In the early evening of a beautiful Austin day, the LASA Raptors and the Acton Eagles prepared for tip-off in the second game of their preseason. As both teams transitioned from their pregame routines to the final preparations, you could tell the players were itching to get the game started, and they got their wish after a few minutes of difficulties. The refs called the starting 5s for each team onto the court and the first whistle was blown as the ball was thrown in the air, signaling the start of the game.
The Raptors started strong on an 11-0 run to open up the game as they drained shot after shot, forcing Acton's coach to call an early timeout. However, the timeout did little to stop LASA's momentum as they continued their dominance, scoring at will with awesome half court and transition offense, creating major advantages on both the offensive and defensive boards, while playing suffocating defense on the other end of the court, holding the Eagles to 2 points through the first half. When the buzzer sounded at the end of the half, the Raptors had more than a 35 point advantage over the Eagles.
The second half started and the entire energy of the game shifted. The Eagles came out with a new purpose, they were aggressive on both sides of the ball and seemed like a different team altogether. They turned what felt like could be a 70 point blowout into a game that had a competitive second half. The Raptors still had control throughout the game and played a great second half, but the game just had a different feel to it. However, the Raptors still won the second half, adding to their already healthy lead, and when it was all set and done the Raptors finished the game in a dominant fashion, winning the contest 61-16.
Overall, the Raptors played an amazing game. They were able to get to the paint at will and control the pace of the game. They scored from the 3, the mid-range, and the paint at extremely high levels while playing outstanding defense during the game. LASA is a well-oiled machine, and it showed.
For Eagles fans, the second half of this game should give you a lot of hope. In a game where they were missing their best player, the Eagles were able to keep pace with a good Raptors team. Additionally, the development from the last game to this game was significant, even if the score did not reflect it. If the Eagles can realize their potential, we saw today that they will be scary come playoff time.
After the game, both teams showed great sportsmanship as they both formed lines and congratulated the opposing team on a game well played. Then, just as soon as the two teams filled the court, they left it.
