Final Score: Raptors 905 138, Delaware Blue Coats 107 | Box Score
Two Ways: Rayjon Tucker, Paul Reed (Blue Coats)
It was the quintessential G League game for the Raptors 905 – nine available players, seven scoring in double figures, a regular member of the DNP-CD list stepping up, and the coach’s pick for MVP cheering his team on in a Bobby Boucher jersey – all amounting to a 31-point win over the league’s second best team.
With the 905’s top three ball handlers of Malachi Flynn, Jalen Harris and Gary Payton II all out, Head Coach Patrick Mutombo started the little-used Matt Morgan in hopes of a spark. Morgan delivered with 14 points, making his first six shots and posting a plus-22 rating.
“Honestly? Yes,” Morgan said with a smile when asked if he was surprised he got the start. “But at the same time you gotta be ready for anything. This league moves fast, especially right now in the bubble. It was surprising but I’m ready whenever my name’s called.”
“He surprised me, yes, and no, because he’s such a smart kid,” Mutombo said post game. “He understands what we want. You give him an opportunity and he produces. So I’m surprised a little bit, but not really because that’s just who he is. He’s a good basketball player who needs an opportunity to be out there. I’m so happy for him.”
You might think Alize Johnson’s 22 point, 20 rebound stat line would earn him the coach’s MVP honours. Or maybe Matt Mooney – the sharp-shooter turned table-setter out of necessity, who poured in 22 points and eight assists off 7-for-10 from the field and 5-for-6 from long distance.
But you’d be wrong.
It was Gary Payton II, inactive with a sprained finger, cheering from the sidelines, flexing after and-1s, and barking instructions to his team in a bright orange Bobby Boucher jersey from the 1998 classic, “The Waterboy.”
“Gary was our best player today,” Coach Mutombo said, tongue-in-cheek. “I love it because when he coaches the team he resonates better than when I do. Players are 100 times better coaches than we are. We can say the same thing 10 times and they won’t listen, but then one of them says it once and they get it.”
“Gary’s a character, whether he’s on the court or not,” Morgan said. Morgan hasn’t seen “The Waterboy” but is familiar with the effervescence of Bobby Boucher. “His energy that he brought from the sidelines. We could hear him throughout the whole entire gym. Having a guy like that especially with his type of experience – it really helped all of us.”
The 905 (6-3) continue a stretch of five games in seven days Friday at 7:30pm ET against the Greensboro Swarm.
Raptors 905 Notes
- Morgan was cast as a spot-up shooter early last season, but proved his point guard capabilities when the inevitable roster turnover unfolded. This made trusting him to shoulder that load easy for Mutombo on Wednesday. Morgan was brilliant, not only going 2-for-3 from his regular perch behind the arc, but scoring on multiple shots at the rim in traffic. With Breein Tyree appearing to go down with a serious knee injury in the third quarter, Morgan is officially part of Mutombo’s rotation.
- Alize Johnson took us back to the 80s on Wednesday, scoring on classic, back-to-the-basket postups. The Baby hooks, drop steps and three-foot bankers would have made Kevin McHale proud. Johnson mixed in some modernity too, quickly recognizing when double teams were coming, leading to seven assists.
- The 6’3 Matt Mooney is another shooting specialist that’s been thrust into primary ball handling duty. On Wednesday Mooney looked like a regular floor general, pushing the ball in transition and semi transition, drawing defenders into the paint and dishing out his third straight game of eight assists. The sharp shooter also shot sharply – 2-for-3 from distance, 6-for-7 overall.
- Dewan Hernandez continues his sneaky ascension off the bench with 13 points and eight rebounds in just 12 minutes. Facing Delaware’s imposing front line of Paul Reed (two way) and Ivan Rabb (85 games NBA experience), Hernandez held his own. The Raptors’ 2nd round pick from 2019 showed off his super-soft touch around the basket, and some nimble feet in for a 6’10, 235 pound power forward.
Blue Coats Notes
- none. Ya lost by 31.
- Fine. One note – Rayjon Tucker is listed at 6’3 209 pounds, but he must be closer to 225, because he is JACKED and was bullying his way to the rim at will. Tucker scored 26 points, most of them while the game was still in the balance, and added five assists.
Shameless Promotional Note
Please check out the Rapcast feed for our series of Raptors 905 podcasts where we interview 905 players, their college coaches, beat reporters and commentators. The series is under the aptly named “The Interview”. Be on the lookout for a very special guest Thursday!
