A pair of community teams sent professional teams home on Wednesday as losers-bracket play began at the NBA 2K League’s 3v3 Switch Open.
Gamers First Longhorns, the lowest-seeded team in bracket play at No. 32, took out Raptors Uprising GC 3-2 and 30th-seeded The OTF Vultures topped Hawks Talon GC 3-1. Both advanced to the second round of the lower bracket while the professional teams got sent home.
The 25 NBA 2K League teams, who were seeded based on qualifying results the past few weeks, are joined in the double-elimination bracket phase of the $150,000 event by seven community (amateur) teams. Each match is best-of-five.
The 32 teams began bracket play on Tuesday and will narrow the field to 12 teams by the end of Friday. The remaining 12 teams will convene at District E in Washington for an in-person, single-elimination tournament beginning on April 19. The champion will be crowned on April 29, with the winner taking home $60,000 and the runner-up getting $30,000.
A trio of community teams weren’t so lucky Wednesday, getting sent home without winning a match in the tournament. The 29th-seeded Handlez squad and No. 31 Glo Navy Glosquitos were each swept out of the tournament, Handlez by No. 20 Grizz Gaming the Glosquitos by No. 15 Blazer5 Gaming. Glitchy, the No. 28 seed, lost 3-2 to No. 21 Gen.G Tigers.
As for the pros, the Hawks and Wizards District Gaming had the worst days of anyone, as they each took two losses Wednesday. The Hawks opened play in one of the two opening-round games not contested Tuesday and fell 3-0 to No. 14 76ers GC, sending them to their match with the Vultures.
Wizards District Gaming also lost in their opening-round game, falling 3-2 to No. 11 Celtics Crossover Gaming. The 22nd-seeded Wizards followed that up with a 3-1 loss to No. 6 Warriors Gaming Squad.
No. 7 T-Wolves Gaming and No. 9 Cavs Legion GC were the day’s other losers-bracket winners, each sweeping their opponents (No. 10 Kings Guard Gaming and No. 25 Hornets Venom GC, respectively).
Play resumes Thursday with eight upper-bracket second-round games.
NBA 2K League 3v3 Switch Open
Thursday’s schedule
No. 1 Knicks Gaming vs. No. 16 Heat Check Gaming
No. 8 NBL OZ Gaming vs. No. 24 Lakers Gaming
No. 4 DUX Infinitos vs. No. 13 Mavs Gaming
No. 5 Pacers Gaming vs. No. 12 Jazz Gaming
No. 2 Bucks Gaming vs. No. 18 Magic Gaming
No. 26 Dot Squad vs. No. 23 NetsGC
No. 3 Pistons GT vs. No. 14 76ers GC
No. 27 Rim Runners vs. No. 11 Celtics Crossover Gaming
–Field Level Media
