The Raptors 905 hung on late for a 111-99 victory against the Lakeland Magic, their second win against them in two days.
The win moves the 905 to the top of the Eastern Conference with a 5-1 record.
It was a sloppy first quarter from both sides on Sunday afternoon, with a plethora of missed shots and turnovers coming early on. Jodie Meeks caught fire at the end of the frame though, hitting 4 threes in quick succession, propelling the 905 to an early 30-17 lead. The second and third quarters saw the Magic slowly find their offence, and they kept the score close as a result. Even with the 905 being the better team, they only led 84-78 after three quarters. It remained much of the same in the fourth until about four minutes to play, where Kevon Harris and Ashton Hagans in particular began to takeover, putting the game out of reach in its final moments.
“Leave it all out there”, Hagans side post-game about his mindset. “We’ve been trying to get a double-digit win cause there’s been a lot of close games, but every win is a big one.”
Hagans led the way for the 905, scoring 24 points with 6 rebounds and 11 assists on 7/13 from the floor. Harris had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Perry shook off a quiet start with a double-double of his own; recording 15 points and 10 boards. Meeks was impactful off the bench, hitting 5 threes for 15 points, and Canadian Aaron Best had 5 points with 3 rebounds.
It was a balanced attack for the Magic on Sunday with seven players scoring in double figures. Jaire Grayer and Hassani Gravett led the way with 19 points, while BJ Johnson shot 6/21 for 17. Jeremiah Tilmon had a 10-point 10-rebound double-double, and Jon Teske had 12 points with 5 boards off the bench.
It was a massive showing from Raptors 905 beyond the arc in the win, as they shot an impressive 18/39 from deep, a 46% clip.
“We’ve been doing a much better job competing and going on runs”, Reggie Perry said about the team’s performance post-game. “I’m proud of this team and of myself for sticking through it
The win marks their second straight in as many days, and improves them to 3-0 on home floor this year. Despite the lineup changes, the core has remained consistent, and they are looking impressive in the early stages of the regular season.
Raptors 905 will be back in action on the 18th against the Windy City Bulls, while the Magic will return on the 19th to face the Wisconsin Herd.
GAME STATS:
Raptors 905:
Hagans – 24 PTS 6 REB 11 AST
Harris – 18 PTS 12 REB 2 AST
Perry – 15 PTS 10 REB 3 AST
Magic:
Gravett – 19 PTS 3 REB 4 AST
Grayer – 19 PTS 8 REB 2 AST
Johnson – 17 PTS 7 REB 3 AST
