Dial 905: Raptors 905 split first leg of road trip

The Raptors 905 and the Long Island Nets split their back-to-back Showcase series last weekend, with noteworthy performances from their key players; notably, Isaac Bonga, David Johnson, and Cam Thomas shone the brightest.

With the split, the Raptors 905 are now 3-1 in the Showcase Cup, and the Raptors head to Delaware this weekend for another back-to-back, with Showcase playoff positioning at stake. The Blue Coats are second in the East Division behind the Maine Celtics, while the Raptors 905 are half-game behind the Blue Coats.

But enough of the looking forward, let’s relive the two games the Raptors 905 played.

Raptors 905’s big lead was too much for the Nets

November 19, 2021, Raptors def Nets 106-98

Starters

Raptors 905: Kevon Harris, Isaac Bonga (NBA), Reggie Perry, Obadiah Noel, David Johnson (TW)

Nets: Jordan Bowden, Brandon Rachal, Raiquan Gray, Bryce Brown, Josh Gray

Assignees

Raptors 905: Isaac Bonga (NBA), David Johnson (TW)

Nets: None

David Johnson had an excellent all-around game, looking like a legit NBA player on the floor as he dropped 22 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals as the 905 beat the Long Island Nets 106-98. It was a balanced attack for the Raptors 905, with Kevon Harris adding 16 points and Breein Tyree scoring 17 points off the bench.

Isaac Bonga had a shaky start to the game and a rough shooting night overall. He finished with 13 points on 16 shots, but he had a game-high 14 rebounds. Reggie Perry had his first double-double of the season, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Johnson was aggressive early, scoring nine of the team’s first 16 points, helping the Raptors 905 take an early 16-9 lead, and they never looked back. The lead ballooned by as much as 27 points, capitalizing on the Nets’ inability to stop them from cashing in on their 2nd chance points.

The Nets inadvertently helped the Raptors by shooting 22.7% from behind the arc, as the two teams built a high-rise condo with their combined 22/92 perimeter shooting. Josh Gray and Marcus Zegarowski led the Nets with 20 points apiece.

The game was over when: Really, it was when the Raptors 905 went on a 22-6 run midway through the second quarter, pushing the lead to 27 points. The Nets would go on a fake run in the fourth quarter and try to make it a game, cutting the lead to six late, but the deficit was just too much for them to overcome, with the way they shot in the game.

Raptors 905 can’t hold a lead — or stop Cam Thomas

November 20, 2021, Nets def Raptors 114-110

Starters

Raptors 905: Kevon Harris, Isaac Bonga (NBA), Reggie Perry, Obadiah Noel, David Johnson (TW)

Nets: Jordan Bowden, Cam Thomas (NBA), Day’Ron Sharpe (NBA), Kessler Edwards (TW), Marcus Zegarowski

Assignees

Raptors 905: Isaac Bonga (NBA), David Johnson (TW)

Nets: Cam Thomas (NBA), Day’Ron Sharpe (NBA), Kessler Edwards (TW)

The Raptors 905 and the Long Island Nets were back at it again 24 hours after their first meeting. Only this time, the Nets had reinforcements, as Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe provided the scoring punch and the physicality to help the Nets split their back-to-back showcase series.

The Raptors 905 held an eight-point lead with less than three minutes left in the game, but they ran out of gas, with Cam Thomas looking unstoppable in leading his team on a late 12-0 rally to earn the W for the Nets, 114-110.

The game was a rock fight the entire game, with 14 lead changes and the teams tied nine times throughout the game, including the last one at 110 points with about a minute left in regulation.

The Raptors 905 jumped to a quick 9-2 lead to start the game, but Cam Thomas asserted himself early and often throughout the game. Thomas finished with a whopping 46 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, and perhaps the greenest light I’ve ever since watching G League games.

Isaac Bonga carried the offense for the Raptors 905 throughout the game, looking like prime G League Pascal Siakam and playing everywhere on the floor on both ends of the floor. Bonga would end up with an efficient 30 points, including 3/6 behind the arc.

Reggie Perry had a solid 4th quarter and almost got the dub for the Raptors 905, as he was a significant factor in getting the momentum to the Raptors 905’s side in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, there was very little help, or none at all, from the Raptors 905 point guards in David Johnson, Jawun Evans, Breein Tyree and Andrew Rowsey. Johnson finished with a decent 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists but was a non-factor for most of the game. G League vets Evans, Tyree, and Rowsey had an abysmal combined seven points on 3/23 shooting.

The Raptors 905 were without two-way player Justin Champagnie and had to endure injuries to Kevon Harris and Josh Hall. Harris returned to the game in the second half, and he made a big impact in the 3rd quarter, providing the Raptors 905 with 12 of his 15 points. Hall was poised to be a major contributor off the bench, but a knee soreness kept him out of the second half after a productive eight points on 4/5 first half shooting.

The game was over when: The game was tied at 110, and Andrew Rowsey fouled Marcus Zegarowski on a three-point attempt. Zegarowski made 2-of-3 from the line, but Rowsey had an unforced turnover while initiating the Raptors 905’s final meaningful possession, sealing the Nets’ win.