The New York Knicks have found themselves in a difficult situation. Their owner, James Dolan, has come out and said that he “expects” the team to win a championship this year, and there have been reports that Mike Brown, in just his first season coaching the team, could be on the hot seat even if they win the Eastern Conference.

Brown’s seat is undoubtedly starting to warm up now that the Knicks – expensive and bereft of future draft assets – are tied at 2-2 in a first-round series with an Atlanta Hawks team that is still years away from serious contention. But as the Knicks learned in a pivotal Game 4 win, if they’re going to look even remotely like serious contenders, the solution to many of their problems has been hiding in plain sight.

Karl-Anthony Towns (KAT) is one of the NBA’s most unique players. He’s a former first-overall draft pick with an incredibly rare skillset, but his combination of weaknesses can be just as confounding for his own teams as his strengths can be for opponents. He’s a seven-footer who’s automatic from three, has enough bulk to punish mismatches in the post, and has proven that he can crash the glass at a high level. He is, however, an inconsistent defender with a predilection for incredibly silly fouls. As good as he is at accelerating past defenders on dribble drives, his ability to move laterally is lacking and he’s not disciplined enough to be a rim protector at the center spot.

It makes building around KAT a difficult roster-building conundrum, one that the Minnesota Timberwolves chose to pass on to the Knicks two offseasons ago, in exchange for Julius Randle, who presents his own challenges. Despite all that, KAT is the player best equipped to raise the Knicks’ ceiling, and when he’s at his best, their offense can go from plodding and unpredictable to unstoppable.

Games 2 and 3 of the Atlanta series ended the way most bad Knicks losses end – with four players standing around while Jalen Brunson pounds the air out of the ball and puts up a highly-contested attempt late in the shot clock. Brunson’s more than skilled enough to justify some occasional hero ball – he’s bailed them out of plenty of games – but it can’t be Plan A, B, and C, especially against a dialed-in playoff defense. Crucial late-game possessions would end with the Knicks not even looking KAT’s way, even with the much smaller Jonathan Kuminga guarding him. Brunson’s the team’s best scorer, and their main closer, but not even getting their star big man involved was an obvious mistake. It was doubly frustrating for Knicks fans. Former head coach Tom Thibodeau was fired after guiding the team to their best playoff run in more than 20 years because the offense was deemed too unimaginative. Brown was supposed to fix that, but too often, it’s been more of the same.

Game 4 was a course correction, and a much-needed one. Going down 3-1 in the series would have been a disaster for a team that sometimes struggles for consistency, and the adjustments couldn’t have come at a better time, considering Brunson was largely ineffective on offense.

Finally, after an entire season of postgame interviews pointing to the team’s offense being an unnatural fit for Towns, Mike Brown unlocked the best version of him. Not only that, but KAT, who is sometimes too content to sit on the periphery, was aggressive and forceful, taking players off the dribble for tough finishes in the paint. He let loose on some of his signature trailing threes, and, most importantly, got opportunities to direct the offense from the top of the key. He’s an underrated passer, capable of whipping one-handed lasers into tight windows – even if he does occasionally get carried away – and setting up easy opportunities for his teammates. He put up a triple-double and the Knicks coasted to a comfortable win, giving them a new blueprint for success in this series.

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The Knicks, as currently constructed, really only have one above-average ballhandler (Brunson) who is guaranteed to be in the rotation. The number jumps up to two if Jordan Clarkson is getting minutes, but he’s more of a microwave scorer than a playmaker. Josh Hart can make plays for others, but he doesn’t have much wiggle to his game and is more of a threat dribbling on fastbreaks than in the halfcourt. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges’ handles are best reserved for attacking closeouts, not initiating plays.

KAT’s playmaking up top and in the post gives them an alternative. Non-dribblers can orbit around him, flashing to open space for easy jumpers, and cutting to the rim to be fed opportunities for dunks and layups. Brunson can duck and weave off the ball and hunt for clean looks instead of having to beat the opponents’ best defender off the dribble over and over.

When asked if it’s tough to play off the ball when he’s more accustomed to having it in his hands play after play, Brunson replied, “No. Not when we have the result we had last game. No.” The team’s saying the right things. Only time will tell if they can keep playing the right way.

This should serve as a wake-up call for the Knicks – to the teammates who need to look for KAT early and often, for KAT himself, and for Mike Brown. After all, if they need him to carry the team past the Atlanta Hawks, it goes without saying he’ll be massively important against better competition in later rounds.

If the Knicks can keep getting this version of KAT, they can actually be a threat in the East. They might even save their coach’s job.

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The WNBA labor dispute has been settled, two new teams are joining the league in its 30th season, and excitement for women’s basketball has never been higher, especially in Toronto. The Tempo will be debuting as Canada’s first WNBA franchise in less than a month and, after months of wondering what the expansion team would look like, the picture is quickly becoming more clear.

It was obvious from the moment they hired Sandy Brondello, a two-time championship coach (with two different teams, no less) that the Tempo would have loftier goals than the typical expansion team. They were always going to aim to capitalize on the attention drawn to the league’s first foray north of the border and establish a foothold in Toronto’s (and Canada’s) sporting culture by trying to be competitive as quickly as possible. New franchises typically struggle mightily in their inaugural seasons, but as last year’s Golden State Valkyries proved, a savvy front office and a good head coach can do wonders to accelerate a team’s developmental timeline, and the Tempo likely believe they can be just the second-ever expansion team to go straight to the playoffs.

Unlike the Portland Fire, who seem to be opting for a slower build, cobbling together a cast of former high draft picks who didn’t quite pan out at previous stops and taking fliers on intriguing role players who will have to shoulder a bigger load on their new team, the Tempo have largely built their roster out of established WNBA contributors.

They started out the expansion draft with a bang, picking up Marina Mabrey (and later inking her to a two-year, $2.4 million deal), along with veterans like Belgian point guard Julie Allemand, and role players from winning teams like Maria Kliundikova (formerly of the Minnesota Lynx), Kitija Laksa and Lexi Held (Phoenix Mercury), and Nyara Sabally (New York Liberty). They’ve also picked up some intriguing players from outside of the W, adding Liz Balogun, Laura Juškaitė, and María Conde.

Perhaps the biggest news came after free agency opened, with the Tempo making a splash by signing nine-year vet Brittney Sykes, a multi-time All-Defense selection who’s also a consistent double-digit scorer, to a max deal, giving the Tempo a million-dollar backcourt.

While there are still moves to be made in free agency to round out the roster – some stars are still on the market and many of the Tempo’s expansion draft picks are only on training camp deals – the Toronto front office should have enough information at hand to inform their approach to Monday’s college draft.

They’ll be armed with the 6th pick in the first round, the 7th and 11th in the second round, and the 6th pick in the third round, and they’ll likely be looking for someone who can contribute right away in the first round, rather than a longer-term developmental prospect.

It’s not yet clear if they’ll prioritize fit over talent, but at the sixth spot in a strong draft, they should be able to come away with someone who can be a key part of the squad for a long time.

I’ve combed through a handful of mock drafts to try to get a picture of who might still be on the board at number six. Here are five players the Tempo might select in the first round on draft day.

Flau’jae Johnson - 5’10” guard - LSU

The Tempo’s backcourt could be a little crowded, with Allemand, Mabrey, and Sykes all around the same size as Johnson, but she’s an explosive athlete and an electric player, plus she’s turned into a very capable three-point shooter. This would be a case of the team prioritizing talent over need, but she has star potential.

Kiki Rice - 5’11” guard - UCLA

The Tempo are a bit unlucky that most of the players going in the 5-to-8 range in most mock drafts are guards, since that’s the Tempo’s best-stocked position group, with bigs being their most pressing need. But if Rice falls past the Chicago Sky in the fifth spot (which could happen; nobody ever has any clue what the Sky will do), she could be an excellent pick. I’ve seen mock drafts with her going as high as fifth and as low as 12th, so where she’ll end up is anybody’s guess, but she was a steady playmaker for a UCLA squad that just won a national championship and was nearly a member of the 50-40-90 club (50% from the field, 40% from three, 90% from the free throw line) in her senior season. She’s also more of a point guard than most of the other guards expected to be available here, and could be a natural successor to Allemand.

Gianna Kneepkens - 5’11” guard - UCLA

It might be a bit of a surprise to see her go this early, but in modern basketball, you can truly never have too much shooting, and there aren’t many shooters like her, period. She shot a sizzling 43.1% from deep for her entire college career, including a ridiculous 44.8% mark (on 6.8 attempts per game) in the 2024-25 season with Utah. Neither Allemand nor Sykes have been snipers from deep in their WNBA careers and Kneepkens would give them a guard who could pair with either of them and make their lives so much easier as they look to attack the paint.

Ta’Niya Latson - 5’8” guard - South Carolina

I know I said the Tempo’s biggest need is in the interior, but there are just so many good guards available in this range. Latson is one of the most interesting. While the Tempo, as presently constructed, project to have some good offensive talent, none of their players are quite superstar-level scorers. Latson is small, but has been a walking bucket since she first stepped on a college court. She scored 21.3 points per game as a true freshman in the SEC, and led the nation with 25.2 a night (in 30 minutes per game!) as a junior, before joining South Carolina as a senior and proving she can fit in on a winning team en route to a national championship game appearance. While she’s small, similar-sized players like Kelsey Plum have managed to translate their scoring to the next level.

