The Westchester Knicks’ great season has come to an end at the hands of the Raptors 905 in the semifinals of the G League playoffs. The Knicks had an early lead and finished the first half with a one point edge, but the Raptors tightened their defense in the second half and picked a 92-80 win.
Westchester started out the first quarter strong with an 18-4 run, but the Raptors 905 mounted a comeback. The Raptors were aggressive on the offensive glass, which helped them cut their deficit. The Raptors 905 totaled 19 offensive compared to Westchester’s eight.
“I felt like the offensive rebounds really got us,” Isaiah Hicks said. “That’s when they really went on that run. That’s when they closed the gap. Since then, they had the momentum.”
The Knicks had trouble protecting the ball, as they committed 15 turnovers. The 905 made two free throw block outs and converted on a three-point play off one of those. The Raptors were aggressive on the defensive end in the second half, while holding Westchester to 32 points in the second half.
“I thought defensively they were very good,” Westchester head coach Mike Miller said. “There was very little separation for guys to get loose and make shots. The ball didn’t move a lot against them. They were able to contain the ball and really do a really good job of not separating, so there’s no flow [and] there’s no rhythm for the offense to really play out of. The offensive rebounds are what pulled them through.”
Westchester was led by Isaiah Hicks who finished with 23 points and eight rebounds on 11-of-18 shooting from the field. Damyean Dotson, who was on assignment from the New York Knicks, recorded 20 points and five rebounds on 8-of-13 from the field and 4-of-6 from deep. Xavier Rathan-Mayes finished with a double-double. He totaled 16 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds.
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