Raptors 905 comeback strong after poor start

The 905 came back after giving up 44 points in the first quarter.

The Windy City Bulls made 17 of their 24 field goal attempts (71%), only attempting three 3s in the first quarter. Four Windy City players had nine points, including Canadian Leonard Miller.

But it’s not about about how you start, it’s about how you finish. The 905 flipped the script in the fourth quarter, winning 45-28, after they lost 44-28 in the first frame.

At the start of the second quarter, the 905 put a ton of pressure on the rim. After only getting two free throw attempts in the first, the 905 got five (the Windy City Bulls had three in the second quarter after getting six in the first).  

Two-way A.J. Lawson, who had a team-high 26 points, came up big time in the second, single-handedly keeping the game close with 10 points. He scored and answered when needed. Julian Reese added seven points and showed off nifty footwork down low. Olivier Sarr hit the first of his two 3s. When the 905 were down nine points, they forced a a shot clock violation. At the end, Jarkel Joiner hit a triple to answer Yuki Kawamura’s 3 over assignment player Jonathan Mogbo. Tyreke Key hit a 3 to inch within eight points.

Though the Windy City came out the gate swinging, the 905 punched back and inched within eight points by halftime.

The third quarter was a dog fight and Coach Drew Jones joined it early by shouting, “That’s never legal” after a foul wasn’t called on Lawson. He kept lobbying after the missed call, “C’mon, you can’t miss that!” After two-way Alijah Martin picked up his third foul mid-way through the second, he returned. Assistant coach Justin Serresse was gave Reese some coaching tips after he lost a battle against Lachlan Olbrich down low.

Mogbo’s big put-back helped the 905 inch within 3. Again, Key and Joiner came through at the end of the quarter. Key hit a big 3 to nullify Mac McClung’s 3. Four-point game. McClung then hit another and Wooga Poplar drained one too. The Bulls shot 7-for-9 from downtown in the third frame. But Joiner drew a foul and hit his free throw to keep it a 11-point game after former Raptor two-way player Mouhamadou Gueye hit a 3.

The two assignment players – Mogbo and Jamsion Battle – came through when it mattered most. With five seconds left on the shot clock, Mogbo threw a grenade pass to Battle. He hit the 3 to make it a 10-point game. After grabbing a slew of offensive boards, Mogbo finally tapped the ball in to make it an eight-point game, then had another bucket to make it six.

Battle hit another 3 to make it a four-game game. Then, another one! Battle hit an incredible 5-for-8 3s in the final frame as the 905 went 7-for-13 (54%) from downtown.

Battle even used the threat of his 3-point shooting to drive-and-kick a pass out to Lawson, where he hit a 3. This would be the start of a seven-point play. After Lawson committed a flagrant-one earlier, he drew one, hit the free throw, and then Battle made a 3 off an inbound play. Seven points in one possession gave the 905 their first lead of the game.

When Martin missed a 3, Mogbo had a huge put-back dunk. Key came through in the clutch, yet again, drawing a 3-point shooting foul on an overly-eager Poplar. He made the free throw for 3 points. 

Martin only had seven points in three quarters with four fouls, but turned it up in the fourth. He drew a foul and hit the free throw to put the 905 up five, and then used his size and strength to shoot a fade away over Kawamura in the post to put his team up seven. Martin hit another free throw for a seven-point lead. Six of his eight fourth quarter points came from the line. 

But Miller almost dashed the 905’s comeback hopes with a two-handed dunk that could have taken down the Gardiner and made the Toronto waterfront look like Chicago’s.

Battle came to the rescue. He knocked down the 3 ball to give the 905 a four-point lead.

After Mac McClang (game-high 34 points) hit both free throws to inch within two, Lawson hit a clutch corner 3, with less than a minute left, to make it a five-point game.

McClung turned the ball over in a crucial moment turns the ball over in the crucial moments and hucked up a desperation 3 to no avail. But there was still hope for the Bulls. McClung completed a four-point play after Sarr’s foul on him was ruled a common foul and not a reckless closeout. One point game. The Bulls fouled Joiner and as he had been clutch throughout the end of the second and third, he hit both free throws to give the 905 a three-point buffer. 

The game ended in a free throw contest with McClung going 1 for 2, and Martin and Sarr hitting two each.

The 905 had a strong comeback win after taking a while to wake up against the Chicago wind.