Gabriela Jaquez - 6’0” guard/forward - UCLA

I don’t expect the Tempo to break too far from consensus and reach for a big here – they’ll have an opportunity to pick one up with one or both of their second-round picks, but Jaquez is an interesting player who can play up a position despite not having prototypical height for a forward. She plays with real physicality and has a great knack for pursuing the ball off the glass, allowing her to rebound like a much bigger player. She was a monster in the national championship game, scoring 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting and pulling down a whopping 10 boards, including four on the offensive end. She’s also very efficient on offense, and she posted 53/39/86 shooting splits as a senior. Most expansion teams would be looking for a ball-dominant scorer here, but most expansion teams don’t have this much talent and experience. A super glue player like Jaquez could be a really smart pick here.

The Raptors 905 season has come to a close with a 120-105 home loss to the Motor City Cruise in the first round of the NBA G League playoffs, a surprise result after the Raptors won both regular season matchups between the teams.

The 905 were able to force turnovers and get on the break like they did in their two wins over Motor City, who had fewer assists (20) than turnovers (21) for the game but the Cruise held huge advantages on the offensive glass and at the free throw line that helped compensate for the lack of ball security.

Last-minute lineup changes are commonplace in the G League, where teams’ rosters can change in an instant depending on the needs of their parent club in the NBA, but the Raptors sorely missed A.J. Lawson, the team’s leading scorer this season, and Markelle Fultz, both of whom started in their season-ending blowout win over the Wisconsin Herd. The two of them were taking part in a Toronto Raptors game against the Detroit Pistons (coincidentally, the parent clubs of the two teams in this playoff matchup) that was taking place simultaneously over in Detroit.

Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jonathan Mogbo slid back into the lineup in their place, and, while Jackson-Davis finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, the new starting unit struggled to find a rhythm on the offensive end.

The Raps turned the ball over on their very first possession and gave up the game’s first seven points, and, though they righted the ship and took a 24-22 lead into the second quarter thanks to some hot shooting by AJ Hoggard, the Cruise were able to consistently attack the paint, taking a narrow lead into halftime that they would never relinquish.

Going to a full-court press to start the second half got them a few easy buckets in the early going, but the Cruise managed to adjust and take advantage of the 905’s own turnovers. Motor City continued to build their lead despite Jarkel Joiner’s efforts to energize an otherwise stagnant offense with relentless drives to the rim.

“That’s who he is. Jarkel’s been a scorer all his life. We’ve asked him to be more of a lead guard for us at times and that’s a challenge for him, but I thought he did an amazing job of doing it,” said head coach Drew Jones.

The Raptors cut the deficit to five early in the fourth quarter after Joiner drew an illegal screen call on defense, then knifed his way into the paint off a dribble handoff to earn a trip to the free throw line, but the Cruise quickly regained control.

Down 16 with just four minutes to play, the Raps made one last push, pulling within seven in less than a minute after an and-one on the break by Alijah Martin, but the Cruise pushed their lead back up to 15 in the next minute and the game was effectively over.

The Cruise held on to win 120-105, led by 27 points from Wendell Moore Jr. on just 15 field goal attempts and an efficient 19-point, six-rebound, seven-assist night from Drew Peterson. Hoggard had 23 for the 905, while Joiner scored 22 on 9-for-14 shooting and Tyreke Key added 13 points and a whopping six steals.

After making the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season, the 905 are looking to build on this for the future.

“You learn from it,” said Jones. “Challenge and adversity is an opportunity to grow. You feel this pain and you grow from it.”

The NBA G League playoffs are here and, if you’re a little confused by the format, you’re not alone. The top eight teams in each conference made it to the postseason, but only their regular season records were taken into account, with no consideration given to the 14-game Tip-Off Tournament.

So, without their dominant 14-0 showing in the Tip-Off Tournament boosting their record, the Raptors 905 will be heading into the playoffs as the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference with a 23-13 record, due to the Cleveland Charge holding a tiebreaker over them.

Crucially, the 905 would actually have the best overall record at 37-13 if the entirety of the season counted, but they’ll be playing just one home playoff game instead, a win-or-go-home matchup against the 5-seeded Motor City Cruise.

Unlike the NBA’s playoff format, where every series is a best-of-7 contest, the G League’s playoffs consist of three single-elimination rounds and a best-of-3 championship. From here on, the margin of error is extremely slim and a cold shooting streak can mean the end of a team’s season.

Despite all the pressure riding on their one home playoff game, there’s cause for optimism for a deep playoff run. The 905 finished 2-0 against the Cruise this season and they were dominant for most of the year. The Raptors have the G League’s best net rating, its best defense (by quite a bit) and its fourth-best offense, despite losing some of their key early-season starters to NBA call-ups.

The Cruise pushed the 905 hard two weeks ago in Mississauga, with the home team emerging with a win thanks to a game-winner from newly-signed Markelle Fultz, but the matchup in February was more lopsided, with the Raptors picking up a 13-point win with just eight available players.

Motor City’s biggest strengths lie in their offensive tempo (7th in points per game) and their size and physicality (7th in offensive rebound percentage). Despite having excellent outside shooters like Bobi Klintman and Brice Williams and two 20-point scorers in Isaac Jones and Wendell Moore Jr., the Cruise offense sits in the middle of the pack in terms of efficiency.

As was the case in their last game in Sauga, their lack of playmaking presents an opportunity for the Raptors and their league-best defense. The Cruise coughed up the ball 21 times in their first loss to the 905 and 18 times in their second one, and there’s little reason to expect anything different this time around, with the Raptors’ defense locking into playoff-level intensity.

The Cruise defense also sits firmly in the middle of the pack, and their rim protectors will be challenged by a 905 squad that attacks the rim relentlessly. Their constant attempts to tear the rim down on Saturday night could be a harbinger of things to come, as the Cruise defense should struggle to contain the Raps’ dribble drives.

Motor City won’t be an easy opponent, but the Raptors’ strengths align well with the Cruise’s weaknesses. Anything can happen in a single-elimination playoff round, but the Raptors should be able to advance to the second round of the playoffs and, hopefully, use this win as a springboard for a deep postseason run.

Fresh off of a disappointing 106-104 home loss to the Wisconsin Herd on Thursday, the Raptors 905 came roaring back two days later in a rematch, emerging with a dominant 138-115 victory that was never in doubt. A.J. Lawson led the way with 31 points in just 29 minutes, while Markelle Fultz returned to the squad and put up 18 points, nine assists, and four steals in a stellar two-way effort.

“We had two options. We could pout or we could accept coaching and we can get better. And all season, especially today, our guys chose to be better,” said head coach Drew Jones.

Unlike Thursday’s game, where the Raptors started off slow and struggled to find any rhythm on offense early, the 905 were red-hot from the start on Saturday. They rolled out a new starting lineup featuring the returning Fultz and super sub Tyreke Key, and the starters dominated throughout, with three of them posting a +29 differential or higher on the scoresheet.

Moments before the game, Tylor Perry addressed the crowd and told them the team appreciated their support and that “we know what it means to put this jersey on and we don’t take it for granted,” and they certainly played like it throughout the game, overwhelming the visitors with their energy and physicality.

Raptors guards picked up opposing ballhandlers well before crossing halfcourt and their bigs rotated with speed and purpose behind them. Lawson caught fire early, scoring 12 points before missing a single shot, with all of it coming within the flow of the offense, thanks in part to Fultz’s playmaking and the defense’s ability to force turnovers.

“That’s our standard. I always talk about Markelle’s leadership and his experience. He knows exactly where the ball has to go. And regardless of how he feels, whether he had a shot, whether he’s in foul trouble, whether he’s in rhythm or not, he makes the right play,” said Jones.

After a Mark Sears floater cut the deficit to 15-6, the Raps ripped off an 11-0 run, capped by a foul drawn by Lawson on a corner three and an easy transition three for AJ Hoggard, set up by a defensive stop from Tyson Degenhart.

Fultz made the play of the night just before the end of the first, shaking a defender with a behind-the-back dribble that took him completely out of the play, then throwing down a powerful one-handed dunk, causing the bench and the crowd to erupt. The Raptors led by 10 after one, and were shooting 50% from the field and 50% from three.

The Raptors went to a full-court press early in the second, and the Herd took advantage of some miscommunication on the back end to cut into the 905 lead. Before long, the score was 47-41 and the Raptors took a timeout to cool Wisconsin’s momentum.

That point was the closest the Herd would be for the rest of the night, as the Raps outscored them 25-7 for the remainder of the first half behind stifling defense and fast-paced transition offense. Undeterred by the 12 blocks the Herd put up on them two days prior, the 905 attacked the rim relentlessly, turning the Herd defense into a layup line. They led 72-48 at the half. Lawson had 20 points and a +30 plus/minus in just 15 minutes.

“We talk about being violent downhill all the time, but, more importantly, we gotta be great decision makers. Last game, we weren’t great decision makers in the paint and our spacing wasn’t awesome. We demand elite spacing for our guys when we get downhill. Last game, we got away from our standard, but clearly, when we execute, that’s what the outcome is,” said Jones.

There were no signs of letting up in the third. Lawson scored an easy layup after the Raptors’ full court press led to a steal on the opening inbounds pass of the third quarter, a play that would prove emblematic of the rest of the game.

The team was clearly feeling themselves, with several players attempting audacious dunks in traffic, undeterred by the Herd’s height advantage. The offense got whatever looks they wanted and they racked up 105 points with a whole quarter of play remaining.

