I've been on tap at Scotiabank Arena for different types of live entertainment. A few lively concerts under my belt, some raucous UFC pay-per-views back in the day, numerous professional wrestling shows, and yes, many nights of Raptors hoops. But on December 5, the Scotiabank Arena played host to an annual December tradition for the Raptors 905, as it hosted the "School Day" game.
I was fortunate enough to be in attendance representing Raptors Rapture and FanSided, and man, I can honestly say that this morning of hoops is up there for one of the loudest crowds I've ever been a part of. Of course, when you jam-pack an arena full of some, 15,000-plus kiddos and their respective chaperones from across the GTA, you can bet they'll be able to raise the decibel levels inside the Bank, no problem.
It was LOUD (all caps justified), and hats off to the pumped-up crowd keeping the deafening energy all game long. To be fair, Raptors home games can be pretty energetic too, but an environment like this definitely gives those crowds a run for its money.
I think I've properly conveyed how fun this crowd was, now let's get to my notes from the actual hoops, which was the second of a back-to-back 905 tilt with the Go-Go after beating them on December 3.
Raptors 905 triumph in thrilling battle against Capital City Go-Go
Fitting enough, it was the hometown kid, AJ Lawson, who started heating up early for the Raptors 905, sinking a couple of threes to get this already-stoked crowd roaring louder. Lawson would stay the course as the star of this affair, finishing the game with an impressive 36 points on 10-for-20 shooting, going 5-for-14 from three, 5-for-6 from the free-throw line, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. However, there was another gentleman who showed out for the 905 in this one, and I'll get to him in a bit.
As the piping-hot Lawson checked out of the game mid-way through the first quarter, enter Tyreke Key, who served as a great spark coming in for the second unit. Around this time also, we got a 6-7 cam going on in the arena, which, of course with the demographic on-hand, was a huge hit. Those juggling hands were going crazy, and it clearly got a pop out of Raptors young gun Ja'Kobe Walter, who was shown on the big-screen laughing at courtside alongside other personnel like Collin Murray-Boyles and Bobby Webster.
The score read 40-29 in favor of the 905 at the end of one, with Lawson already having 16 points at that point. But as I mentioned earlier, there was also a trending hot hand out of Raptors rookie Alijah Martin, who around the mid-way point of the second quarter, already had 17 points, three rebounds, and two assists. The former Florida Gators standout would eventually end the game with a similarly impressive 32 points on 10-for-16 shooting, 5-for-9 from three, a perfect 3-for-3 from the free-throw line, six rebounds, and three assists.
At halftime, the Raptors 905 had the edge with a 74-62 tally. Going into the fourth quarter, the 905 had a comfortable 101-89 lead, but the Go-Go proved tough in the second-half of basketball, swinging the pendulum in their favor à la the fan-favorite 6-7 gesture.
But clutch buckets from AJ Lawson and a dagger three by Chucky Hepburn, who also shined for the 905 with a double-double of 15 points and 11 assists (he was also ironically 6-for-7 from the charity stripe), were the final push needed to turn a two-point game with just over a minute and a half to go, into a more comfortable 119-112 lead with just over 40 seconds remaining. I feel like such an "unc," as they'd probably call me, bringing up 6-7 this many times, but the kiddos would get one final chance to go crazy with it during a timeout at the 6.7-second mark in the fourth quarter.
Eventually, the Raptors 905 would raise their hands in victory with a final score of 124-120, moving on to a 10-0 record to begin the G League campaign, which is the best start in franchise history. I certainly had a blast, and it was great to see the crowd just as engaged. With the number of likely junior hoopers in attendance, you never know what kind of impact watching countrymen like AJ Lawson — and as the 905 tagline calls them, the "stars of tomorrow" — ball out and inspire the next generation. You love to see it.