NBA 2K19 Asia Tournament Comes to a Close; Philippines Bags 4th Consecutive 2K Champioship Title
March 6, 2019
The NBA 2K19 Asia Tournament met its conclusion last March 2, 2019 at Trinoma Activity Center. The finals saw 8 contenders from 4 countries battling it out to be crowned as NBA 2K19 Asia Tournament Champion.
The first round of the tournament had Hong Kong’s Lee Chun Yin go head to head with South Korea’s Jeon Hyungbae resulting to the former’s first win. The duo from the Philippines, Rial Polog Jr. and Clark Banzon, fell and gave their competitors, Lee Myung Hae of South Korea and Hong Kong’s Chan Cheuk Fun, their first win. While, Taiwanese contenders, Lu En Shou and Hsu Chan Heng, faced each other resulting to Lu’s first victory.
The duo of the Philippines shifted their gears and took their first wins from Hong Kong’s Lee Chun Yin and South Korea’s Jyun Hyungbae on the second round. While, Taiwan’s Lu Enshou scoops his second win when he faced Chan Cheuk Fun of Hong Kong for the second round of the tournament. Just like Lu Enshou, South Korea’s Lee Myung Hae bagged his second win for the tournament from Taiwan’s Hsu Chan Heng.
On the third round, however, Philippines’ Rial Polog Jr. lost to Lu Enshou, giving the Taiwanese his third win for the tournament; while, Clark Banzon got his second win from facing Lee Chun Yin. Chan Cheuk Fun claimed his second win for the tournament from Lee Myunghae, while the other Korean competitor, Jyun Hyungbae got his first win from Taiwanese, Hsu Chan Heng.
Clark and Rial shined and took their third and second win, respectively, on the fourth round of the tournament from Hsu Chan Heng and Lee Myunghae. While, Chan Cheuk Fun got his third win from Jyeon Hyungbae; and Lee Chun Yin got his second from Lu Enshou on the fourth round.
Still hot from their win on the fourth round, Clark and Rial outshines Chan Cheuk Fun and Jeon Hyungbae on the fifth round, giving them their fourth and third win, respectively. While, Lu Enshou got his second loss from Lee Myunghae on the fifth round of the tournament, giving the latter his third victory. Sadly, Hsu Chan Heng got his fifth loss from Lee Chun Yin, resulting for the latter’s third victory.
Rial and Clark faced each other on the sixth round, which resulted to the former’s fourth win for the tournament. Lu Enshou on the sixth round of the tournament faced and outmatched Jeon Hyungbae, giving him his fourth win for the tournament. Hsu Chan Heng broke his losing streak and got his first win against Chan Cheuk Fun on the sixth round.
Unfortunately, Hsu Chan Heng lost yet again on the seventh round when he was pitted against Philippines’ Rial Polog Jr., resulting to Rial’s fifth win for the tournament. Clark Banzon also took his fifth win when he faced Lu Enshou on the seventh round of the tournament. South Korea’s Lee Myunghae also got his fifth win on the seventh round against his brethren Jeon Hyungbae. Completing the Semifinals pool was Hong Kong’s Lee Chun Yin with his fourth win for the tournament against Chan Cheuk Fun.
A one round match for the Semifinals made the tension and pressure even stronger. Rial Polog Jr. faced South Korea’s Lee Myunghae, while Clark Banzon was pitted against Lee Chun Yin. Fortunately, both Rial and Clark took the win on the Semifinals, which resulted them to face each other on the finals stage. Lee Myunghae and Lee Chun Yin, on the other hand, faced each other for the Bronze.
The battle of Clark Banzon and Rial Polog Jr. stirred so much pressure and tension that it saw a second overtime. Tho, in the end, Rial Polog Jr. outwitted Clark Banzon closing the finals with a 97-93 on the scoreboard.
As the champion of the NBA 2K19 ASIA Tournament, Rial took home USD $6,000 taken from the USD $10,000 prize pool. This victory also makes Rial a 2-time NBA 2K Asia Tournament champion, acquiring his first championship from the same tournament held in 2016.