Even up big in the fourth, they continued to apply defensive pressure and force mistakes, refusing to let the Herd get back in the game. The physicality was at playoff levels, just as it was two nights before, but this time, the Raptors were the aggressors, with the Herd on their heels. Up 26 with most of the fourth quarter remaining, the starters finally came out for good. The Raps went on to win, 138-115.

The win gave the Raptors a 23-13 regular season record and sent them into the playoffs as the four-seed. They’ll face off against the Motor City Cruise in a single-elimination playoff game this week.

The Raptors 905 came back from a brutal first quarter to take a late lead, but ultimately fell to the Wisconsin Herd 106-104 at the end of an intensely physical contest. Mark Sears and Johnny Davis led the visitors with 33 and 29 points, respectively, while the Raptors had seven players in double figures, led by 17 off the bench from Tyreke Key.

Fresh off of Markelle Fultz signing a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors, the 905 were forced to shuffle their lineup yet again, with Jarkel Joiner taking over the starting point guard spot.

The first quarter was uncharacteristic of the 905. Their offense didn’t match the intensity of a Herd team that came into the game with nothing to lose, and they struggled to find their rhythm in the early going. The Herd started the game on an 11-0 run, with several of their baskets being open looks at the rim, while the Raptors missed their first eight shots and didn’t score until more than four minutes into the game.

Before long, the game had already gotten chippy and the Raptors were down 21-4 to a surging Herd team before a Quincy Guerrier trip to the free throw line stopped the bleeding. Things stabilized a bit toward the end of the quarter, but they had no answers for Davis early, who had 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting (with two threes) in the first. The 905 headed into the second quarter down 33-16 and were shooting just 29% from the field and 0% from deep.

Things weren’t much better in the second quarter. The Raptors’ offense was still stuck in the mud in the early going and the Herd lead quickly ballooned to 48-25. There was visible frustration on the Raptors’ faces as the refs were letting a lot of contact go, especially on dribble drives and layup attempts.

The offense continued to struggle but the defense picked up enough to keep Wisconsin from widening the gap. The Herd held onto a 58-43 lead heading into the break. Mark Sears had been unstoppable up to that point, with 24 points on just nine field goal attempts, while Davis had 16 of his own. The Herd had effectively walled off the rim, with a whopping eight blocked shots just in the first half.

The Raptors shot just 33%, led by eight points apiece from Tyrese Samuel and Tyson Degenhart.

The 905 started the second half with a full-court press and quickly gave up an open two-handed dunk from Jeremiah Tilmon, but they didn’t relent and continued to apply pressure throughout the third quarter. Soon after, they forced a Herd shot clock violation where they didn’t even attempt to get up a late shot, and nearly forced another minutes later. The Raps extended their defense well beyond the three-point line and started to dig in and bother ballhandlers.

Transition opportunities started to open up for the home team and above-the-break threes from Degenhart and Lawson capped an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to six and force a Wisconsin timeout.

Momentum had shifted, with the Herd now struggling to generate clean looks on offense. A three, followed by a layup from Key gave the Raptors a three-point lead and the crowd was as loud as it had been all game. The 905 outscored the Herd 41-22 in the third quarter, shooting a scorching 14-for-18 from the field and 5-for-8 from three, while the Herd shot just 6-for-15 and only made one three. The Raps held an 84-80 lead going into the fourth.

Key pushed the Raptors’ lead to seven just a few minutes into the fourth, but the Herd didn’t let them pull away. The two teams traded buckets throughout the final quarter as the crowd roared. Alijah Martin knocked down a three to give the 905 a three-point lead with a minute left, before Tilmon hit one free throw to cut it to two.

A miscommunication between Key and A.J. Lawson led to a pass sailing out of bounds, giving the Herd the ball back with 30 seconds on the clock. With the shot clock winding down, Stephen Thompson dribbled over a screen and hit a deep, contested three to put the Herd up one with 10.9 left on the clock.

The Raps got the ball back and Joiner dribbled past Davis to attempt the go-ahead layup, but Davis rose up and smacked it off the backboard and into Thompson’s hands. The Raptors were forced to foul.

Thompson made the first free throw and missed the seconds, giving the Raptors the ball back with 4.9 seconds left. They called timeout to advance it to halfcourt. Martin drove in to attempt to tie the game from inside the paint but Davis came up with yet another crucial block, sealing the upset win for the last-place Herd.

The Raptors will close out the regular season with a rematch against the Herd on March 28th. They now sit in 4th in the Eastern Conference.

Hours after announcing they’ve officially clinched a playoff spot, Raptors 905 put some distance between them and the Motor City Cruise in the Eastern Conference standings on Tuesday night, picking up a dramatic 123-122 win while wearing their special edition City Night jerseys. A.J. Lawson led the way with an ultra-efficient 32-point night, and Tyreke Key chipped in 23 off the bench, allowing them to overcome dominant 37-point performance from Isaac Jones.

The 905 looked to establish Trayce Jackson-Davis, fresh off a 32-point debut performance, in the post early (he had eight first-quarter points), and to great effect. He cashed in multiple buckets through contact in the early going, and drew attention that gave his teammates open opportunities.

On the defensive end, the 905 were hounding the Cruise up and down the court, forcing turnovers by the bunch as they raced out to a 23-13 lead. Tyrese Samuel had two steals by himself just in his first two minutes on the court. A quick flurry of baskets by the Cruise got them back in the game, though, and they headed into the second quarter down just 32-27, despite having more turnovers (eight) than assists (six).

The Cruise finally established some momentum in the second, tying the game at 43 on a dunk by Makhi Mitchell. The two teams traded buckets throughout the quarter, but Motor City’s Quincy Olivari cashed in a three from straight on to give the visitors a narrow 60-58 lead going into the halftime break. Olivary had eight in the quarter, bringing his total to 16 in the first half. Lawson and Jackson-Davis already had 18 (on nine shots) and 14 (on just 7 shots), respectively.

The game nearly got out of hand for the Raptors in the third quarter. From the first play, the Cruise came out with intensity, with Jones blocking a Jackson-Davis shot, then racing down the court for a layup. Two more dunks from Jones would force the 905 to take a timeout, but the deficit only grew from there. John Ukomadu got his first two points of the game by Eurostepping into a highlight-worthy two-handed jam over the defense, then a full-court one-handed pass from Drew Peterson set up an easy finish from Mitchell to push Motor City’s lead to 11 point.

Key, who had a great game off the bench for the Raps, stopped the bleeding by drawing a shooting foul and knocking down his freebie. From there on, the home team clawed their way back into the game. Jarkel Joiner made an impressive steal, then raced down the court, drew a shooting foul on Olivari that also led to an Olivari technical foul.

Then, Alijah Martin had arguably the sequence of the game. First, he stole an inbounds pass and drew a hard foul while trying to throw down a vicious one-handed dunk on a defender. Then, he forced a rare eight-second violation with his physical defending, which got the crowd in a frenzy. Then, he drew a shooting foul on the offensive end, putting the 905 back ahead with his free throw. Jackson-Davis capped off the 17-2 run with a layup and suddenly the tables had turned. The Raptors led 92-90 after the third.

“I think defensive rebounding and taking care of the ball is what’s key. And I think during that run, we did that,” said head coach Drew Jones. “We got stops, we rebounded the ball, and we took care of it. We valued the ball. And I think when we do that, it’s really hard for us to get beat.”

Martin and Key helped the Raptors build a seven-point lead in the fourth, but the Cruise had some fight left in them, and the score stayed close for the rest of the game. A missed Martin turnaround led to a stepback midrange J from Jaden Akins as the shot clock was winding down, giving the Cruise their first lead of the quarter. The Raptors were down 118-120 with a minute left, but Lawson curled off a screen and hit a three from the left wing to retake the lead as the audience roared.

“I thought it was at Scotiabank, the way the crowd was right now. It was amazing. It was so energetic and loud. It gave us confidence,” said Lawson. “That was definitely a playoff atmosphere.”

Akins missed a three and the Cruise were forced into intentional fouling. They sent Martin to the line for two and he missed both. Jones beat Jackson-Davis with a clever fake on the other end for a reverse layup. Motor City led by one with 16 seconds left.

Markelle Fultz came through in the clutch, spinning into the paint and going high off the glass with his left to put the Raps up one with 4.1 left on the clock. A Bobi Klintman three clanked off the rim as the clock expired and the Raptors held on to win, 123-122.

Jackson-Davis had 22 points, nine boards, and five assists for the night, while Fultz chipped in 10 points and eight assists. Martin had 10 in the second half (15 for the game) while Key had 15 of his 23 after the break.

“I put many hours into prep, whether it’s in the gym or watching film,” said Key. “I just go out there, be confident, and let it fall in place,” said Key.

With the win, the Raptors 905 are now 20-11, with a two-game lead on the Cruise in fifth place, and they’re two games behind the three teams tied for first in the conference.

The Raptors 905 suffered a 126-114 defeat in an intense matchup against the Greensboro Swarm. After a six-game road trip, the 905 were back home, but could not pull off their second straight win. They were down 19 points at halftime but a heroic comeback attempt made it an exciting game between two of the league’s best teams.

The 905 celebrated Black History Month In the final game of February, where they wore commemorative jerseys. The 905 were looking to enter March on the right foot, but some inspiring performances from the visitors shut the door. The win would keep the Swarm tied for first place in the eastern conference with a record of 18-6.

“We got to be a lot more violent, a lot more physical downhill. They took the fight to us, they did a great job and kudos to them,” said Raptors 905 head coach Drew Jones.

