Raptors Uprising split pair of decisive games in Week 11
July 11, 2019
It wasn’t quite the outcome Toronto was looking for.
On Wednesday night, Raptors Uprising GC walked away from their Week 11 double-header disappointed after failing to earn two victories, thus, putting an end to virtually any hopes of qualifying for their second straight NBA 2K League post-season.
Raptors Uprising 72 Pistons GT 62 — Box Score
In their first game, all signs were pointing upwards for Raptors Uprising, who — on the back of KingQuai614 using a shot-creating post scorer archetype at power forward — overcame a 10-point first-quarter deficit to knock off the last-place Pistons GT 72-62.
On a more offensive build, KingQuai614 led all Raptors Uprising scorers ending the night with 21 points, four rebounds, and two assists on a very effective 10-of-13 shooting from the field, while point guard Doza chipped in with a well-rounded 15 points, six assists, and four rebounds of his own against his former team.
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— Raptors Uprising GC (@RaptorsGC) July 11, 2019
“Pistons GT started the game strong,” said Raptors Uprising Coach Ognjen Micic after their opening-game win. “iiNsaniTTy came out aggressive at the small forward position and DevGoss had a solid performance. We knew our defense was going to pick up eventually and we ended up winning every quarter after the first one.”
Playing with literally nothing to lose, both small forward iiNsaniTTy and point guard DevGoss finished with 22 points apiece in the losing effort for Pistons GT (1-13), who extended their league-worst losing streak to 13 games with another loss to Lakers Gaming later Wednesday night.
One of the keys to this game was on the glass, as Toronto did an excellent job taking away any second-chance opportunities from Detroit, outrebounding Pistons GT 26-13 — led by centre Sick x 973’s game-high 17.
Raptors Uprising 53 Heat Check Gaming 61 — Box Score
In Toronto’s second tilt of the night, things began to take a turn for worse.
Raptors Uprising (7-8) came out ice-cold to start the game, while Heat Check Gaming (5-9) came out anything but after being blown out by T-Wolves Gaming earlier in the night, opening the contest on a scorching 14-0 run.
Toronto would answer, cutting the lead down to as close as four points, however the tenacious Miami defense was just too much for Raptors Uprising to handle on this evening.
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— Raptors Uprising GC (@RaptorsGC) July 11, 2019
Small forward MaJes7ic led all scorers with 18 points and five steals for Heat Check Gaming, while Montreal-native and fellow Canadian l 24K Dropoff l chipped in with 16 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals of his own at power forward.
“We played sloppy,” said Coach Ogi after the loss. “We didn’t take care of the ball and we had a tough time making the right play. They started the game with a lot of transition points, which gave them momentum and put us in a hole early. They had nothing to lose, which also helped them play freely on defense. We were able to cut the lead down a couple of times but just couldn’t dig ourselves out of it.”
Despite the loss, power forward KingQuai614 was once again a presence for Raptors Uprising, sticking to the shot-creating post scorer archetype for the second-straight game. He knocked down several important shots to keep his team close and ultimately ended up finishing the night with 15 points and a game-high seven steals.
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— Raptors Uprising GC (@RaptorsGC) July 11, 2019
“KingQuai614 gave us a nice scoring boost that helped us take the lead against Pistons GT,” said Coach Ogi on his second-year player. “In the second game against the Heat, he didn’t force anything and took what the defense gave him. He’s an all-around big man that can get crafty if needed. I’m proud of him for embracing that role and doing his thing with that archetype.”
The loss will prove costly for Toronto, as it drops them two games back of seventh place with only one game to play — all but wrapping up their chances of making the playoffs once again.
Looking ahead, Raptors Uprising will close out the second NBA 2K League Regular Season by playing defending champions Knicks Gaming (2-11), who currently find themselves in second-last after a disastrous campaign.
“We’re going to come out and give it all we got,” said Coach Ogi on his approach next week. “We’ll try and end the season at .500. It wasn’t the expected finish for this talented group of guys but that’s the situation we’re in. It’s a league full of competitive teams. Those that make the playoffs should be proud.”