Inside the Article:
The Motor City Cruise came up short in a 105-99 loss to the Raptors 905 Thursday night. Winning results are still a work in progress for the Cruise as they are now 1-6 in the regular season, one of the lowest records in the G-League.
Game Recap:
There was plenty of fight throughout the contest despite the loss. After a slow start on both ends of the floor in the first quarter, the Cruise managed to claw their way back and take a 48-45 lead by halftime. Head coach DJ Bakker’s team slowed down in the second half, getting outscored 60-51 to conclude the last two quarters.
The Cruise fought back from numerous double-digit deficits but could not finish with a victory. Raptors 905 forced the Cruise into tough shots all night, resulting in their 40-percent shooting from the field. Most shots by the Cruise were contested, and passing lanes closed quickly, resulting in some sloppy offensive possessions.
Big Takeaways:
Rebounding also played a considerable role in the outcome, as the Cruise was outrebounded 50-39. Raptors 905 hammered the offensive glass in the fourth quarter, creating more scoring opportunities and tiring the Cruise defensively.
- Center Devontae Cacok led the Cruise in scoring 28 points on 10-16 shooting. Cacok also stayed productive in the paint by grabbing nine rebounds.
- Forward Stanley Umude chipped in 26 points while shooting 9-18 from the field and 7-12 from the three-point line. The Cruise cut down the sizable second-half gaps thanks to Umude’s hot shooting in the second half.
- Guard Kyle Edwards also provided a needed scoring punch off the bench with 16 points. Starting guard Keifer Sykes dished out 11 assists for the Cruise but struggled with scoring only 4 points on 1-12 shooting.
Raptors 905 benefited from a dominant performance by forward Reggie Perry. The 22-year-old scored 34 points on 10-15 shooting with many easy looks at the rim. Forward Gabe Brown also provided a scoring spark, scoring 20.Â
Great article!