Raptors 905’s hot offence secures back-to-back sweep vs. Celtics
The Raptors 905 won consecutive games for just the second time this year, earning a 116-99 win on Saturday to sweep a road back-to-back against the Maine Celtics.
With the victory, the 905 are now 4-2 in the regular season portion of the campaign and jump up to fourth in the Eastern Conference.
A.J. Lawson led the charge on Saturday night as he finished with a game-high 25 points on a stellar 77 per cent clip while knocking down 3-of-4 of his attempts from beyond the arc. The Toronto native was especially instrumental in the third quarter as he scored 11 points in the frame as the 905 pulled away.
Not far behind Lawson was Frank Kaminsky who scored 21 points to go with four rebounds, four steals and two blocks while knocking down 5-of-9 triples. Jonathan Mogbo and Eugene Omoruyi chipped in 15 points each while Jared Rhoden and Jamison Battle scored 13 and 11 respectively.
Maine’s top scorer on the night was Jay Scrubb who finished with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Meanwhile, microwave scorer JD Davison was held to just 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting despite starting the game a perfect 4-of-4 from the field.
After needing overtime and a game-winning free throw from Omoruyi the night prior, the 905 took care of business in less dramatic fashion on Saturday. The junior dinos only led by one point at halftime but outscored the Celtics by 16 in the second half as they cruised to victory.
With greater roster consistency since the start of the regular season, things have begun clicking for the 905. The offence has noticeably seen an uptick — like on Saturday when they shot 51 per cent from the field and hit 17 triples on a 49 per cent clip — as the team is averaging 113.7 points per game through its last six contests. Since the calendar flipped, the 905 have put up at least 115 points in three of four games played.
Ulrich Chomche update
The back-to-back wins weren’t the only bright spot for the 905 on the weekend as Ulrich Chomche also showed off quite a bit. The rookie had a strong outing on Friday with 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, and while the numbers on Saturday looked different, they were equally impressive.
Chomche finished with just five points on 1-of-4 shooting from the field but was still a +11 in the second game. Why? Well, grabbing a career-high 17 rebounds, eight on the offensive end, probably had something to do with it. He also swatted two shots, although that number doesn’t paint a full picture as he deterred plenty more looks without actually getting his hands on the ball. The Cameeronian kept getting in the way of Maine’s attempts at lobbing passes over him throughout the weekend, even blocking a couple of dunks in the process.
What especially stood out was the 19-year-old’s discipline in the second half of Saturday’s win. He took a seat right before halftime with three fouls but did not commit a single one after that. Chomche moved his feet, flipped his hips and contested at the rim without taking unnecessary risks. It was the type of poise that gains a coach’s trust and should pay off moving forward.
Key moment
The majority of the contest — up until midway through the third quarter — was a tight ball game, both squads trading runs that led to a 70-70 stalemate with 6:31 to go. That was when the 905 rattled off a decisive 9-0 run that kept them ahead the rest of the way.
Lawson scored three straight baskets to end the frame and the junior dinos then outscored the Celtics by 11 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
Up next
The 905 return to action on Monday, staying on the road as they visit the Oklahoma City Blue.
The matchup could feature a couple of familiar faces in Branden Carlson and Jahmi’us Ramsey. Carlson began the season as a 905er but was then picked up by OKC a couple of weeks into the G League’s tip-off tournament. The seven-footer was recently waived by the Thunder but did get re-signed on a 10-day deal. It’s unclear if he’ll suit up for the Blue to take on his former squad on Monday, but if he does, it should be a fun contest.
Meanwhile, Ramsey had a cup of coffee with the Raptors last year — playing seven NBA games and two G League games for the organization — before rejoining Oklahoma City’s affiliate squad this year. He’s played in all six regular season games for the Blue so far, averaging 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals while shooting 43 per cent from deep.
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