Raptors 905 bounce back for win over visiting Valley Suns
The Raptors 905 (6-3) held on for a 120-112 win over the Valley Suns (5-6) at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre on Sunday afternoon.
It was clear the squad was glad to be back home following a four-game road trip, putting together a much better effort than their 129-107 throttling at the hands of the Grand Rapids Gold last Thursday. The 905 are now tied atop the Eastern Conference and co-own the third-best win percentage in all of the G League.
Ja’Kobe Walter, while on assignment for a second straight game, led the 905 in scoring with 23 points while hitting 4-of-7 threes. The rookie also chipped in four rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. A.J. Lawson was right behind Walter with 22 points, six rebounds and two steals. Meanwhile, Jared Rhoden shot a near-perfect 8-of-9 from the field for 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocks off the bench.
The game’s top scorer was Valley’s David Stockton. He racked up 28 points, catching fire from deep and nailing eight of his 10 3-point attempts to go with seven rebounds and nine assists.
Key moment
Although the 905 came away victorious, it wasn’t a perfect outing by any means. The game was a stalemate for the entirety of the first half, knotted at 62-62 at the break. Things only shifted in favour of the junior dinos when head coach Drew Jones called a timeout at the 5:26 mark of the third quarter.
While his team led by three following a Walter triple, they had just given up a transition opportunity the other way, and even though the miscue didn’t end up in points for the Suns, it was a sign of something the bench boss didn’t like. He addressed the matter in the huddle with one simple, yet loudly wailed phrase in the direction of his team: “urgency.”
“As a coach, you can feel the tide turn in a game,” said Jones post-game when asked about the moment. “Players don’t always feel it, but it’s my job to have a pulse, and I felt it.
“I just thought that we needed to hear that in that moment … have a level of urgency and don’t allow that human nature, that complacency to kind of kick in.”
His message was heard loud and clear as the 905 went on an 11-0 run after that chat, with the burst giving the squad its first double-digit lead of the ball game before ultimately taking an 89-80 lead into the final frame.
Rookie roundup
While Walter found plenty of offensive success on Sunday, his ability to make an impact on the other end is what mattered to him most.
“Defence, for sure,” The 19th overall pick said when asked what his main priority was with the 905. “I know that’s going to keep me on the floor when I’m playing with the Raptors, so, just being more physical defensively.”
The rookie seems acutely aware that his defensive reps will earn him more minutes in coach Darko Rajakovic’s rotation, and that sense of importance was evident throughout the 905’s win. While a bit overzealous at times, ending up with five fouls, the effort was commendable and his willingness to be a point-of-attack pest is something the Raptors will want more of.
Speaking of reps, Jonathan Mogbo got plenty of opportunity to expand his offensive arsenal in this one. He nailed a corner three off a Jamison Battle skip pass towards the end of the first half (role reversal!) and found most of his offensive looks in the post. Although Mogbo went just 2-of-5 from the field for seven points, it was good to see a more diverse shot diet. The 905 even opened the second half with back-to-back post-ups for Mogbo, the first leading to a kick-out for an open triple.
Arguably his best moment was a non-basket early in the first. He got the ball on the right block, immediately backed down a Suns defender until they were both under the rim and he went up for a standing dunk. While Mogbo was fouled and couldn’t convert, it was a great show of strength and looked eerily reminiscent of teammate and long-time friend Scottie Barnes.
Ulrich Chomche continues to flash moments of brilliance within games and Sunday’s contest was no exception. The 19-year-old finished with eight points on 4-of-7 shooting to go with nine rebounds and four blocks. He’s now up to 3.4 blocks a game on the season, second in all of the G League. And beyond his knack for simply swallowing up shot attempts at the rim (which he certainly did in the win) Chomche imposed his will in multiple spots of the floor.
Jones credited that ability to step out and defend on the perimeter to Chomche’s improved level of conditioning as he’s “able to withstand longer stretches within the game now.”
The quietest Raptors rookie on the day was Battle, with just nine points and four assists. But even as his stat-line was subdued his impact remained meaningful. He was an efficient 4-of-5 from the field and despite making just a single 3-pointer, the sharpshooter ensured it was a big one.
After the Suns caught fire in the fourth, nailing six triples to erase the 905’s 16-point edge, it was Battle who steadied the boat. In desperate need of a response, as they clung to a 114-112 lead with less than a minute to go, he settled into his spot above the break and nailed a 29-footer over TyTy Washington to give the 905 enough breathing room to hold on.
Up next
The 905 stay put at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre for their next game, welcoming the Westchester Knicks (7-4) to Mississauga on Wednesday.
Expect a tough test for Toronto’s G League squad as Westchester ranks first in points per game, points in the paint, rebounds and offensive rating through the regular season.
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