905 guard Jarkel Joiner got the game going with a tough layup. The quarter remained tight with both teams trading buckets and playing solid defence. The refs allowed a very physical game, with many players and coaches from both teams complaining and asking for fouls.

The Swarm found momentum with center PJ Hall who hit back- threes to extend the Swarm lead. The 905 became very sloppy near the end of the quarter though, they still found ways to make plays, with guard Tyreke Key hitting a big three to get the 905 back within three points.

Jones was animated and challenged a foul call which would go his way, bringing some much needed momentum for the home side. The high intensity and physicality would remain a major factor throughout the quarter, as the Swarm held a 30-25 lead going into the second.

“If you watch our games, you know we go after guys. Any ball on the floor. It’s ours. It’s not a loose ball. That’s how we play and we gotta continue to bring the fight,” said Jones.

The second quarter would start similarly to the first, with Joiner scoring another tough layup. A few possessions later, the 905 would see themselves only down one point. It was a sloppy and tight quarter with both teams struggling in the middle of the frame.

Nearing halftime, the Swarm were effective from three, stretching their lead into the double digits, leaving the 905 frustrated. Late in the frame, 905 forward Jonathan Mogbo had a block on PJ Hall to get the crowd going. This would be followed up with a bucket from Joiner, cutting into the big lead.

Complaints about questionable refereeing continued from the 905, culminating in Jones receiving a technical foul with a minute left in the half. Things started to get a bit out of hand as the Swarm built a 19-point halftime lead and their bench erupted in celebrations.

905 guard Alijah Martin got the 905 on the board with a three-pointer to start the second half. Martin then turned provider, finding center Olivier Sarr for a powerful dunk. Mogbo followed up the run with another big block that got the crowd energized. Greensboro took a timeout as they tried to slow things down. It would prove wise as the Swarm went on another run, spearheaded by Hall. After a foul was called on Sarr, Martin received a tech as he slammed the ball on the ground.

With five minutes left in the quarter, the 905 went on a run. Hoggard connected with a three-ball and Sarr followed up with another block. Martin and Hoggard added layups, forcing Greensboro to take a timeout up 13. Hoggard kept it up after the timeout, throwing up a lob to Sarr for a dunk on a defender’s head.

Hoggard finished with a career high of 24 points.

“I found a rhythm off of my teammates, got some shots and knocked them down. They told me to be aggressive to the paint and I was rewarded. It was a decent night, other than that, we didn’t get a win, so it doesn’t really do any positive outlook on me right now,” said Hoggard.

Despite Hoggard’s efforts, Swarm center Jaylen Sims hit back-to-back threes late to preserve the Swarm lead. The 905 were playing better at this point, but it was the visitors who kept making the necessary plays to stay in control. They built their lead back up to 16 heading into the final quarter of play.

The 905 got off to a great start, with Martin hitting a three-pointer, then recovering a loose ball and feeding AJ Lawson for a layup. Forward Tyson Degenhart got in on the action with a layup of his own. The run continued, with a Joiner layup and a Lawson three cutting the deficit to nine.

Some inspiring defense and a three from Martin got them back within six. The energy at Paramount Fine Foods Centre was peaking, and fans were starting to believe in a comeback.

“He’s [Alijah] been solid for us all year. He’s been that consistent force since Chucky’s going down, he’s taking on leadership. He’s encouraged our group. He’s brought our group together. He’s improving as a playmaker, which I’m really pleased about,” said Jones.

Greensboro found their footing, quickly extending their lead back to 10 with five unanswered points. Hall would continue to be a tyrant on both sides of the ball, playing some tough defence as the lead slowly extended further. Hoggard, Martin and Sarr responded to the late Swarm surge with three-pointers, but Greensboro kept them at bay, up by 15.

The 905 didn’t go down without a fight, but they ran out of time, and were forced to foul to conserve clock. When time expired, the Swarm had held on to win by 12.

The 905 fought hard to come back but the visitors did enough to secure a comfortable win. Martin, Hoggard, and Lawson were the standouts for the 905 today, as they spearheaded the comeback attempt. The Swarm relied on their big man, Hall, who finished with 27 points and 19 rebounds, a big reason they won this game.

“He’s [Hall] very strong, he’s physical and very mobile. But those are the types of players that you can expect to have to compete against at the next level. So this is a great test for us, right? We got to find a way,” said Jones.

The 905 will look to get revenge over the Swarm as they face off again on Sunday, March 1st. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m.

The Motor City Cruise made their way to Mississauga, where they took on a Raptors 905 team that is red hot at home this season, going 9-1 before tonight. On the second night of a back-to-back, the 905 sent out a depleted lineup without names like A.J. Lawson, Jonathan Mogbo, Alijah Martin or Chucky Hepburn.

To kick off the game, the 905 sent out Jarkel Joiner, David Roddy, Patrick McCaw, Tyson Degenhart, and Olivier Sarr. The Cruise looked to match that with a starting lineup consisting of Chaz Lanier, Jaden Akins, Wendell Moore Jr., Bobi Klintman, and O’Mar Stanley. It was a tight race as the first quarter came to a close, but it was Sarr who was able to get off to a hot start, with eight points in the first. However, Bryce Williams of the Cruise was able to match Sarr on the offensive end in perfect stride with both men shooting 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 from three point range.

Despite a tight 27-25 game coming out of the first quarter, off the back of a streaky beginning to the game from David Roddy and AJ Hogaard getting into foul trouble, the Cruise were able to capitalize on some easy points. In the absence of Martin and Hepburn, Jarkel Joiner stepped up to be that textbook scrappy point guard that the Raptors know and love, causing turnovers left and right as well as putting up eight points in the quarter. Nonetheless, after Joiner stepped off the court, the Cruise went on a rampage, scoring eight unanswered in a minute-long stretch.

Wendell Moore Jr. had a perfect day halfway through, making his first seven shots. Roddy had a tough showing in the first half for the Raptors, a stark contrast to his 26-point performance the night before. Consistent efforts from Joiner and Julian Reese, both with double digits entering the second half, were able to pull the deficit a bit closer, but with Bryce Williams dropping 14 along with Wendell Moore Jr.’s stellar performance, the Cruise were firmly in the driver’s seat with a five-point lead and momentum on their side.

Despite an early advantage from beyond the arc, the Cruise’s lead began to melt away. After three minutes of back and forth basketball, Sarr was able to get some quick momentum for the 905 with four straight points and a monster block on O’Mar Stanley. The Cruise tried to call a timeout and slow things down but David Roddy started to find his rhythm, dishing to Tyson Degenhart for an and-one, then making a layup and converting an and-one of his own.

In what was a streaky day for Roddy, he began to facilitate the entire offense and single-handedly built a double-digit lead. Tyson Degenhart caught the hot hand in the third, thriving off back-door cuts and passes into the low post. He capitalized with three three point plays and ten points in the quarter but it was only right for the third quarter to be capped off by a massive jam from Roddy with four seconds on the clock, giving the Raps a commanding 86-67 lead entering the fourth.

Coming off of a quarter where the 905 outscored the Cruise 35-11, the 905 still didn’t let up. They aggressively on defense, and caused turnovers, and still held a 98-77 lead half-way through the fourth. Despite getting into foul trouble and letting the Cruise reach bonus territory with six minutes to go, The 905 were able to maintain composure offensively with Reese reaching the 20-point mark and Patrick McCaw dropping multiple corner threes.

The 905 won the game handily with just eight players on the active roster, and seven of them scored in double figures. Reese and Degenhart led the charge on the offensive side. Reese’s 20 points and 17 boards were both career highs and Degenhart led all scorers with 24 points on the night; however, Roddy was everywhere on the court. Roddy couldn’t get the lid off the rim, shooting 6-for-19 from the field, 0-for-9 from three, and 2-for-5 from the line, but he made up for it with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, a steal and a block.

“David’s communicating defensively, he’s trying to execute what our standard is, and the more he’s on the floor, the more he’s grown. So I’m excited for him,.” said Raptors head coach Drew Jones. It shows the faith Jones has in Roddy not only to be the hero offensively like last night against the Grand Rapids Gold, but also picking up the pieces defensively and being the primary facilitator when his shots aren’t falling, just like we saw in the game against the Cruise.

With their 112-99 victory against the Motor City Cruise, the Raptors 905 are now just half a game back from the Osceola Magic for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and with a complete roster, are a major championship contender this season. The win concludes a short three-game homestand this week as the 905 gear up for a six-game road trip.

The Raptors 905 cranked up the intensity late in Sunday night’s thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Grand Rapids Gold. It was their second win in three days against the same team and marks the start of a new win streak for the 905, who were led by Alijah Martin and David Roddy, as well as some clutch plays from AJ Hoggard.

The Raptors looked like they might run away with the game early. Olivier Sarr scored five quick points off a three from the wing and a putback dunk and the team got out in transition repeatedly as they jumped out to a 23-13 lead. Grand Rapids quickly stormed back though. They started taking better care of the ball and the Raptors’ offense dried up without the transition opportunities that fueled their early success. The two squads were tied at 31 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter belonged to the Gold. They had no trouble creating clean look after clean look deep in the paint. Moses Brown, the biggest player on the court, was dominant, putting up 15 points on just seven field goal attempts in the quarter. It hardly mattered who guarded him, as he dropped in jump hooks with ease and got to the rim for emphatic dunks. Frustration was beginning to mount for the Raptors as Martin picked up a technical foul after a no-call on a driving layup attempt.

