Raptors 905 fizzle out against Go-Go to lose fourth straight

11/20/2024 09:00 AM

Despite leading by as many as 16 points in the first half, Raptors 905 (1-4) failed to hold on as they lost 119-109 to the Capital City Go-Go (4-2) on Tuesday.

The 905 led by four points entering the final, and decisive, frame but were outscored by 14 points as they fell for a fourth game in a row. It was Ruben Nembhard Jr. who did most of the damage as the lead guard scored 16 of his 22 points during the Go-Go’s 40-point fourth-quarter outburst.

Even in the loss, however, the 905 did get a pair of standout performances. Charlie Brown Jr. finished with a game-high 28 points while also setting a new franchise record with his nine steals. He finished one shy of setting a new G League record as well.

Meanwhile, Ulrich Chomche had his best game as a pro in his second consecutive start. The Cameroonian big man logged a G League career-high 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting to go with seven rebounds, six blocks and a steal.

The pair helped the 905 start the ball game on a roaring 17-4 run, despite entering without the services of Jamison Battle (two-way), DJ Carton (foot strain) and Quincey Guerrier (international assignment). It also helped that the squad began the contest on fire from beyond the arc, shooting 7-of-10 from distance in the first quarter.

Leading the charge was Dylan Disu, who was re-inserted into the starting lineup in place of Guerrier. He scored eight of his 16 points in the opening frame while knocking down two 3-pointers. Disu also showed off some impressive bounce throughout the game as he added a pair of highlight slams along the way.

That was as far as the 905’s hot-shooting took them, however, as they went cold in the second, shooting 2-of-10 from behind the 3-point line while barely managing to hold a one-point lead at the break. Aside from their first-quarter outburst, the 905 shot 11-of-38 (27 per cent) the rest of the game.

And while the team’s defence kept them ahead in the third quarter while the offence sputtered — taking a four-point lead into the final frame after forcing a whopping 11 Capital City turnovers, who coughed the ball up 27 times on the night — it wasn’t enough to hold on in the end.

John Butler Jr. hit back-to-back triples in the fourth, the second of which put the Go-Go ahead mid-way through the fourth quarter. Capital City hit five of its 12 threes in the final frame en route to victory.

Key moment

The 905 trailed 110-106 with two minutes left but a familiar face sealed their fate as former Raptors two-way Justin Champagnie nailed a triple from the left corner to ice the ball game. The guard is currently on a two-way deal with the Washington Wizards. He finished with 18 points, five rebounds and three blocks.

He wasn’t the only former 905er to do his thing against his old squad. Mouhamadou Gueye, who was a member of the team last season, put up 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting with eight rebounds.

Key stat

This is a game that would confuse most statheads. The 905 somehow lost a contest where they made more field goals and 3-pointers, took 17 more shots and committed 11 fewer turnovers.

One of the only areas the Go-Go won statistically was on the glass, and they dominated. Capital City finished with 51 rebounds, 20 more than the 905.

Process paying off for Chomche

After slotting into the starting spot in place of Branden Carlson, who was signed to an NBA deal by the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 18-year-old has immediately seen an uptick in his role and activity on the floor.

Tuesday’s contest was by far his best offensive game, not just because he connected on nearly 73 per cent of his shots, he also showed far less hesitancy on offence. Chomche took a season-high 11 attempts from the field, and it wasn’t a matter of taking different looks than he normally gets, his execution was just better on the same stuff. His ability to navigate traffic in the painted area was crisper, allowing him to finish push shots and dump-ins with less of a contest.

Chomche still has a ways to go, especially as a screener and navigating pick-and-rolls, but the early signs indicate he’s learning and growing with each game. Tuesday night was another step in the right direction.

And on defence he remains a special talent. His ability to recover and gain ground isn’t something you can often teach and it’s clear Chomche relies on his instincts on that end. Where that’s led him is top five in blocks per game (2.8) in the G League right now.

Five games into his NBA career, and after two games as a G League starter, Chomche is averaging 6.8 points on 53 per cent shooting from the field to go with 5.4 rebounds in 20.4 minutes of action.

Up next

The 905 return to action on Friday for their long awaited home-opener. They’ll be hosting the Long Island Nets for two consecutive games from the Paramount Fine Foods Centre. Nearly a month into the season, fans can finally come out and show support for the Missisauga squad.

Check out Raptors Republic’s weekly 905 preview to be in the know heading into each game.

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