Regroup and Refocus: Raptors Uprising GC falls to defeat in first round of TIPOFF bracket play

Raptors Uprising GC will be heading back to Toronto after just one game in Indianapolis after falling 68-59 to 76ers GC in the round of 16 of THE TIPOFF tournament.

Despite a bright first few minutes, the 76ers took control mid-way through the first and ultimately ran away with the victory.

A tough loss on the night, but this Raptors Uprising squad has lots to look forward to for the rest of the season, especially after winning four out of five in group play.

Toronto got off to a stronger start on the scoring front during the first several minutes of the game, but Philly were given too many open looks from beyond the arc, which sparked their run.

Raptors Uprising may have only been down one after the first quarter, but in the second, the 76ers maintained their dominance from three-point land as they punished Toronto for some lackluster defence.

Kenny Got Work and Dimez led the way in terms of scoring for Toronto to ensure the game didn’t get out of hand too early.

The third quarter would have been the time for Raptors Uprising to claw back in it, but Philly took full control and established a 13-point lead ahead of the fourth. With just nine total points in the third, Toronto had a mountain to climb if they were to spark a comeback.

While Raptors Uprising were able to narrow the deficit to seven in the dying moments of the game, the 76ers would go on to fend off late pressure from their opponent to seal the victory and punch their ticket to the quarterfinals.

Following the game, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment’s esports manager Kevin Truong spoke on how he knows that the result does not reflect what this Raptors Uprising squad is capable of.

“We played nowhere near what we’re capable of and I think that’s what hurts the guys the most because we’ve seen how good we are when everyone’s clicking, everyone’s doing their job, everyone’s on the same page,” said Truong.

With regards to the 76ers remaining in control during the majority of the game, Truong spoke on just how important it is for any 2K League team to gain momentum early.

“2K is very momentum based. If you don’t have a good start, it’s hard to play catch up. Being in a live arena when a team takes the lead, they get loud and they get hyped up. We didn’t have that person to get the spark back up. We were quiet.”

THE TIPOFF is now in the books, and Raptors Uprising can begin to turn their focus to 3v3, which Truong says the squad has already begun preparations for.

“We’ve already been prepping. I can’t share anything yet. We’re excited for 3v3 too. We have a lot of options which I think is exciting so the next focus is 3v3.”

The 2022 season has only just started, and best believe this Raptors Uprising group will bounce back and turn some heads in no time.