TORONTO — Star point guard Kenneth (KennyGotWork) Hailey led the way with 80 points in two games Tuesday as Raptors Uprising GC opened the third season of the NBA 2K League with a 2-0 upset series win over 76ers GC.
The Raptors esports team won the opening game 79-56 before clinching the best-of-three series with a 103-67 thumping.
The 76ers finished runner-up last season, losing to T-Wolves Gaming in the final. The Toronto team finished 12th at 8-8.
Hailey and newcomer Trent (TimelyCook) Donald combined for 55 points in the Raptors' first win Tuesday. Hailey had 29 points in the first game and 51 in the second.
Raptors centre Gerald (Sick One) Knapp had a triple-double with 18 points, 15 rebounds and 14 assists in the opening win of Tuesday's series.
Knapp made history on the night, marking a first for the esports league by starting alongside younger brother Jake (Legit 973) Knapp. Gerald is a holdover from last season while Jake was taken in the February draft. The brothers lost their mother in December.
The esports circuit is contesting the first six weeks, at a minimum, of the 2020 season via remote play. The hope is games will eventually return to the NBA 2K League Studio in New York when it is deemed safe to do so.
The remote play had its glitches with the colour commentator missing in action when his feed from Illinois was cut off during the Raptors' first game.
The Toronto team faces Wizards District Gaming on Wednesday.
The season tipoff, delayed from March 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sees 23 teams chasing US$1.4 million in prize money.
Each remote matchup will be played in a best-of-three format with one series victory representing one win in the standings. Raptors Uprising will play nine matches over the first six weeks.
Each team is expected to play 16 games, the same as last year, with three in-season tournaments also scheduled.
The league is a joint venture between the NBA and video game publisher Take-Two Interactive.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2020.
The Canadian Press
