NBA 2K Tournament Open Thread, TV info, and more

The NBA2K tournament, which aims to fill the NBA-shaped hole in our hearts with real NBA players competing at virtual basketball, kicks off tonight on ESPN and... let’s just say that Domantas Sabonis isn’t exactly favored to win.

In fact, according to odds posted by BetOnline on April 1, Sabonis is the least likely contender at 25/1.

Players-Only Tournament Winner

Devin Booker 7/2

Kevin Durant 4/1

Deandre Ayton 6/1

Trae Young 8/1

Donovan Mitchell 9/1

Hassan Whiteside 10/1

Rui Hachimura 12/1

Andre Drummond 16/1

Patrick Beverley 16/1

DeMarcus Cousins 18/1

Zach LaVine 18/1

Harrison Barnes 20/1

Michael Porter Jr. 20/1

Montrezl Harrell 20/1

Derrick Jones Jr. 22/1

Domantas Sabonis 25/1

At his own admission, Sabonis only just started playing the game this week in anticipation of competing in the tournament, so it looks as though he’s earned coming in at the lowest odds.

Of course, Sabonis also famously entered the All-Stars Skills Challenge as one of the longest shots in the field and ended up exceeding expectations as a finalist. So, never say never, but also realize that it probably helped just a little bit that he actually had, you know, experience dribbling and passing before entering that particular contest.

If, after all of that, you still want to watch and beginner’s luck is something that interests you, here’s the broadcast schedule:

The NBA 2K20 Player Tournament will begin on Friday, April 3 with a half-hour preshow at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The tournament will continue on ESPN until 8:30 p.m. and then will transition to ESPN2 until 11:30 p.m.

The tournament will continue on Sunday, April 5, from 12-4 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The quarterfinals will be on Tuesday, April 7, from 7-11 p.m. ET, also on ESPN2. And the semifinals and finals will be on Saturday, April 11, on ESPN, with the time yet to be determined.

All games will be available as VODs on ESPN3 following live competition

And, here’s the specific game-times for this weekend. Sabonis will be taking on Montrezl Harrell on Sunday at 6:00 PM on ESPN2.

Tonight (Round 1)

• Kevin Durant (1) vs. Derrick Jones Jr. (16) — ESPN at 7:30 PM
• Zach LaVine (7) vs. DeAndre Ayton (10) — ESPN2 at 8:30 PM
• Trae Young (2) vs. Harrison Barnes (15) — ESPN2 at 9:30 PM
• Hassan Whiteside (3) vs. Patrick Beverley (14) — ESPN2 at 10:30 PM

Sunday, April 5

• Montrezl Harrell (8) vs Domantas Sabonis (9) — ESPN2 at 6:00 PM
• Donovan Mitchell (4) vs Rui Hachimura (13) — ESPN2 at 7:00 PM
• Devin Booker (5) vs Michael Porter Jr. (12) — ESPN2 at 8:00 PM
• Andre Drummond (6) vs DeMarcus Cousins (11) — ESPN2 at 9:00 PM

According to ESPN, the winner of the tournament will receive $100,000 to donate to coronavirus relief efforts.

Meanwhile, in the event you find yourself in need of some pregame entertainment, Victor Oladipo will be jumping on Instagram Live tonight at 6:30 PM to play host to some unnamed musical guests.

Please feel free to share your thoughts about the NBA 2K Tournament and anything else Pacers-related in the comments section. Stay safe!