A 7-0 run sparked by David Roddy’s offensive aggressiveness and physicality cut the deficit down to three points, but the Gold closed out the second quarter on 14-4 run, capped off by a three from Dane Goodwin. The Gold led 69-56 at the half. Brown already had 21 points on 10-for-13 shooting. James Akinjo added 11.Roddy led the Raptors with 16 points on perfect shooting from the field.

Frustration with the officiating carried over into the second half. Coach Drew Jones was given a technical foul just 27 seconds into the third quarter and some quick buckets from Grand Rapids pushed their lead to 15.

The Raptors ratcheted up their defensive intensity and started full-court pressing, which they maintained for the rest of the game. Suddenly, the Gold’s ball security was shakier and the Raptors were able to get out and attack in transition again.

“I felt like we put ourselves in a hole so we had to find a way to dig ourselves out of that. It was just something that we had to do because our back was against the wall a little bit in that second half,” said Hoggard..

The 905 outscored the Gold 39-25 in the third and their pressure continued to bother Gold ballhandlers even as the referees started calling a much stricter game. A Jonathan Mogbo buzzer beater gave the Raptors a 91-90 lead at the end of the quarter and the energy in the arena had shifted.

The fourth quarter was back-and-forth and physical, as the Raptors continued to press up and down the court. The Raptors found themselves down by four with 39 seconds left. Martin set up Sarr for a layup deep in the paint to cut it to two.

After a comfortable first half for the Gold, the 905 forced 14 second-half turnovers, and none was more important than an AJ Hoggard steal with less than 20 seconds remaining. Hoggard stripped Akinjo and fed the ball to Martin, who passed to Lawson for the game-tying layup with just 15 seconds left on the clock.

“He [Hoggard] was incredible…We know what he can do offensively, but defensively, can he draw that line in the sand for us? And he did that today,” said Jones.

Lawson got whistled for a shooting foul on an Akinjo pull-up with just 3.3 seconds remaining, but Akinjo missed the first free throw. The Raptors drew up an alley-oop play for Sarr, who was fouled in midair while attempting a one-handed catch. He calmly made both free throws.

The Raptors were up by just one with 2.7 seconds to go. Akinjo managed to create some space against Martin but he missed the jumper as time expired. The Raptors held on to win 125-124.

“Down the stretch, on both ends, we made big-time plays. We executed and we were resilient,” said Jones.

Roddy led the team with 26 points, while Martin added 18 points, five boards, and eight assists. Hoggard scored 14 on 5-for-9 shooting. Brown had a whopping 37 for the Gold, but coughed up a few key turnovers in the fourth (he had six for the game).

The Raptors will now face the 10th-place Motor City Cruise on the second night of a back-to-back.

On November 11, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made a big announcement regarding the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. This year’s event will have a brand new format of a U.S. vs. World competition with two U.S. teams and one World team battling it out in a round-robin tournament with four 12-minute games.

The three teams will each have a minimum of eight players with a potential for more to be added – 12 players from each conference will be selected and divided into the teams, but more players will be added if needed to ensure the minimum requirements of eight international and 16 American players are met.

While I view this as a big win for NBA fans and a positive step towards making the event more interesting and hopefully cultivating more pride in the players to compete harder, I still think there is room for improvement. Here’s my pitch for how Commissioner Silver could improve this concept to deliver the ultimate All-Star weekend experience for fans.

My pitch:

Format: I’m keeping the concept of a mini-tournament with two USA teams and one World team. I love this concept because it should add more pride and competitiveness into the event. However, instead of a round-robin tournament with 12-minute games (far too short), my pitch is for a knockout-style bracket with longer games, where four teams compete in semi-finals and the winners advance to the Finals. To make this work, I’d add in the winner of the Rising Stars game as the fourth team. Overall, I think this adds an extra layer of competitiveness and pride into the event that has been sorely lacking.

Rosters: The standard All-Star approach of only 24 selections is outdated, as the NBA is simply far too star-studded to continue limiting the rosters to so few players. You could easily make a strong case for over 40 players this season being All-Star worthy, so it’s about time we expanded the rosters to include more deserving stars. My pitch is simple: increase the rosters from 8 players to 12 players, going from 24 All-Stars up to 36. As I’ll demonstrate later, there are more than enough worthy players to make this work.

Rising Stars Competition: I’d like to see the Rising Stars competition return to a Team USA vs Team World matchup rather than a four-team tournament. Bring it back to a 40-minute game (two 20-minute halves). To add additional incentive, the winning team gets to join the All-Star tournament. Overall, this change should make this event very competitive with the added pride of representing your country and the stakes of advancing into the actual All-Star tournament, something that would be a huge milestone for these young stars.

Schedule:

Friday

NBA All-Star Celebrity Game: Often silly but fun enough and a long tradition so it can stay

Rising Stars Challenge: Team USA vs Team World - 12-player rosters comprised of first and second-year players. Winning team advances to All-Star bracket

Saturday

Skills Event: Iconic part of All-Star weekend that has to stay, but less time should be wasted on pointless competitions. Let’s keep the dunk contest, three-point contest, and skills challenge but remove all the excess nonsense – no more Mr. Beast Challenge! They also need to find a way to improve the Slam Dunk Contest, as it has gotten a little stale and has lost the appeal of major stars competing. They need to find a way to encourage the stars to participate – perhaps some sort of incentive for the winner like a charity donation?

All-Star Game Semi-Finals: Two shortened games (30 minutes). Winners advance to All-Star championship game on Sunday

Game 1: Team World vs Team USA 2 (The New Stars)

Game 2: Team USA 1 (The Vets) vs Rising Stars Challenge Winner

Sunday

All-Star Game Finals: Two winners from Saturday night compete in Sunday’s main event (full 48-minute game)

Some players might not love the idea of the back-to-back Saturday/Sunday games, but with 12-man rosters nobody should be playing super high minutes anyways, especially in the shorter Saturday night games. This really shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Here are what the rosters could look like based on what’s happened thus far this season (as of December 15):

Rising Stars Challenge

USA

PG: Harper / Fears / Sheppard

SG: Castle / Tyson

SF: Knueppel / Coward / Wells

PF: Flagg / Ware

C: Queen / Clingan

Alternates:

G: Spencer / T. Johnson / Collier

F: Bailey / Dunn / Holland

C: Kalkbrenner / Filipowski

World

PG: Mitchell / Demin

SG: George / Edgecombe / Larsson

SF: Buzelis / Rissacher

PF: Sarr / Da Silva / Wolf

C: Edey / Raynaud

Alternates:

G: Saraf

F: Gonzalez / Salaun

C: Missi / Post / Hansen / Bona

All-Stars

I divided the USA teams into a team of veterans with numerous All-Star experiences and a team of mostly younger players/first or second time All-Stars. This is just a possible option to consider, as it actually worked out very well with the 24 players I selected.

USA 1 - The Vets

Curry / Harden

Mitchell / Booker

Brown / Kawhi / LeBron

Durant / Randle

Adebayo / Davis / Towns *could also be moved to Team World (Dominican Republic) if necessary

USA 2 - The New Stars

Cunningham / Brunson / Fox

Maxey / Reaves / Powell *could also be moved to Team World (Jamaica) if necessary

Edwards / Porter Jr.

J. Johnson / Barnes

Mobley / Duren

There are also a ton of worthy alternates including Keyonte George, Amen Thompson, Brandon Ingram, Jimmy Butler, Paolo Banchero, and Chet Holmgren, among others.

World

Gilgeous-Alexander / Giddey / Murray

Doncic / Wagner

Antetokounmpo / Avdija / Siakam

Wembanyama / Markkanen

Jokic / Sengun

Other worthy honorable mentions include Domantas Sabonis, Ivica Zubac, Rudy Gobert, Dyson Daniels, and a handful of Canadians (Nickeil Alexander-Walker, R.J. Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Andrew Nembhard, Shaedon Sharpe, and Benedict Mathurin).

Overall, I am really looking forward to this year’s all-star event and suspect the new changes will help improve the spectacle. However, I believe that my pitch would ultimately lead to an even greater event and is something I would love to see the NBA implement moving forward.

The Washington Wizards might be the least successful franchise in the modern NBA. They haven’t reached the conference finals or won 50 games in a season since 1979, and they’ve struggled for relevance despite playing in America’s capital city. And despite two splashy moves before the trade deadline, it’s unlikely they’ll be one of the league’s premier organizations anytime soon.

In the 2022-23 season, Washington looked at their team trudging along to a second consecutive 35-win season with Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma, and Kristaps Porziņģis on massive contracts and, correctly, decided to blow it all up, albeit a year late. They bottomed out in the following season and managed to snag the second overall pick in the 2024 draft, but it was a draft without an obvious superstar. Still, Alex Sarr, the team’s selection, had a skillset that could be valuable on a winning team. In any case, they seemed headed for a long, slow rebuild.

The franchise itself was in a state of flux. Ownership was looking to move the team out of downtown, but was pushed into staying in Chinatown and breaking ground on a massive, expensive renovation project. And, like all owners who oversee major arena construction, it seems Ted Leonsis’s team wants to accelerate the rebuild.

With the Giannis Antetokounmpo saga and the Jonathan Kuminga drama unfolding, nobody expected the Wizards to be the talk of trade season, but here we are. Washington made their first move nearly a month before the deadline, sending leading scorer CJ McCollum and sharpshooter Corey Kispert to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for former franchise player Trae Young. They followed that up the day before the deadline by moving Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson (a first-rounder in his second season), Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks and two seconds for Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum.

