Raptors Uprising GC dispatched Wizards District Gaming on Saturday to win The Turn — a US$260,000 esports tournament.
Toronto won Game 1 of the best-of-three final 56-51, then eked out Game 2 against Wizards DG 54-51.
Toronto star point guard Kenneth (Kenny Got Work) Hailey, who scored 52 combined points in the final, was named tournament MVP. He averaged 28.8 points and 8.6 assists through nine tournament games.
First place at The Turn is worth $117,000 with $52,000 for the runner-up and $22,100 each for the third-and fourth-place finishers. The fifth through eighth teams earn $11,700 apiece.
Earlier in the day the Raptors needed all three games to get past Kings Guard Gaming in the semifinals.
Toronto took the decisive third game 63-56 after Kings GG dismantled the Raptors 73-58 to make it 1-1. Toronto won the opener 72-60.
The Raptors entered the semifinals with an average margin of victory in league play at 19.7 points.
The league-leading Raptors swept Kings Guard Gaming to win the $160,000 Tipoff tournament last month, claiming the $70,000 first prize.
No team had ever won the first two tournaments in a season.
The Turn tournament had an added wrinkle in that via an “Archetype Ban,” with specific player archetypes banned in each three-game series.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2020.
The Canadian Press