Raptors Uprising to face Magic Gaming in NBA 2K Tipoff Tournament quarterfinals

With $120,000 USD and the first title of the season up for grabs, it’s come down to the final eight teams as the NBA 2K Tipoff Tournament gets set to conclude today.

The Raptors Uprising are entering this weekend’s single-game elimination playoffs hungry with their sights set on the championship after emerging atop a difficult Group 1.

As the first team to qualify for the knockout stages, the Uprising have been spectators since opening the tournament with back-to-back games on day one, slowly learning their fate and potential opponents for Saturday.

Up next for the Uprising is a quarterfinal matchup with Magic Gaming, who look like a motivated squad after narrowly missing the regular season playoffs last year.

Leading the charge for the team from Orlando are two retained players, sharpshooter UCMANNY and glass cleaner KingCamRoyalty, as Magic Gaming overcame their own group 2 matchups on day one, powering through NetsGC before edging off defending 2K League Champions Knicks Gaming in a buzzer-beating double-OT thriller.

UCMANNY started at shooting guard for Magic Gaming, averaging 18 points and 3.5 steals on day one, including a team-high 25-point effort in the win over the Knicks.

Rounding out the rest of this year’s Magic Gaming starting side are three rookies: 2019 first-round pick and point guard Reizey, small forward Kelmav, and sharpshooting rim protector DT at power forward. It’ll be interesting to see if experience plays a factor with the potential of elimination on the line.

For the Uprising, the team from the 6ix will need another strong defensive effort on the perimeter from rookie lockdown defender OOC Slim — like his seven steal performance guarding former first-overall pick Dimez — to contain the likes of UCMANNY and Reizey.

In addition to OOC Slim, the team was led by last year’s first-round pick Kenny Got Work on day one, who averaged 16 points, two steals, and just 0.5 turnovers at small forward as a lockdown defender over the first two tournament games, including finishing a perfect seven-for-seven from the field in the loss to Cavs Legion.

Don’t be surprised to once again see the Uprising roll with two pure lockdown defenders with OOC Slim and Kenny Got Work on the perimeter (just a journalists prediction).

Key Matchup: In their first two games, KingCamRoyalty dominated the glass for the Magic, finishing with 19 rebounds in each contest. The Uprising’s Kingquai614 isn’t one to shy away from the battle down low, however, as the Uprising’s big man grabbed 13 boards himself. The battle on the glass may play a significant factor in the outcome of this contest.

Player to Watch: Uprising rookie OOC Slim finished with seven steals when tasked with guarding former first-overall pick Dimez in the team’s win over Mavs Gaming while still managing to chip in 11 offensively. OOC Slim will need to repeat his strong game one performance while potentially guarding the ever-dangerous UCMANNY as the Uprising strive for the NBA 2K Tip-off tournament title.

The winner of today’s quarterfinal game will advance to the semifinals where they will play the winner of 76ers GC and T-Wolves Gaming who both booked their tickets to the playoffs on day two.

Expansion side T-Wolves Gaming breezed through their group highlighted by a 22-point, 9-assist performance by BearDaBeast, while defending TipOff champions 76ers GC got some revenge on Heat Check Gaming for last year’s playoff exit, also finishing 2-0 atop group 4.

Celtics Crossover and Pacers Gaming, meanwhile, will matchup on the other side of the bracket as potential finals opponents for the Uprising with the final two qualifying teams to be determined later today. While Heat Check Gaming and Bucks Gaming square off in the final quarterfinal matchup.

Tune in on Saturday to see if Kenny Got Work and the rest of the Uprising squad can overcome UCMANNY and Magic Gaming as they push for the Tipoff Tournament title.

When: Saturday April 6, 2019 at 1 PM EST

Where: Stream online at twitch.tv/raptorsGC