Those moves would have been the envy of the league in 2020. Anthony Davis is an Olympic gold medalist, an NBA champion, and a true two-way player, equally capable of erasing many of Trae Young’s (frequent) defensive miscues as he is of feasting off lob passes from the skilled playmaker. And Young would likewise benefit from playing next to two athletic bigs in Davis and Sarr who can both hit jumpers and finish at the rim.

But times have changed, and the Wizards are chasing a reality that may no longer exist. Both of the newly acquired veterans are injured and Young’s three-point shooting, once one of his standout features, has cratered over the last couple of seasons. Meanwhile, Davis misses significant time nearly every season. Since the end of the 2019-2020 season, he’s played just 51.4 games per season and suffered a hand injury that required surgery 20 games into this season. It’s possible he won’t suit up for the Wizards this season and, at 32, it’s not likely his health record will improve.

It’s telling that the Hawks gave up on building around Young, too. Building a championship-caliber roster around a player with such specific (and stark) strengths and weaknesses was more than Atlanta’s front office felt they could handle in the long term. He has a player option for the 2026-27 season and it’s unclear if both sides will try to work out an extension or if the Wizards simply view him as a veteran playmaker who can help make life easier for young players like Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly by feeding them easy buckets. The team will be a strange hodgepodge of veterans and very inexperienced players, but that’s what the team was before the trade too, and they didn’t have to give up that much.

The best case scenario is that the two vets provide a pathway for the team’s young talent to grow, or both players are healthy and productive enough to be flipped to a desperate would-be contender for more assets. In the worst-case scenario, they have two very expensive players sitting on the bench or eating up valuable minutes that could go to future starters.

This was a shot worth taking for a team that has had little to celebrate in recent years, but it’s unlikely that this vaults them into contention anytime soon. They’ll just have to hope that they’re competitive enough to give the fans something to cheer for for once.

It’s been 205 days since Raptors fan favourite Norman Powell signed with the Miami Heat and made his long-awaited return to the Eastern Conference. Miami was always a team he wanted to join, but he was hesitant after hearing from their intense team culture. “I was nervous about how strict they are with diet, body fat, and conditioning tests,” said Powell. “We knew if you go to Miami, it’s going to be military style…being a part of it now, honestly, it’s really amazing. I can see why they’ve been so successful.” Previously, he had been in the Western Conference for the past four years with the Portland Trail Blazers and the LA Clippers, where he has evolved as a player. He was arguably snubbed of Sixth Man of the Year during the 2022/23 season, and of being an All Star during the 2024/25 season. Despite his prolific scoring and consistency, he keeps getting overlooked.

Many fans wondered where Powell would fit into the mix after being traded to Miami, where he would be playing alongside players like Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. However, it all turned out better than expected.

The Miami Heat are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference with 25 wins and 22 losses and their season has not exactly been smooth sailing. Injury after injury has prevented the squad’s best players from playing together and building chemistry. However, one player who has remained consistent in both scoring and health is Norman Powell.

He’s currently averaging 23.1 points per game with 47/40/84 shooting splits. His scoring average has only increased year by year since he’s entered his thirties, which is a rarity in the league. He thrives in an up-tempo team, exactly what Miami offers him. Their style of play allows Powell’s offence to shine, whether that’s through drawing fouls and getting to the line, floaters, or by drilling threes. He does a little bit of everything for Miami on the offensive end.

His defence could be better but few players truly excel on both ends and he still contributes on the defensive end with crucial steals.

So, to prove even further why Powell should be an All-Star this season, let’s break down team-by-team the journey he’s had to (hopefully) make it to the big stage.

Toronto Raptors (2015-2021)

After being drafted 46th overall in 2015, Powell found his footing in Toronto. Known as “Bucks Killer,” he grew from the bench mob into a reliable scorer for them during the 2019 Championship run. His talent didn’t go unseen, despite playing alongside Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, Kawhi Leonard, and many more. He provided a burst of energy off the bench, and his mentality kept this Raptors team successful. His breakout season was during the Tampa days in 2020-21, where he averaged 19.6 points per game on 44% shooting from three.

However, due to financial issues, Toronto knew they couldn’t re-sign him and opted for a trade at the 2021 deadline.

Portland Trail Blazers (2021-2022)

Powell averaged 17 points per game after his trade, becoming the third scoring option behind Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Despite a solid starting five and a decent bench, Portland struggled and the offense just wasn’t clicking.

Powell was then traded less than a year later to the L.A. Clippers, after putting up 18.7 points per game on 46/41/80 shooting splits.

LA Clippers (2022-2025)

The Clippers gave Powell his flowers and became a key role in their offense.

He averaged 21.4 points late in the 2021-22 season, later emerging as one of the league’s most prolific bench scorers, but still finished fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting. After Paul Geroge’s exit in 2024-25, that’s where Powell saw his opportunity, or as he calls it, “addition by subtraction.” He stepped into a starting role for the first time, averaging 21.8 points, leading him to earning his first Three-Point Contest appearance.

Then, suddenly, Powell was traded to the Miami Heat in a three-team deal.

Miami Heat (2025-Present)

Powell joined a very up-tempo Miami Heat team, perfectly fitting his style of play. Despite uncertainty of where Powell would fit in offense, he has delivered career-best numbers. He’s currently averaging 23.1 points per game, a career high, along with 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

All-Star Reserve Nod?

His All-Star campaign has been anything but easy, placing 18th with 199,753 votes, but public praise can hopefully lead him to a reserve spot.

Rick Carlisle, Indiana Pacers head coach, has given Powell his support. During a post-game interview after the Heat lost 123-99 to the Pacers, he said, “Norman Powell is such an important player for them… Powell to me is an All-Star this year. He’ll get a vote from me. I have no problem saying it publicly. He’s been really tremendous this year for them.”

Powell is in the right conference to make this well-deserved dream possible, despite his rise taking more time than others’. As he always says, just “understand the grind” and the rest will follow.

On February 1st, All-Star reserves, and whether or not Powell will be among them, will be revealed.

The Toronto Raptors have been not only one of the top teams in the NBA but one of its most consistent, remaining in the top four of the Eastern Conference for essentially the entire season up to this point. They currently sit in third with a record of 29-19 and are looking to continue a four-game winning streak.

So much success for a team that has been lacking in the win department for the last four years and Raptors fans are still clamoring for a big trade at the trade deadline to supposedly put this squad over the edge. It is very important to take into account that the Toronto Raptors are above the luxury tax currently so the trades that Bobby Webster makes need to work financially as well as on the court.

Although the heavily rumoured trade of RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl for Domantas Sabonis and Keon Ellis is still out there… Here are three options for the Toronto Raptors to make at the NBA Trade Deadline that will fill the gaps that need to be filled in Toronto while also avoiding any detrimental losses.

#1. Sacramento Kings receive: Gradey Dick, lottery prot. 1st rd. pick

Toronto Raptors receive: Keon Ellis

This trade is a slightly smaller version of what I mentioned above except it allows the Raptors to avoid splitting up their core for an expensive, primarily offensive centre like Domantas Sabonis while also improving their three-point shooting, which is last place in the league, by getting one of the best young 3-and-D players in the entire NBA in Keon Ellis. Ellis is averaging 5.5 points and 1.1 steals while shooting 36.4% from deep in just 17 minutes per game. This trade is all about consistency, replacing Gradey Dick, who’s shooting 31.7 from three as well getting the Toronto Raptors under the luxury tax by replacing Gradey’s $5M for Keon’s $1.5M.

#2. Washington Wizards receive: Ochai Agbaji, second-round pick

Toronto Raptors receive: Marvin Bagley III

This trade, like the one above, is strictly focusing on getting the Raptors under the luxury tax by bringing in Bagley, who is on a minimum deal with the Wizards, and replacing Agbaji, who is currently making $6.3M. However, Bagley has found very valuable momentum in Washington on both sides of the floor and could fill that backup centre role that the Raptors are somehow always looking for. Bagley also still has potential after underperforming immensely for being a second-overall pick in arguably the most stacked draft class of the last decade. Bagley is averaging 10.0 points, and 5.7 rebounds, along with a career high 61.9% from the field.

#3. Atlanta Hawks receive: two second-round picks

Toronto Raptors receive: Luke Kennard

This move is a no-brainer for a contending team like the Raptors who are struggling from three-point range. Why not go out and get one of the most consistent shooters of the last decade, who’s on a struggling team in your conference and who’s also on an expiring deal? All signs point to the Toronto Raptors and Luke Kennard being a perfect match. Kennard is averaging 7.9 points, and career highs from the field and from three, shooting 53.7% and 49.3%, respectively. After the departure of Trae Young, the Atlanta Hawks look to be waiting another year to make a run and they don’t need an older, pure three-point shooter on an expiring deal where they currently are.

All three of these moves would work magic, especially if all of them are made together – adding two of the most consistent shooters in the league and a very reliable big would immediately improve the bench rotation for the Toronto Raptors, turning them into a legit contender to come out of the Eastern Conference. However, if just one of these moves is made, it would still help the Raptors immensely. For any Raptors fans out there who still think this team needs “one more big piece” or a “needle mover,” sometimes it’s just the smaller, less-heralded players who make the difference in a seven- game series.

The Raptors 905 have opened their season with back-to-back wins over the College Park Skyhawks, finishing Sunday’s matchup with a final score of 124-92 in a dominant performance at Paramount Fine Foods Centre.

Despite snowy and chilly weather, fans filled the arena and brought plenty of heat as the 905 delivered another strong showing at home.

