Malachi Flynn and Austin Spurs get revenge on Raptors 905 in rematch

The Raptors 905 dropped the final contest of their four-game home stand 115-84 to the Austin Spurs Saturday night at Paramount Fine Foods Centre.

The loss dropped Mississauga’s team down to 2-2 in the regular season and 7-13 overall.

Right from the tip, Austin clearly had a game plan to match the 905’s pace. Only playing the 23rd fastest in the G League, the Spurs got run out of the gym in the first matchup between the two.

Not on Saturday.

Austin was not only matching the junior Raps’ pace but going even faster. The Spurs finished with more fast break points in the first quarter while holding the 905 to zero. After a pair of Raps’ timeouts, the Spurs found themselves up 19-12. They would hold the lead till the end of the quarter, thanks to a pair of Malachi Flynn threes to extend the Spurs’ advantage to 11.

The second frame wouldn’t be much kinder to the 905, as they would finish the frame with 15 turnovers. Despite this, an 11-2 run by the Raptors would knot things up at 34, as they would hold Austin to only two points through the first four minutes. That wouldn’t last long, however, as a 22-10 Spurs run in response would give the away team the 56-44 lead at the break.

It would go from bad to worse for the 905 in the third quarter. After the junior Dinos would cut the lead to four, the Spurs would really start turning up. Open three, after open three while forcing a multitude of turnovers, would help Austin end the third on a 28-15 run, and it would be barbeque chicken from there.

After allowing the lowest amount of points all season on Friday night (85), the roles were reversed on Saturday. The 905 scored the least amount of points they have all season (84) as Raptors 905 head coach Drew Jones, for obvious reasons, wasn’t pleased.

“Play with the pass, play with the pass, we didn’t do that tonight,” said Jones.

“I think when we’re at our best offensively, we’re playing with pace, and we’re playing with the pass. I think, for whatever reason, we got away from our identity tonight. We’ll get back to it.”

Five 905 players ended in double figures despite the teams’ overall low total, with Kennedy Chandler leading the way off the bench. The 22-year-old finished with 14 points, seven assists, and four rebounds while going 4-for-10 from the field. He made smart decisions with the ball in his hands all night while getting downhill consistently.

All three Raptors two-ways in Jamison Battle, A.J. Lawson, and Ulrich Chomche all finished with 12 points. Battle would add seven rebounds and two assists, Lawson would finish with four assists, three steals and two rebounds, while Chomche would tack on eight rebounds and go 5-for-7 from the field.

Leading the way for the Spurs was former 905 and Raptors guard Malachi Flynn. Toronto’s former 29th overall pick in the 2020 draft played 11 games for the 905 and a whopping 175 for the big club, making his return Friday night. Flynn put up 17 points, five rebounds, and two steals in the previous matchup before going for a game-high 22 points, three assists, and two steals on Saturday.

Other notable performances:

Raptors 905

Jonathan Mogbo Eight points, 12 rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and two assists.

Eugene Omoruyi 12 points and four rebounds

Austin Spurs

Harrison Ingram 22 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.

Jameer Nelson Jr. 21 points and five steals.

Isaiah Miller 17 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals.

Quinton Rose 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals.

The 905 will now head out on the road for a four-game road trip, beginning with back-to-back matchups against the Maine Celtics starting on Jan. 10. The Raps will be back at home on Jan. 19 when they will take on the Valley Suns.

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