Photo by KarynStepien.com
Raptors 905 (34-11) def. Long Island Nets (15-31); 117-99 | Box Score
Assignees: Pascal Siakam, Bruno Caboclo (905), Tim Quarterman (Nets, via Trail Blazers)
Complacency was not an issue for the Raptors 905 on Sunday evening as they dominated the Long Island Nets from start to finish for a thumping 117-99 victory at the Barclays Centre.
One day after dismantling the Nets with their best ball movement of the season that led to a season-high 39 assists, the 905 remained in a giving mood, doling out 18 of their 28 assists in the first half alone to create a 24-point cushion by the break.
If it was Brady Heslip trying to showcase his playmaking abilities at the Hershey Centre, it was Axel Toupane who kept the ball humming today. Toupane dished out nine of his 10 assists in the first half, and combined with fellow all-star Edy Tavares to hammer the Nets inside. Tavares scored all 17 of his points on 8-of-9 shooting in the first half, while Toupane matched that first-half scoring output by doing most of his damage at the line. He made eight trips to the line, and his ability to penetrate and either generate offence for himself or his teammates always kept the Nets on the back foot. Getting out in the open court didn’t hurt either:
We’re really good at fast breaks. #RT6 pic.twitter.com/DgKptO9MVu
— Raptors 905 (@Raptors905) March 19, 2017
The 905 knocked down 14-of-29 from downtown, taking advantage of Nets schemes that never could quite decide on whether they wanted to protect the paint or the outside. Think Raptors in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against Cleveland last year.
After letting Toupane and Tavares do most of the dirty work in the first half, Pascal Siakam chose the third quarter as his time to shine, scoring nine of his 16 points in the quarter to help keep Long Island at bay. He sandwiched an old school three-point play in between two jumpers from beyond the arc, and this is the aspect of the 905 I love. Siakam is well aware that he needs to become enough of an offensive threat at the next level where defenders have to pay him some mind.
Over the past three games, he has displayed a clear disposition of wanting to impact the game on that end of the floor. Being ready to shoot at every opportunity is only going to help him once he returns to the big leagues. His athleticism and motor allow him to make the most of an excellent 905 defence that creates a good amount of transition opportunities like this one:
.@pskills43 takin’ flight in Brooklyn.#RT6 pic.twitter.com/8HebByS5Dj
— Raptors 905 (@Raptors905) March 19, 2017
Christian Watford was quietly solid in this one, almost collecting a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds. The 905 were dominant
After one of his best performances of the season yesterday, Bruno Caboclo had a quiet evening with seven points and five rebounds. Five of those points came in garbage time courtesy of a three-pointer and a lefty floater. Let’s chalk it up to the early blowout and the team riding the hot hands of Toupane and Tavares. Brady Heslip is another star from yesterday afternoon that didn’t need to extend himself today. He struggled from the outside, hitting just one of his six three-point attempts, but no harm, no foul.
With the top seed in the Eastern Conference now under wraps, all that remains to be seen for the 905 is who they will see in the first round of the playoffs.
Notes:
- Will Sheehey and E.J. Singler filled their roles to perfection, combining for 22 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. The bench as a whole was fantastic, easing the load of a back-to-back with 50 points combined.
- Sheehey had a nasty dunk over Egidijus Mockevicius with about eight minutes remaining in the third quarter, much like the one he had on Monday afternoon at the Air Canada Centre. (It took all of my energy to not describe this as a vicious dunk, but I guess I just did.)
- Much like the Brooklyn Nets, you can see in the highlight that their D-League affiliate struggled to fill the stands.
- The Raptors 905 will play at the DeltaPlex Arena next, on Wednesday, Mar. 22 @ 7:00pm EST.
