Raptors Uprising back in action with new player after bye week

It’s Week 6, and with two notable games on their agenda, it’s time for Raptors Uprising GC to get back to work.

Up first, the new-look side from Toronto will try to get back into the win column Wednesday afternoon, but it won’t be easy when they take on NBA 2K League leading scorer Mama Im Dat Man and the second-place Blazer5 Gaming (6-1).

Raptors Uprising (2-3), who are coming off a bye week in Week 5, are looking to bounce back from their second loss to Bucks Gaming in a span of seven days after losing to the team from Milwaukee (72-62) in the opening round of The Turn tournament just over a week ago.

They’ll be boosted by the arrival of Sick x 973, who is expected to make his debut for the team from the North after being acquired from Cavs Legion GC on May 13 for All Hail Trey. The 2018 second-round pick joins Raptors Uprising as the team’s leading scorer, averaging 18.2 points to go along with 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.5 steals in six regular-season contests with Cavs Legion — including a thorough 14-point, 6-rebound, three-assist, two-steal, three-block game against Blazer5 Gaming in a 59-51 Week 3 loss.

“I expect [Sick x 973] to do what he has been doing for a long time: be an anchor on defense and facilitate on offense,” said Raptors Uprising Coach Ognjen Micic. “He’s an unselfish player that only cares about the win — always doing things that don’t show up on the stat sheet. I’m excited for his debut.”

Raptors Uprising will need all they can get from Sick x 973 against Blazer5 Gaming, along with the strong steady play of their leader Kenny Got Work. Widely regarded as one of the better players in the league, the second-year pro is averaging 16.2 points and 4.6 assists per contest despite playing three different positions this season.

Last year’s regular-season winners Blazer5 Gaming, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back from a surprising opening-round exit at The Turn themselves, falling 59-63 to T-Wolves Gaming. Led by their point guard and early MVP candidate Mama Im Dat Man in the backcourt — who leads the league in both points (24.0) and assists (12.4) per game — the team from Portland has strung together six straight regular-season wins after losing their Week 1 opener to Bucks Gaming in a double-overtime buzzer-beating thriller.

Along with their star point guard, a major reason for the Blazer5 Gaming’s success is reigning NBA 2K League MVP and Defensive Player of the Year OneWildWalnut, who has continued to be a dominant force on the inside, contributing in several facets on the stat sheet. The Blazer5 Gaming centre sits third in the league in rebounds (15.3 per game) while chipping in with 17.1 points and 2.6 steals in his second season with the team from Portland.

“They have a great team over in Portland,” said Coach Ogi. “I’m looking for a great team effort from my guys to pull off the win against B5. The key is to ensure we don’t dig ourselves into a hole early.”

Raptors Uprising enter Wednesday’s game 0-3 all-time against Blazer5 Gaming, facing the 2018 regular-season champions on all three occasions last season — once in the regular season and twice in tournaments. With that being said, Blazer5 Gaming have only outscored Raptors Uprising by an average margin of 5.6 points in their victories, so you can expect another tight contest in this one.

Key Matchup: For the first time this season, KingQuai614 will not be involved in the key matchup to watch. Instead, all eyes will be on Sick x 973 as he makes his Raptors Uprising debut. Expected to line up in the Raptors Uprising’s frontcourt alongside KingQuai614, the former Cavs Legion player impacts the game in many different ways, even if they don’t show up on the score sheet. It’ll be interesting to see who will be more effective at this when Sick x 973 goes up against one of the best in reigning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year OneWildWalnut. The Blazer5 Gaming big-man ranks third in the league in rebounds (15.3 per game) while chipping in with 17.1 points and 2.6 steals in his second season with the team from Portland. Sick and Walnut may have different roles and play styles, but they both impact the game in a big way.

Where to Watch: Tune in live at twitch.tv/raptorsGC at 6 p.m. EST on Wednesday May 22 to see if Raptors Uprising can overcome the formidable Blazer5 Gaming and get back to .500 on the regular season.

And then Raptors Uprising will have the night to rest up and prepare for a familiar face when they take on expansion side Lakers Gaming (1-6) Thursday.

Taken in the third round of this year’s NBA 2K League Draft, former Raptors Uprising player Detoxys has brought his strong play to Los Angeles where the second-year pro has averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in seven regular-season games with Lakers Gaming so far, lining up at his familiar spot at power forward.

“Detoxys is a great teammate and an even better person,” said Raptors Uprising Coach Ogi on his former player. “As a coach, he made my job easier last year; it was a pleasure working with him. Finally matching up against one of the first Uprising in this second season definitely makes this matchup a little bit more special.”

Alongside Detoxys in the Lakers Gaming frontcourt is 2018 fourth-overall pick Mootyy, who was selected in the first round by Lakers Gaming in this year’s expansion draft. The former Kings Guard Gaming centre has struggled at times with his new team but has shown flashes of his capability, averaging 9.9 points 11.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 blocks.

Thursday’s game will mark the first-ever meeting between Lakers Gaming and Raptors Uprising, so make sure you tune in live to see who will win this inaugural matchup.

Key Matchup: With the arrival of Sick x 973 into the fold, KingQuai614 may see some time against his former Raptors Uprising teammate Detoxys in the frontcourt. While neither may be their team’s go-to scorer, you can count on both players to definitely make an impact for their respective side. The Raptors Uprising big-man has averaged 7.4 points, 4.6 assists, 2.4 steals, and 13.4 rebounds — the fifth most in the NBA 2K League this season.

Where to Watch: Stream it live at twitch.tv/RaptorsGC at 7 p.m. EST on Thursday May 23 to catch the inaugural tilt between your Raptors Uprising and Lakers Gaming.

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