Note: We’ve corrected the tip off time to 6AM, as we made an error to state that the first game was going to happen at midnight.
ESPN’s NBA 2K Players tournament kicked off with a bang, seeing some of the league’s most exciting players take each other on in a virtual arena.
The initial four first round games saw a couple of blowouts. Check out the highlights below.
The Milwaukee Bucks were the team of the day, with three of the matchups featuring the team with the NBA’s best record. It’s no coincidence that every player who picked them also won.
Patrick Beverley vs. Hassan Whiteside Hassan Whiteside found himself on the wrong end of a big 84-54 loss against Patrick Beverley, who as expected was just as vocal and annoying to his opponent as he is in real life.
Trae Young vs. Harrison Barnes
Trae Young’s 101-59 beatdown of Harrison Barnes was merciless. It started off kind of close, but Young’s lead just kept on growing and growing.
Zach Lavine vs. DeAndre Ayton
Zach Lavine might be able to jump out of the stadium, but his leaping ability wasn’t going to do him any good on NBA 2K. He couldn’t deal with sophomore DeAndre Ayton, who won 57-41.
Kevin Durant vs. Derrick Jones Jr.
The top seeded KD saw himself lose 78-62. Knowing the Slim Reaper, he’s probably more than a little miffed at losing. Let’s see if he uses his burner accounts to fire back at people who make fun of him.
What’s Next
The second set of the first round games are coming up this weekend, and here’s who you can look forward to watching, and what the odds are on each game:
Andre Drummond (2.4) vs. Demarcus Cousins (1.5)
Devin Booker (1.38) vs. Michael Porter Jr. (2.8)
Donovan Mitchell (1.4) vs. Rui Hachimura (2.7)
Montrezl Harrell (1.5) vs. Domantas Sabonis (2.4)
There seems to be a big bias against the American players, but we think Hachimura and Sabonis might be ready to surprise their counterparts.
You’ll be able to watch the games being streamed live on NBA’s YouTube and Facebook pages. The stated tip off time is 6 AM of April 6.
