Dial 905: The team gears up for the G League Playoffs

The NBA G League’s regular season ended this week, with the 905 playing one more game on their west coast trip, before finishing the regular season off at home. The team finished the year 31-19, in second place in the Eastern Conference.

Here’s what they have to look forward to: a one-game playoff against the Grand Rapids Drive, with the winner set to take on the Westchester Knicks in the second round.

But first, let’s review how the past seven days went for the 905.

Thursday, Mar. 22 — vs. Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario

Final Score: 95-92 for the Clippers

The 905 looked a tad tired in this one, as it was their fourth game of a long west coast road trip. On top of that, the squad was without Malachi Richardson due to injury, and Malcolm Miller and Lorenzo Brown, who were with the Raptors. As a result, the 905 had to rely on Alfonzo McKinnie and Davion Berry to carry them. As the score suggests: it was not enough.

Alfonzo McKinnie Carries the Load

McKinnie had been on a bit of a cold streak shooting the ball. But with most of the NBA-calibre players out of the lineup, McKinnie brought some much-needed energy. McKinnie was all over the court, and collected huge offensive and defensive rebounds. Also, his shot started to fall in this one, which was a huge confidence booster.

In the end, McKinnie finished with a game-high 23 points, along with 12 rebounds and 2 assists for a huge double-double.

Davion Berry Starts And Goes

Coach Jerry Stackhouse turned to Davion Berry to get the start in this one, and he made the decision a good one. Berry got the start at point guard and ran the offense efficiently — though I believe Berry is better off the ball, as he makes more of an impact hunting for 3s.

Even at the point, Berry still managed to get open on numerous occasions. He also used and/or found his teammates, and of course pushed the pace. Berry had 18 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals in 33 minutes.

Notes

• Aaron Best is known for his defense, but it was his offense that was at the forefront here as he chipped in with 10 points and 3 assists in 31 minutes.
• Kennedy Meeks had another solid performance as he finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 assists in 25 minutes.
• Fuquan Edwin returned to the bench but still provided much-needed energy as he chipped in with 7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists in 25 minutes.
• Negus Webster-Chan returned to the lineup after consecutive DNP-CDs as Stackhouse turned to him to get the start and Webster-Chan managed to record 6 points and 4 rebounds.
• Like mentioned earlier, Richardson, Miller and Brown were not in the lineup, while Andre Washington was hit with a DNP-CD.

Saturday, Mar. 24th — vs. Maine Red Claws

Final Score: 87-86 for the 905

The 905 closed the final game of the regular season out at the Hershey Centre. Sadly, there wasn’t much to play for, as the team had no shot to win the division (or a first round playoff bye). Still, the 905 were looking to tighten things up before the playoffs. Though at times it didn’t look like they were succeeding in that mission either, as Maine had the lead at the half. Fortunately, the 905 rallied and Berry hit a clutch shot late to win it for the 905.

Lorenzo Brown Once Again

After a bit of time in the NBA, Brown was back with the 905 and put on a clinic in front of the home crowd. Brown was his usual self, scoring and facilitating in equal measure. He had a team-high 24 points, along with 8 assists and 7 rebounds in 37 minutes for a dominant performance. The 905 will need Brown to play like that throughout the playoffs if they are hoping to repeat as champions.

Malcolm Miller Returns Too!

Miller really showed he can be a solid 3-and-D player in this one. Throughout the game, Miller was guarding the best player on the Red Claws and making switches frequently to help out the 905’s defense. On the offensive end, Miller playing well, as he shot 5-of-10 from three, and 6-of-13 from the field for 21 points, while adding 6 rebounds, and 2 steals in 31 minutes.

Notes

• Davion Berry returned to the bench and put together a good offensive game with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 25 minutes.
• Kennedy Meeks continues to be a monster on the boards, with a mere 13 rebounds, along with 8 points, in this one.
• Shevon Thompson returned to his usual self as he was productive off the bench in limited minutes with 7 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in 17 minutes.
• Malachi Richardson and Kaza Keane were inactive due to injury while Roger Moute a Bidas and Andre Washington were hit with DNP-CDs.

Reminder: If you want to go see any 905 games this year go here and use promo code RAPTORSHQ905 to get discounts on 905 tickets all season long.