Raptors Uprising looking to avenge season one playoff exit

It’s time to run it back.

With six players locked into the 6ix for season two of the NBA 2K League, Raptors Uprising is looking to avenge its playoff exit and go above and beyond the team’s heights in season one.

Thanks to a brutal schedule, the Uprising stumbled out to a 1-5 start to the season. But they turned it around in dramatic fashion, thundering to a 7-1 record down the stretch to earn the fourth overall seed in the NBA 2K League Playoffs. In a hotly contested quarterfinal, however, the team bowed out at the hands of Cavs Legion GC.

“This is sports, man. Everyone’s season but one ends on a low note,” Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Esports Manager Shane Talbot said after the team’s loss on “All Gas, No Breaks,” the fifth episode of North Code. “We’ve got a lot to be proud of.”

After Detroit, it was ON on.

North Code Ep. 5 just dropped… "All gas, no brakes" – @KennyGotWork pic.twitter.com/aQCTzgqlzp

— Raptors Uprising GC (@RaptorsGC) March 3, 2019

Raptors Uprising gets the chance to start out strong in the very first game of the year. Today, the first day of the Tipoff Tournament, the Uprising takes on former first overall pick Dimez and Mavs Gaming at 5 p.m. EST before immediately moving on to a matchup with newly minted rivals Cavs Legion GC at 6 p.m. EST.

Last year, the Uprising finished third in the most competitive Tipoff Tournament group, which included champions 76ers GC and runner-up Blazer5 Gaming. This year, two group wins will be enough to see the team into the elimination round on April 6, which will crown a champion on the same day. One wild card team will also qualify for the quarterfinals alongside the seven group winners.

The Uprising gets to take on the very same Cavs Legion in the first week of the season. They’ll also get 76ers GC, another semifinalist from season one, in the same week. Week 2 offers a chance to regroup, with the first bye week of the season, before Week 3 sees matchups with two expansion teams in T-Wolves Gaming and Nets GC. The team takes on new-look Bucks Gaming in Week 4, right before the Turn Tournament.

Week 5, after the tournament, is another bye week. In Week 6, Raptors Uprising plays two West Coast heavy hitters in Blazer5 Gaming—last year’s best regular-season squad—and expansion team Lakers Gaming. Week 7 offers a two-game night in Magic Gaming and Grizz Gaming, featuring Toronto native Mehyar “AuthenticAfrican” Ahmed Hassan. In the Week 8 lead-up to the Ticket Tournament, the Uprising will face Wizards District Gaming and Pacers Gaming.

BIG 2K IN THE HOT TUB MOOD.

Huge shouts @Bell for the EVEN WAVIER 🌊 internet this season, got us on TWO 1.5GB fibre connections in the #BellFibeHouse pic.twitter.com/mWUJsYU8bW

— Raptors Uprising GC (@RaptorsGC) March 15, 2019

The Uprising have their third bye week after the Ticket in preparation for a doubleheader in Week 10 against Celtics Crossover Gaming and Utah Jazz Gaming, featuring 2019 first-overall pick Spencer “Ria” Wyman. After the Fourth of July league-wide bye week comes a doubleheader against 2018 playoff teams in Pistons GT and runner-up Heat Check Gaming. In the final week of the season, Raptors Uprising gets a feature matchup against 2018 champions Knicks Gaming, who began their run with a win over the Uprising in the 2018 Ticket Tournament.

This year’s squad has more than a tournament victory on their minds. Four members of the “1st Uprising” squad are back for season two: Kenneth “Kenny” Hailey, Trevion “All Hail Trey” Hendrix, Seanquai “KingQuai614” Harris, and Joshua “TsJosh” McKenna. First-round pick Freddie “Doza” Mendoza is the fifth Uprising member with league experience, having manned the point for Pistons GT last season. Second-round pick Georgio “Slim” Bonte is the lone rookie, but has one of the longest competitive histories on the team.

The team is poised to excel on both sides of the court. Doza was one of the best guards on NBA 2K19 over the offseason, while Kenny is an experienced scorer from anywhere on the floor. Slim and Trey should combine for an immovable defensive core, and the KingQuai and TsJosh pair will sustain last season’s remarkable balance.

“It’s going to be a while before we come back to the NY,” Kenny says at the end of “All Gas, No Breaks.” Well, Raptors Uprising is back in New York, and this time it’s got no intention of heading home early.

Once the dust settled, we became fans again at our Finals viewing party YKTV 🍿📺🔥

Hyped to announce North Code will be back for szn 2 thx to our new presenting partner @LGCanada

Ep. 6: the Finals & the feels 👇 pic.twitter.com/xVbIAZWi6v

— Raptors Uprising GC (@RaptorsGC) March 31, 2019