It was a packed house Friday night in the Paramount Fine Foods Centre for the Raptors 905 home opener, with the Mississauga squad dropping their fifth straight game to the Long Island Nets 128-112.
It was a fast-paced, high-energy contest right from the tip, and both teams clearly wanted to push the pace. By the end of the game, both teams would have over 100 field goal attempts. That pace would ultimately be the 905’s downfall in the second half, as a 25-2 Nets run in the third quarter would be too much to overcome.
“We let up, and they put their foot on the gas,” said 905 first-year head coach Drew Jones.
“We talk about the first three steps, running back, containing the ball so our defence can be set, and we didn’t, at least not enough. So, I have to regroup, watch the film and get back to it.”
Everyone and their mothers seemed to be at the home opener on Friday, which had one of the highest attendance numbers (3,012) I’ve seen in two years of covering the team.
Those 3,000-plus viewers included virtually the entire Toronto Raptors organization, with the whole roster coming out and supporting.
Former 905 head coach Eric Khoury (currently an assistant on Darko Rajakovic’s staff) was also in attendance. Even the Grey Cup was in the house, for crying out loud, along with Grey Cup Champion and the big game’s Most Outstanding Canadian, wide receiver Dejon Brissett (Mississauga, Ont. native) of the Toronto Argonauts.
On the court, however, the Raptors’ quartet of “J’s” were assigned to the G League and active for this one, featuring Jamal Shead, Jamison Battle, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Jonathan Mogbo. The latter in Mogbo was listed as active for the contest but did not end up seeing game time, while Walter was on a minutes restriction.
The 20-year-old Walter made the most of those minutes, however, going for a team lead 20 points, tacking on six rebounds and two steals while going 8-of-15 from the field and 3-for-8 from distance in only 21 minutes.
“Kobe looked good,” said Jones.
“He was aggressive, [we] challenged him a little bit defensively, and that second-quarter especially, he was much better defensively. Kobe was good. Good to have him back.”
Walter’s off-ball movement and basketball smarts were on full display as he hit shots off the catch while moving well off-ball. He also offered some secondary creation in a more complementary role.
The first-round pick was primarily off the ball because Shead commanded the rock when he was on the court. While only going for 11 points, he was efficient, going 5-of-9 from the field. The 22-year-old was more pass-first, adding a game-high 13 assists while playing some stellar on-ball defence.
One of the Raptors’ two-way players, Battle, was also effective, dropping 15 points, six rebounds, and one block. What was interesting was how the 23-year-old got his buckets. With the big club, Battle would primarily get his points of catch-and-shoot three’s. While that was still a part of the former Ohio State Buckeye’s game on Friday, he was only 2-for-8 from distance. Instead, Battle got to the rim more often, showing some on-ball creation while also getting out in transition and finishing.
Both teams had a Canadian flare between Brampton, Ontario’s A.J. Lawson of the Nets and the 905’s Eugene Omoruyi, who grew up in Toronto. The 27-year-old made his debut for the team after officially being signed to the squad on Thursday, saying it was surreal to be playing back in Canada.
“It feels different, man, I ain’t gonna lie. I woke up this morning, and I’m like, I’m still here,” said Omoruyi.
“I haven’t been around for a while like this, so it’s a bit different, but my family’s here, my friends are here, so it feels great.”
“It just kind of felt like when if I had to play the Raptors, it just kind of felt like that. But now it’s kind of like after the game, I can go home, I can go eat the home-cooked meal and spend some time with them. So it’s definitely different, but yeah, I know they love every moment of it.”
Lawson, on the other side of things, was the catalyst for the Nets, who played with flair and confidence being back in his home country. The 24-year-old went for a career-high 37 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and two assists. The Canadian benefited the most from the Nets’ high-octane play, attacking the rim in transition all night while cashing in five times from deep.
Other notable performances:
Kennedy Chandler, 17 points (8-for-15 from the field), seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Charlie Brown Jr., 12 points, five steals, four rebounds, and two assists.
Ulrich Chomche, 10 rebounds, four blocks, and four points.
Tyreke Key, 10 points and four rebounds.
Kendall Brown, 21 points, six rebounds, five assists, 9-of-12 from the field.
Killian Hayes, 17 points, six assists, five rebounds, and four steals.
Tyson Etienne, 12 points, five assists, and five rebounds.
Amari Bailey, 10 points, three assists, three rebounds, and one steal.
Next up in the 905’s seven-game home stand is a rematch with Long Island on Sunday before they welcome in the Maine Celtics, Greensboro Swarm, and Westchester Knicks.
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