Raptors 905 drop first game of G League Winter Showcase to Rio Grande Valley Vipers

The Raptors 905 dropped their first of two games down in Orlando, Florida, at the G League Winter Showcase, losing 120-103 to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers Thursday afternoon at the Orange County Convention Center.

The Vipers got out to an immediate 7-0 lead before cashing in on their first four attempts from deep, making the lead double digits in a snap of a finger. The 905 would respond well, however, going on a 16-6 run to end the quarter behind good minutes from Eugene Omoruyi and Evan Gilyard II, tying things up at 28.

The fast-paced, efficient second quarter from Rio Grande Valley would balloon their lead to 14 by the end of the frame, however, scoring 42 along the way and ending the quarter on a 20-8 run. The Vipers ran the 905 off the court throughout the game, generating open looks consistently, especially from deep. The team shot 61 percent from the field in the first half, ending the game hitting 51.8 percent from the field, and leading wire to wire for the victory.

The loss marked the 905’s fourth in their last five, and they have fallen to 4-11 overall on the season. While Jared Rhoden (shoulder) remained out and has yet to make his 905 debut, Charlie Brown Jr. returned from a back injury. Unfortunately, Omoruyi had to leave the game due to an illness in the third quarter and would not return.

Lawson looking more comfortable

In his third game with the 905, A.J. Lawson continued to find his footing with his new team. The Toronto, Ontario native put up 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists.

The Canadian continued to get out in transition, using his truly elite quickness to blow by defenders and finish at the rim. The 24-year-old is great at drawing contact, heading to the line three times and already drawing 14 fouls in three games with the junior Raps. He’s able to get to the paint consistently and has even shown playmaking flashes once he gets there.

Chandler continues to impress

No matter who’s been in the lineup around him, Kennedy Chandler has been the Mississauga squad’s most consistent player all season. The 22-year-old put up a team-high 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting to go along with five assists.

Chandler’s calling card is his quickness and ability to get downhill, and he did just that. The 6-foot-1 guard exploded by defenders multiple times and is overall a tough guy to stay in front of with his shiftiness.

Chandler was matched up with former 905 guard Markquis Nowell, who was pulling the strings for the Vipers all afternoon. Finishing with 10 points, 13 assists, and three steals, the 5-foot-7 guard was a pesk all night and was a big part of why the Vipers were able to fly down the court in transition.

Frank the tank debuts

After a whopping 413 NBA games, Frank Kaminsky made not only his Raptors 905 debut, but his G League one as well.

After signing into the G and being claimed by the Dino’s less than a week ago, you could tell Kaminsky was learning on the fly. The 7-footer finished with only six points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals on 2-of-8 shooting, looking uncomfortable after only being with the team for a short amount of time. The former ninth overall pick often resulted to just passing the ball away quickly or trying to post up, and overall just not really playing within the flow of the game.

Kaminsky wasn’t the only former top 10 pick on the floor, as Thon Maker suited up across from him. The former 10th overall pick finished with 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks while draining triple triples.

Other notable performances:

Raptors 905

Tyreke Key 17 points, seven assists, three rebounds, one steal, and one block.

Evan Gilyard II 13 points, three assists, and one steal.

Eugene Omoruyi nine points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

Quincy Guerrier nine points, six rebounds, one steal, and one block.

Ulrich Chomche four points, seven rebounds, two assists, and three blocks.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers

Jermaine Samuels Jr. 25 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, 4-for-7 from distance.

N’Faly Dante 18 points, five rebounds, one steal, and one block.

Nate Williams 18 points, six assists, five rebounds, three steals, and one block.

Nate Hinton 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal.

Jack McVeigh 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two assists.

The 905 will hang around Florida for one more game in the showcase against the San Diego Clippers on Saturday before kicking off the regular season at Paramount Fine Foods Centre against the Birmingham Squadron.

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