The 905 were without forward Jonathan Mogbo, who posted 16 points and 12 rebounds in Friday’s season opener before being recalled to the Toronto Raptors earlier today.

On Friday night, the 905 cruised to a 130–94 win over College Park, led by A.J. Lawson’s 24 points and Mogbo’s 16 points. On Sunday, they repeated their dominance, sweeping the two-game series and improving to 2-0.

“I still think we haven’t scratched the surface for how good we can be, but this was another great step toward what we’re building here,” said head coach Drew Jones.

The 905 got off to a fast start, sparked by a deflected pass from guard Chucky Hepburn that landed with Lawson, who found Olivier Sarr for the first basket of the game. Toronto’s defensive pressure limited the Skyhawks’ shot attempts and forced turnovers as they took control early.

The ball movement continued to shine as forward David Roddy found guard Jarkel Joiner for a three-pointer, followed by a slick behind-the-back pass from guard Tyreke Key to Roddy for another bucket. Key then drew a charge, energizing the crowd. Moments later, Sarr muscled in a basket through contact to make it 17-6 for the home side..

The Skyhawks briefly cut the lead to 27-22 going into the second quarter.

In the second quarter, Key caught fire, hitting multiple threes and scoring 12 points in the frame. Joiner and guard Aljiah Martin added timely shots from deep, helping Toronto extend its lead.

“I’ve seen it all summer, [Key is] committed to the work and fully invested in his development,” said Jones.

Forward Tyson Degenhart drilled back-to-back threes late in the half, then set up Lawson for another triple, as the 905 carried a 68-53 lead into halftime. Toronto shot a solid 50% from the field and 41.4% from three going into the halftime break.

The third quarter began with some sloppy possessions, but Roddy broke the deadlock with a three-pointer. Minutes later, he lobbed an alley-oop to Lawson, who threw it down emphatically to extend the lead to 22. Lawson then found Key with a pinpoint overhead pass for another easy bucket.

The 905 ramped up their defence in the second half, forcing several turnovers and frustrating the Skyhawks’ offence.

“Coach Drew [Jones] had us prepared well today,” said forward Julian Reese, who recorded a double-double. “We try to emphasize defence, and that gives us an advantage.”

The Skyhawks’ guard M.J. Walker hit a three to cut the deficit, but Key quickly responded, with Lawson to follow, continuing his strong start to the season.

Key had the hot hand, shooting 11-for-15 from the field and 3-for-4 from deep.

“Whatever the coaches have in the game plan, we just go out and execute,” said Key. “I just tried to stay loose and have fun with the guys out there.”

The 905 maintained their intensity through the final quarter, refusing to let the Skyhawks find rhythm. By the closing minutes, College Park’s push had faded, and the 905 comfortably closed out the game to complete the weekend sweep.

The Raptors 905 now sit at 2-0 to start the season. They return to action Wednesday, November 12, when they host the Maine Celtics at Paramount Fine Foods Centre. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

The Raptors 905 returned to the win column Tuesday night with a hard-fought 107-95 victory over the Noblesville Boom at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre.

With the win, the 905 improved their combined season record to 20–1 and moved to 6–1 in regular-season play, tying the Greensboro Swarm for first place in the Eastern Conference standings. The victory was an important response after the team suffered its first loss of the season against the San Diego Clippers on Friday.

Coming into the game, Raptors 905 head coach Drew Jones was recognized as the NBA G League Coach of the Month, an honor that reflected the team’s strong start to the season, taking them to a historic 14-0 start and an appearance at the Winter Tip-Off Tournament Championship.

“That’s a reflection of our players and our coaches. They do a hell of a job so all credit to those guys they do a great job of allowing me to coach them and the staff does an incredible job preparing those guys,” said Jones.

The 905 were down early in the opening quarter. It took a couple of minutes until they finally got their first basket from guard A.J. Lawson, but the Boom continued to apply pressure as new addition to the forward Cody Martin started off hot for the visitors, scoring two three-pointers as they jumped out to a 12-2 lead. Martin spent time with the Capital City Go-Go prior to landing with the Boom in a trade last week.

905 Guard AJ Hoggard drilled a three and hit a tough layup plus the foul to get the 905 some much-needed momentum. He set up Julian Reese with a slick pass through traffic for a bucket down low.

Unfortunately burned out as the Boom responded with a pair of three-pointers from guard Kyle Guy. Strong defence helped extend their lead to 13 points in the middle of the frame.

Jones and the 905 bench were extremely animated complaining to the refs about a lack of foul calls. This energy brought from the bench ignited a scoring run from the 905 to cut the Boom lead to five points. They would not be able to take the lead, though, as the three-ball would continue to hit for the Boom, giving them the 29-22 lead at the end of the quarter.

Both teams traded baskets to open the second quarter but it was 905 guard Jarkel Joiner who made the difference with his hustle and shot-making.

It turned out to be a very physical quarter. Players were falling almost every possession as the game got chippy. A tough layup by Hoggard sparked a 905 run, forcing the Boom to take a timeout with their lead slashed to four points.

The teams traded baskets late and the Raptors managed to even the score at 51 heading into halftime.

“You have to bring it for 48 minutes. That’s one thing I always tell our guys, every time you go on the floor you are auditioning and there’s someone on the other team auditioning for the same position. We have to bring it for 48 minutes and you saw that mentality. You saw who we were in the second half. We need to bring that the entire game,” said Jones.

The Raptors 905 took their first lead of the game with Center Olivier Sarr putting back a missed shot from forward David Roddy.

The third quarter was closely contested but the 905 started to take control as it wore on. An Alijah Martin bucket forced the Boom to take a timeout down by four points, then he struck again with a three right after the timeout, bringing his total to 16 points on the night.

Noblesville was not going down without a fight as they ramped up their defensive efforts and kept the score close. The Raptors were up by just five heading into the fourth quarter.

Tyreke Key would get the 905 going in the final quarter of play with a jumper to extend the lead to seven points. Sarr and Roddy forced the Boom into poor decisions on offense, as they came up empty on their first couple of possessions.

Martin gave the Raptors a 10-point lead with another three, capping an impressive night from the rookie guard who stepped up in the absence of point guard Chucky Hepburn.

“Chucky is the head of the snake for us. He’s our point of attack, but luckily we have a guy like Alijah who’s following right in his footsteps. He’s got the same mentality defensively. He’s physical, active and alert so we know what we are missing, but we got guys who can fill in,” said Jones.

Both teams came alive late in the frame as Roddy hit a jumper and tossed an alley-oop toLawson but Noblesville hit back-to-back threes to cut the 905 lead to 13. Boom Guard Taelon Peter hit a three to get them back within ten and the Boom were surging with less than two minutes to play.

Noblesville’s late push was heroic but time ran out as the 905 held on for the win. The Raptors were able to close out the contest comfortably, securing an important victory that marked their 20th win of the season.

“We’re just connected, we play hard, we’ll take to our standards and when we do that, we are hard to beat,” said 905 forward Quincy Guerrier.

Strong performances across the roster, spearheaded by Martin’s 23 points played a key role in the team’s success on the night. The 905 will look to carry this momentum forward and build another winning streak.

“On both ends he plays hard. He plays hard on defence and he’s really aggressive, and when he is, he’s a dangerous player,” said Guerrier.

The Raptors 905 return to action on Saturday, January 11, when they hit the road to face the Birmingham Squadron. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Despite a late surge, the Raptors 905 couldn’t quite overcome a rough start and some defensive lapses, and fell to the San Diego Clippers, 114-110. The loss was their first home defeat of the season.

The Clippers were led by 23 points from Patrick Baldwin Jr. on near-perfect 10-for-11 shooting and 20 from Jahmyl Telfort. The Raptors got 24 from rookie guard Alijah Martin and 17 from A.J. Lawson.

The Raptors offense was stuck in the mud for much of the first half. After a closely-contested first quarter, in which the home team was outscored by just one point, the second quarter was a struggle, as the team shot just 8-for-20 from the field and committed seven turnovers.

They headed into the halftime break with 12 turnovers compared to just 10 assists, a stark contrast from their usual ball movement. Though they’ve played admirably without lead guard Chucky Hepburn as of late, his absence was felt in this one, even with Jarkel Joiner scoring 16 first-half points on excellent shooting while filling in for him.

Two starters, Lawson and Olivier Sarr, were scoreless in the first half, shooting a combined 0-for-14 from the floor, and their frustration could be felt as Lawson picked up a technical foul near the end of the half.

The visitors held a 58-48 lead heading into the break. Baldwin Jr. had 14 points on perfect shooting, while lightning-quick reserve guard Jaelen House had 10 points and used his quickness to get wherever he wanted off the dribble.

“We couldn’t guard him from start to finish. He went by us every possession…I told guys during a timeout, it’s five guys versus the ball. It’s never one-on-one…and today House didn’t feel that,” said head coach Drew Jones.

The Raptors continued to struggle with turnovers early in the third as the offense continued to stagnate. Raptors ballhandlers found themselves stuck in crowds on dribble drives and the spacing often wasn’t conducive to easy kickouts.

Before long, the Clippers’ lead had ballooned to 17 and the game was getting away from the 905, before they started making a concerted effort to move the ball more quickly. Lawson started to come to life, scoring 11 of his 17 points in the third, on 5-for-7 shooting, with most of his buckets coming off of dribble drives in transition or cuts to the basket.

“We waited too late to try to get it going. We’ve got to have that in the first half,” said Joiner.

