the No.8-seed Charlotte swept NetsGC (2-0 series) Thursday evening to advance into Friday’s final eight. 2020 first-round pick Snubby recorded back-to-back 29-point, four-assist efforts at point guard in the win, while Type dominated at centre, averaging 22 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks.

The victory was crucial for a team that stumbled into the postseason. Prior to Thursday’s win over the Nets, Hornets Venom had lost four out of their last five match ups.

If they did need an added lift ahead of Friday afternoon’s encounter, however, all Hornets Venom need to do is think back to May 16 when they forced a third-and-decisive Game 3 out of Raptors Uprising in Week 2—only the third opponent to do so all season. Thanks to a clutch 39 points from Kenny Got Work, Toronto would prevail, and they’re not planning on conceding anything to Charlotte tonight.

“We’re a different team now, so we’re looking forward to it,” said Kenny Got Work. “We’ve grown a lot. Obviously, the first couple of games of the season are feel-out games and we’ve been through what we could go through. I feel like we’re battle-tested and that’s why we’re going to make this run.”

The 2020 NBA 2K League Playoffs delivered by DoorDash will have a total prize pool of $920,000, with the NBA 2K League champions receiving $420,000 from that pool.  The remaining $500,000 will be distributed among the teams that qualified for the 2020 Playoffs (second place – $150,000, third and fourth place – $75,000, fifth through eighth place – $35,000, ninth and tenth place – $30,000).

The winner of Friday’s matchup will advance to Saturday’s semifinals (Aug. 22 – 2:30 p.m. EST) where they’ll await the winner of Wizards District Gaming and Kings Guard Gaming. The NBA 2K League Finals—which will be played in a best-of-five series as opposed to a best of three—will take place on Friday August 28.

Stat to Watch: 0-1 – Raptors Uprising are still looking for the franchise’s first-ever playoff win. The team from the North made the postseason just once before, losing to Cavs Legion (65-77) back in Season 1. Times have changed, however, as Toronto is now the clear favourites to capture the 2020 NBA 2K League title. They’ve already proved their worth in tournament play, but the stakes have never been higher. As always, the team will be taking it one game at a time, and it starts with wiping out that 0 and picking up win No. 1 Friday.

Key Matchup to Watch: Sick One vs. Type – Two of the NBA 2K League’s elite big men go head-to-head on Friday as Raptors Uprising centre Sick One will square off against Hornets Venom GT’s Type. Both of these players are “do-it-all type” centres that are capable of impacting the game in a variety of different ways. Posting eerily similar numbers, Sick One enters the postseason averaging 14.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 2.7 blocks, while Type averaged 13.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 3.0 blocks. If there’s a clear difference maker between these two guys down low, that may just be enough to sway the tide in their team’s favour. Keep a close eye on this matchup.

How to Watch: All Playoffs and Finals games will air live on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch channel. ESPN2 will air games live Friday, Aug. 21 from 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. ET and Saturday, Aug. 22 from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. ET.  Select games will air live on ESPN’s digital platforms and the NBA 2K League’s YouTube channel, and on delay on eGG Network in Southeast Asia.  Dash Radio’s Nothin’ But Net channel will also provide live coverage of the tournament.