The game was pretty much over by the end of the third quarter. There were zero lead changes throughout the game, and the 905 led by as much as 31 points.
Under the Florida sun, the 905 got off to an early 10-point lead at the start of the first quarter, and led by 11 points later in the frame, but Sioux Falls answered back despite a poor shooting start.
The 905 led by five points at the start of, and 14 points by the end of, the second quarter. At halftime, the 905 shot 54% from the field despite being 35% from 3, but many of their points came in the paint or at the rim. They had 22 points off 13 Sioux Falls turnovers.
In the third quarter, the 905 really started to pull away.
Kevin Obanor, who had a career-high 29 points, didn’t miss a shot until the fourth quarter (he was 10-for-10 from the field, 4-for-4 on three point shooting in the first three quarters). Obanor hit all three of his catch-and-shoot 3s in the third quarter, and couldn’t keep the smile off his face when his second one forced a timeout. He hit his third one even with a strong Jamal Cain contest.
Obanor started the game off strong – immediately making a statement with an offensive play that involved a pump fake, a confident sweep towards the basket, two strong dribbles, and a two-footed dunk. He then got back on D and took a charge from ex-Raptor Justin Champagnie.
Obanor wasn’t just scoring though. When Nowell’s potential assist to Mo G was deflected, Sioux Falls got out in transition, but Obanor ran the entire length of the court, and forced Cole Swider to miss the lay-up.
Broadcaster Sean Salisbury mentioned how Obanor’s three double-doubles for Oral Roberts enroute to the 2021 Sweet 16 was indicative of him embracing big moments. If he shines as an underdog when it matters most, he certainly made his presence known in Orlando.
Despite the 905’s abysmal win-loss Showcase Cup record, these last two games are an opportunity for players to raise their stock. The stakes become higher, too, when Pat Riley, Spo, and Caron Butler are all watching from the sidelines.
Sioux Falls went nine-deep, but all three two-way players – Cain, Hampton, and Swider – and assignee Nikola Jovic suited up. 11 players on the 905 saw the court, but only two two-ways – Markquis Nowell and Jontay Porter – played, and no assignees were there.
Markquis Nowell
In the last post-game interview, Nowell mentioned taking pride in having a high basketball IQ. He displayed an elite feel for the game when he used Porter’s screen to attack middle, and took an extra dribble to create space for a dump off pass.
Nowell had 11 assists, and some of his playmaking was fueled from the defensive end as well. After the 905’s timeout late in the second quarter, Nowell stole the ball off a much longer and taller Hampton, and threw an alley-oop to Kobi Simmons for an empathic fast break dunk.
Three of Nowell’s assists were to Porter – two of them came in the third, where Nowell’s drive created an easy two points at the rim, followed by a kickout pass for a triple.
My only knock on Nowell is his questionable shot selection, at times. In the second quarter, he hoisted a triple over the long, contested arms of Hampton, with 13 seconds left on the shot clock, and the 905 up 13 points. Later in the second quarter, he took a tough step-back 3 in front of his teammates and coaches, though it went in.
Nowell played his heart out this game, seemed absolutely exhausted by the end of the third, and sat out the final frame for a much-needed rest and recuperation.
Three quick observations
1. Kobi Simmons made an impressive play, and the box score doesn’t do it justice. In the third quarter, even with his team up 29 points, he refused to turn off the jets. After flying out to the baseline to contest Swider’s three, he ran full steam on offense, caught Snyder by surprise, and finished the fast break lay-up.
2. On a BLOB (baseline-out-of-bounds) play, Mo G recognized Jovic wasn’t tightly guarding him, so slipped to the basket for an easy two. Unsurprisingly, it was Nowell, the inbounder, who found Mo G.
3. For the most part, it seemed the 905 were patient in getting up great shots. In the second quarter, Simmons used Porter’s DHO screen, tried to put his defender in jail, and then stepped back. But seeing nothing there, he dished it to Jaysean Paige behind the arc who threw a pump fake. Having made a tough left corner three off a curl earlier, the defender bit. This allowed Paige to shoot an elbow jumper. He missed, and it may not have been analytically-friendly, but it was a great shot within the flow of the offense.