The Raptors managed to cut the deficit down to eight late in the third, but the Clippers answered back with a run over their own, with the constant penetration from House forcing the 905 defense to scramble. The Clippers led 87-74 at the end of the third.

The Clippers’ lead stayed in the mid-teens for the bulk of the fourth before a late Raptors push injected some drama into the contest. Olivier Sarr gave the team a huge energy boost after scoring his first bucket on a corner three and his effort on the offensive glass and on shots in close (he had 11 points in the fourth) helped cut the lead to single digits.

After two timely blocks on layup attempts from House, the Raptors were suddenly within striking distance, down just seven with three and a half minutes remaining.

A blown Clippers layup that could have put the game out of reach led to Lawson racing the ball up in transition and drawing a foul. The 905 were down by just five with two minutes left and the crowd was raucous. Jason Preston missed a floater and Tyreke Key set up Martin for a baseline layup to cut it to three, but an and-one by Zach Freemantle in the post, and another drawn foul by Freemantle on the next play gave the Clippers just enough breathing room to survive a few missed free throws and hold on for the narrow 114-110 upset victory.

“We’ve gotta take that fourth quarter and add it to the first, second, third, fourth in the next game,” said Joiner. The team will be looking to wipe the slate clean and get back to their winning ways on January 6th against the Noblesville Boom.

The Raptors 905 overcame mid-game defensive lapses before sealing yet another victory. The 120-109 win over the Westchester Knicks puts the 905 at 5-0 in the regular season, with plenty of momentum heading into the new year. The Raptors were led by 21 points from A.J. Lawson and 19 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists from rookie guard Alijah Martin, who picked up some extra playmaking responsibility in the absence of Chucky Hepburn.

“I told our guys…our leader, our dog, our wolf is out. And he’s relying on us to continue how he plays, and his mentality. Hopefully he’s proud of the way we competed,” said head coach Drew Jones.

The home team had the upper hand early, as the visiting Knicks struggled to find their footing offensively. The Raptors walled off the paint in the first quarter and Westchester, one of the worst outside shooting teams in the league, generated few clean looks.

High-pressure halfcourt defense frustrated the Knicks and the Raps led by as many as 13 in the opening quarter, before a deep three by Bryson Warren cut the deficit to 10 at the end of the first. The Knicks were shooting just 36% from the field and went just 1-for-11 from beyond the arc.

The second quarter was a different story. The Knicks started to come to life and their confidence built as the quarter wore on. A powerful one-handed jam by Isaiah Roby gave them some early momentum and they started to find driving lanes to attack the paint. Back-to-back open dunks by Nick Jourdain and Tosan Evbuomwan put the Knicks up by five. They also mixed in some zone defense to slow down the Raptors’ offensive rhythm.

A corner three by Tyreke Key and two timely buckets by Lawson evened up the score going into the halftime break. Lawson already had 16 points. Olivier Sarr had nine of his own, and AJ Hoggard added seven off the bench.

Evbuomwan had 14 at the half, while Donovan Williams and Warren chipped in 12 and 13, respectively.

The Knicks managed to hold onto a narrow lead for most of the third quarter, thanks to some key offensive contributions from Williams, who scored 14 in the third and got some great looks around the basket. The Raptors were able to stop the bleeding and take control toward the end of the third, though. Hoggard’s playmaking off the bench was key, and the Raptors created extra opportunities for themselves with five offensive boards in the third. They took an 88-81 lead into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter was business as usual for one of the G League’s true championship contenders. The 905 ramped up the pressure and raced out to a double-digit lead that they never relinquished. The bench unit was especially impressive, digging deep defensively and moving the ball on offense. At the end of the game, three 905 players (Tyson Degenhart, Key, and Hoggard) had double-digit points off the bench, and David Roddy added in double-digit rebounds off the bench too.

“Whenever we get stagnant offensively, those guys come in and play the right way,” said Jones.

A three-possession sequence where Key hit a three, an and-one at the rim, and another three, effectively iced the game, and Westchester simply didn’t have enough time to come back.

The Raptors’ next game will be on Jan. 2nd, against the San Diego Clippers.

The Raptors 905 won their 12th straight game Thursday night at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre picking up a 111-102 victory against the Delaware Blue Coats.

The two teams squared off last night, which saw the 905 come out with a 115-108 win that set the G League record for consecutive wins to open a season. The rematch was tougher, but they were able to overcome a 23-point deficit to keep the win streak rolling.

“The guys are excited. It was a hard fought win. They earned that,” said 905 head coach Drew Jones.

The 905 were without leading scorer A.J. Lawson, a crucial part of the team’s success. .

“He’s such a big piece for us defensively. I felt he took a major step over the summer and he is a dog on the ball. We miss his presence but it’s that next man up mentality. A.J. has been great, but we got guys who are willing to step up and play,” said Jones.

The 905 started off strong with a steal and a dunk from guard Alijah Martin. Martin was involved in the play too, scoring after a block from center Olivier Sarr. The Raptors hit a cold streak as the quarter wore on though.

905 guard Jarkel Joiner broke the dry spell with back-to-back threes, but the Blue Coats responded and maintained a narrow lead. They were ahead 32-24 heading into the second quarter.

A huge burst in the middle of the frame gave the Blue Coats a double-digit advantage. A three from Joiner stopped the bleeding momentarily, but the visitors had the answer for everything the Raptors did.

The 905 started to show frustration and tensions rose after a Jonathan Mogbo technical foul.. The Delaware lead swelled to 23 and their offense was red-hot.

“We learned a lot about each other when we were down 23 points. As a veteran, we have to corral the guys and understand that 23 points could disappear fast,” said 905 forward David Roddy, who is entering his fourth year in the G League.

The Blue Coats entered the halftime break up 69-48. Delaware Forward Johni Broome was a standout in the first half with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

“We needed energy coming into the second half. I told the guys to compete and let the chips fall. You saw the team that we really are in the second half. We just needed to be energized,” said Jones. “Consistency is key. You got to be a consummate pro and be able to do the little things.”

Mogbo slammed home a missed Martin three to open the second half, then Mogbo sliced between two defenders for a layup on the very next play. Mogbo’s energy on the glass and as a scorer in the paint lifted the 905 in the third quarter. Blue Coats guard Kennedy Chandler got the visitors back in business with a tough layup and a three-pointer to extend their lead.

The Raptors got some momentum going late in the quarter and started to look like their normal selves. Heroic defensive efforts and some timely three-balls chipped into the Delaware lead. Delaware was not backing down though, and they fought back with buckets of their own.

The turning point in the quarter for the 905 was back-to-back blocks by Sarr, followed by a three from Patrick McCaw, cutting the Delaware lead to 8 points. The crowd was getting into it as the 905 were making a comeback. Mogbo picked up an and-one to further cut the lead. The 905 played by far their best quarter of basketball, trimming the deficit to 86-82 entering the final quarter of play.

The Raptors’ momentum carried into the fourth, as a tough Jonathan Mogbo layup tied the game at 88, completing the 23-point comeback. Both teams exchanged buckets as the quarter played on but came through again, giving the Raptors the lead.

A three from Martin and a powerful slam from Roddy pushed the 905 lead to nine, forcing the Blue Coats to take a timeout.

For the first time in this game, the Blue Coats seemed to have lost all of the momentum. The 905 built a commanding 13-point lead. The Blue Coats slashed the lead to five but the Raptors held on through a tense final minute to secure the hard-fought win.

“The second half showed who we are. We talked about resilience and the competitive piece of this team has been shown all year,” said Jones.

Delaware drops to 3-9 on the season and the 905 sit comfortably in first place at 12-0.

“I’m proud of the guys for sticking with it and fighting through adversity. We’re going to stay present, rest up, remain professional, and have fun,” said Roddy.

The 905 will look to extend their winning streak to 13 games as they clash with the Maine Celtics away from home on Sun. Dec 14th with tip off set for 1:00 p.m.

By Krystal Fernandes

The Raptors 905 stayed undefeated and made history, winning their 11th straight by a score of 115-108 against the Delaware Blue Coats on Wednesday night at the Paramount Fine Foods Center.

Both teams had a quick start to the game, keeping the score close with the 905 leading by one basket 28-26 at the end of the first. The 905 controlled the second, outscoring the Blue Coats by six points, led by Jonathon Mogbo with 10 points in the quarter. Not only was their offense working, but their defense was in sync as well, forcing turnovers that led to easy scoring opportunities. The 905 headed into the halftime break with a 60-52 lead..

The Blue Coats fought back in the third quarter, outscoring the 905 by nine. Blue Coats guard (and former 905 player) Kennedy Chandler got hot from three, giving his team momentum going into the fourth with a narrow 87-86 advantage.

The 905 started the fourth on a 21-6 run and finished outscoring the Blue Coats by seven. They closed out the game in style with clutch baskets from Jonathon Mogbo and Quincy Guerrier, and the creative playmaking ability of two-way guard Chucky Hepburn.

This was a team win for the 905. Jonathon Mogbo led the way, going 8-for-11 from the field with 20 points, five rebounds, and three blocks. Canadians A.J. Lawson and Guerrier scored 17 points apiece. Lawson had six rebounds and Guerrier pulled down five boards and shot 50% from three. Chucky Hepburn added a 17-point, 15-assist double-double, plus three steals..

With this win the Raptors 905 set the record for best start to a season at 11-0, the most consecutive wins by a franchise to open the Tip-Off Tournament..

Both teams are scheduled to meet again Thursday night, a back-to-back game giving either Delaware a quick opportunity to bounce back or the 905 an opportunity to extend their winning streak.