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G League Grand Rapids Drive

Drive's Season Ends with Loss to 905

March 26, 2019 - NBA G League (G League)
Grand Rapids Drive News Release


MISSISSAUGA - Jordan Loyd's putback layup with 11 seconds remaining in overtime lifted Raptors 905 (30-21) to a 91-90 overtime victory over the Grand Rapids Drive (28-23) on Tuesday night in the first round of G League playoffs. The 905 eliminated the Drive in the first round for the second consecutive year.

Chris Boucher made the 905's first two buckets in overtime, but the Drive got a three from Marcus Thornton early, making it so Kalin Lucas' floater gave the Drive a one-point lead with 22 seconds remaining. But Loyd was able to follow a miss by Wade Baldwin, and the Drive missed their ensuing attempt at the game winner. The Drive earlier had missed three attempts to pull ahead at the end of regulation.

Loyd posted 18 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists for the 905, all of which were team highs. Baldwin added 17 points, six rebounds and four assists, Malcolm Miller scored 16 points and Boucher just missed a triple-double as he finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and a whopping nine blocks. MiKyle McIntosh scored 12 points with seven rebounds and led all players with a positive-10 plus-minus. The Toronto Raptors had assigned Miller and Boucher for the first round game.

Thornton scored 23 points to lead all players for Grand Rapids, also adding eight rebounds and six steals. Lucas had 20 points and nine assists, Isaiah Whitehead scored 17 points with six rebounds and four blocks, and Johnny Hamilton and Todd Withers each posted double- doubles, combining for 23 points and 22 rebounds.

The 905 got off to a very slow start and had to battle back from a 16-point deficit that the Drive attained before the end of the first quarter. They chipped away at the lead gradually over the next 24 minutes and even led by eight at one point in the fourth quarter, forcing the Drive to pull together a small comeback of their own to force overtime.

Both defenses made it very hard on the other team's offense, and easy buckets were hard to come by all night as neither team reached their season average in scoring despite the overtime. Both teams gathered at least 50 rebounds and blocked double-digit shots, each holding each other to under 36 percent from the floor and allowing only 10 made three-pointers each. The 905 did gain a small advantage in trips to the foul line (23 to 15) that proved significant in such a close game.

The Drive's 2018-19 season has concluded, while the Raptors will move on to the second round Friday against Long Island.

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