Raptors 905 88, Canton Charge 106 | Box Score
At least they didn’t start out down 19-0.
Overall, it was perhaps better than Raptors 905 looked against a quality Canton Charge team in a 105-90 Boxing Day loss, but they never really found their way out of first gear. Missing All-Star Ronald Roberts, something they’ll need to get used to for the next couple of weeks, the 905 struggled to find a defensive footing against what’s normally a middle-of-the-pack Charge…well, charge.
Canton benefited from a pretty steady buffet of clean outside looks, second chances, and transition buckets in cruising to a 106-88 victory this time around, though it at least took them two quarters to gain firm control. Were it not for an unseemly 9-of-39 night from long-range – not the product of strong chasing-off from the 905 – this could have been a real bloodbath. With their outside strokes inconsistent, the Charge leaned on dribble penetration to create their offense, something the 905 defense wasn’t game to try to slow down.
When the 12 offensive rebounds and 10 Canton steals are factored in, the degree of difficulty the 905 placed on themselves was just too high. The set half-court defense continued its strong play of late – Canton only shot 43 percent overall – but that doesn’t matter much when the defense can’t get set, or when rebounds aren’t secured and opponents get easy points off of offensive rebound scrambles. Nineteen points off of turnovers, a regular problem for the 905, doesn’t help matters, either.
Quinn Cook, in particular, was a serious problem. He wound up with a triple-double, eviscerating the 905 in all facets with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. The Charge got strong play from their other guard spot, too, with Michael Stockton finishing with 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists in support. That took the pressure off of the frontcourt rotation, who collectively had a poor night outside of Nick Minnerath and a pair of ridiculous D.J. Stephens dunks.
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Obviously, he’s still upset at losing the Dunk Contest to new 905 guard John Jordan.
Jordan had somewhat of a quiet night until garbage time, and head coach Jesse Mermuys may need to put a quick end to the super-small Jordan-Shannon Scott two-guard lineup. The 905 are a bit thin on the wing with no NBA players on assignment, but Jordan isn’t a strong enough defender and Scott is too little an off-ball threat to make the pairing workable for long stretches. They combined for 13 points, seven assists, and three turnovers, shooting 4-of16 from the floor.
That shifted the offensive burden where it’s fallen often of late, on the wing duo of Scott Suggs and Axel Toupane.
Were it not for Suggs taking over in the third quarter, this may have been put out of reach far earlier than the fourth, when Canton finally extended a game-long 10-point lead toward the 20-point mark. Suggs had 12 third-quarter points including a pair of dunks, standing as the only source of 905 offense in the quarter. He’d finish with 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting and continues to provide steady offense and a dose of poise that doesn’t come from anyone else on the young roster quite yet.
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That’s not to say Toupane wasn’t good, too, but a cold 0-of-6 night from beyond the arc hurt his efforts. He still finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, and while his five turnovers were a factor in the Charge getting out on the break, he’s showing more and more growth off the dribble each game.
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Mermuys is probably hopeful that veteran Greg Smith can begin providing some help in support, but he’s found the spacing alongside Sim Bhullar a little tight so far. Smith turned in a second shaky shooting game in a row but managed 16 points and 11 rebounds thanks in part to 13 free-throw attempts. He’s getting to the line consistently in the face-up game but finishing infrequently, in part because Bhullar’s man doesn’t need to leave the paint if he’s not hedging on a 905 guard in the pick-and-roll. Doubles are coming quickly when either big posts up, too.
Bhullar, meanwhile, labored at the defensive end against an athletic Canton front but did his job on the glass. He finished with yet another double-double, scoring 15 points to go along with 15 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. The assists stand out most, as he’s consistently shown the ability to make the high-low pass when acting as a high screener, an important part of his development as an offensive piece.
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And, of course, he’s always going to be a deterrent when he can stay tethered to the rim.
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There’s not a great deal more to take from this one. The 905 shot poorly, defended poorly, and were a steady dose of free-throws or a Canton shooting surge from getting run off the floor on the road. Canton’s a solid team and the 905 have looked far better than this in recent games, so perhaps they’re still just trying to figure this particular opponent out.
The 905 get another crack at the 20-13 Charge, now on an eight-game winning streak, Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Hershey Centre.
