WEEK 5 – PACERS GAMING VS PISTONS GT
June 24, 2021
INDIANAPOLIS – In a battle of two of the top three teams in the Western Conference of the NBA 2K League, No. 1 Pacers Gaming split a doubleheader with No. 3 Pistons GT Thursday night. Detroit (6-4) used a strong first quarter enroute to a 72-69 victory for its first regular-season win over Indiana in five tries. The Pacers, now 12-4, came back to win Game 2, 66-53. Indiana will play Saturday night against the No. 5 team in the West, Jazz Gaming (6-6) at 9:00 p.m.
Detroit stormed out to a 27-8 lead after the first quarter in the initial game. The Pacers battled back with a 25-13 second quarter to pull within seven at intermission. After both teams netted 16 in third quarter, the Blue & Gold could not get closer than three points the rest of the way. Rookie 630 (Xavier Barraza), this week’s NBA 2K League Player of the Week, scored 32 points with eight assists. Center Jomar (Jomar Varela-Escapa) picked up his 13th double/double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds in addition to five assists. Veteran WoLF (Bryant Colon) added nine points and LavishPhenom (Andron Thomas) scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds and dished three assists.
The resilient Pacers wasted no time in Game 2, running out to a 13-9 lead in the first quarter. Pacers Gaming poured it on in the second quarter, outscoring the Pistons 23-10 to lead 36-19 at the half as 630 tallied 19 and Jomar added nine points and 11 boards. Detroit outscored Indiana in the third quarter, 22-19 and in the fourth period, 12-11 but it was too little, too late and the visitors from Motown lost 66-53. 630 finished with 38 points – the 14th time the rookie has scored over 30 this season – and six assists. Jomar recorded his 14th double/double of the year with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Wolf added seven points and LavishPhenom chipped in with four points and six rebounds.
Box scores below:
Game 1:
Game 2:
