The top five seeds in the NBA 2K League’s 3v3 Switch Open won their second-round, upper-bracket matches on Thursday to advance to the in-person portion of the event next week in Washington.
No. 1 Knicks Gaming moved on the hard way, dropping the first two games before pulling out a 3-2 win over No. 16 Heat Check Gaming.
No. 2 Bucks Gaming swept No. 18 Magic Gaming 3-0, and No. 3 Pistons GT edged No. 14 76ers GC 3-2. No. 4 DUX Infinitos crushed No. 13 Mavs Gaming 3-0, and No. 5 Pacers Gaming squeezed past No. 12 Jazz Gaming 3-2.
In the day’s other second-round, upper-bracket matches, No. 24 Lakers Gaming upset No. 8 NBL Oz Gaming 3-0, No. 23 NetsGC downed No. 26 Dot Squad 3-0, and No. 11 Celtics Crossover Gaming defeated No. 27 Rim Runners 3-1. Dot Squad and Rim Runners are community teams.
The 25 NBA 2K League teams, who were seeded based on qualifying results the past few weeks, were 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 Wednesday. The champion will be crowned on April 29, with the winner taking home $60,000 and the runner-up getting $30,000.
The last four spots in Washington will be determined with two rounds of lower-bracket action on Friday. The second-round, lower-bracket matchups:
–No. 16 Heat Check Gaming vs. No. 6 Warriors Gaming Squad
–No. 30 The OTF Vultures vs. No. 8 NBL Oz Gaming
–No. 13 Mavs Gaming vs. No. 7 T-Wolves Gaming
–No. 15 Blazer5 Gaming vs. No. 12 Jazz Gaming
–No. 21 Gen.G Tigers vs. No. 18 Magic Gaming
–No. 26 Dot Squad vs. No. 20 Grizz Gaming
–No. 14 76ers GC vs. No. 9 Cavs Legion GC
–No. 32 Gamers First Longhorns vs. No. 27 Rim Runners
–Field Level Media
