Shorthanded 905 fend of Eastern Conference-leading Magic
The 905 stopped another potential Osceola Magic comeback splitting their two-game series with a 114-99 win.
After allowing Osceola to hit a 17-0 run on Monday to take the victory, the 905 stepped up defensively holding one of the best offences in the G League to under 100 points. What makes it even more impressive is the Raptors only had eight players available for the second straight night.
Kobi Simmons
Kobi Simmons continued to be the engine for the junior Raptors as he has been since he returned from injury. 23 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while shooting 3/4 from deep doesn’t paint the full picture of how impactful Simmons has been. Over his last five, the 26-year-old is averaging 23.4 points, 5.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and is shooting 51.2 percent from three on 7.8 attempts per game while shooting 48.0 percent from the field. With Javon Freeman-Liberty up with the big club and Xavier Pinson and Markquis Nowell hurt, the University of Arizona alum will continue to be leaned upon heavily.
Omari Moore
Omari Moore just had his best game as a professional last night. With a career-high 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one blocked shot the San Jose State alum was effective on both ends of the floor. The 23-year-old has done a great job stepping in and is continuing to develop his offensive game. Defensively, Moore already competes at a high level with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and quick feet.
Mo Gueye
Mo Gueye made his return from a right-hand sprain and looked comfortable as the 905 eased him back into the swing of things. 15 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks is not a bad stat line for the newly minted two-way player’s first time back. It’s hard not to talk about the 25-year-old’s defence and athleticism as he flies around everywhere and will produce a jaw-dropping block at least once a game.
Makur Maker
Makur Maker was a menace inside collecting yet another double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. The 6-foot-11 centre was a headache for the opposition all night as he even stepped outside and hit a couple of shots from downtown (2/6).
Drake Jeffries
Nine points, five rebounds, and three assists was the stat line for Drake Jeffries who continued to be inserted into the starting lineup amid the injuries. The 25-year-old is one of the smartest and most hard-working guys on the floor every night and is a known shooter. However, he went 6/20 across these two games against the Magic and once that turns around Jeffries can be a real threat.
Kevin Obanor
With Gueye’s return from injury, Kevin Obanor returned to the bench putting up nine points, five rebounds and one assist. The 24-year-old was relatively quiet but brought a physical element to both ends of the floor and competed on defence.
Darryl Morsell
After being one of the catalysts with a 21-point performance in Monday’s game, Darryl Morsell didn’t find as much success last night. He scored seven points to go along with five rebounds and five assists while shooting 1/10 from the field with six turnovers. The 25-year-old competed on the defensive end however and was exceptional at getting to the paint and drawing contact.
Jaiden Delaire
In his second game providing assistance to an injury-riddled 905 team, Jaiden Delaire looked much more comfortable. After his five-point debut on Monday, the 6-foot-9 forward was the leading scorer off the bench putting up 12 points and two assists. The 23-year-old can space the floor as well with the Raptors having Delaire, Gueye, and Maker all on the floor at the same time at one point in the game.
With the win the 905 improve their record to 11-17 and keep their slim playoff hopes alive. They are halfway through a four-game road trip and will head to Cleveland to take on the Charge for another two-game set before returning home.
The post Shorthanded 905 fend of Eastern Conference-leading Magic first appeared on Raptors Republic.