The City Repeaters

Finals - Game 5 Recap:

📍 City Reapers 71, RWE 68

The City Reapers are the 2023-24 OTE Champions, their second consecutive title, as they defeated RWE in what was one of the best games in league history. The first ever Game 5 in OTE history, the game was always set up to be one for the ages and it did not disappoint. Coming down to the wire with the game tied at 66 apiece, Jahki Howard had the moment of a lifetime, knocking down an and-1 triple from the left corner, ultimately sealing the game for the Reapers 🏆

For his heroics and play across the entire Finals series, Howard was named the OTE Finals MVP, making him just the second player in OTE history to receive the prestigious award. Howard averaged 14.8 PPG across the finals, but it was infectious energy and clutch play that garnered him the award 💪

A cold spell for the Reapers that saw them go scoreless for three and a half minutes, came to an end with 37 seconds left in the game, when Howard took the scoring responsibilities upon himself to hit the dagger three from the corner. RWE responded in a big way, as they found a wide open Nathan Missia-Dio in the corner who knocked down a big shot, however, he was unable to get his foot behind the line resulting in the shot being worth two instead of three and keeping RWE down one 😮

On the following inbounds play, RWE fouled Tyler Jackson, who up to that point had played one of the best games of his career, sending Jackson to the line where he calmly knocked down two massive free throws to put the Reapers back up three. The ensuing possession was madness, as RWE managed to get up three separate shots to tie the game, including one from Karter Knox at the buzzer, but were unable to get any of them to drop, ultimately crowning the Reapers once again 👑

The Reapers proved once and for all that their score by committee approach could earn them a title, and they stuck to that game plan all the way to the very end, as every player who entered the game scored and no player scored more than 14 points. Bryson Tiller, who is one of two repeat champions on the Reapers, led the team in scoring with 14 while also playing some lockdown defense as he toggled between guarding RWE’s bigs and wings. The game couldn’t have been won without the steady play of point guard Jaeden Mustaf, who scored 10 points and dished out three assists, while also being the steadying presence the team needed when the waters got rough 🗡️

Big man Jah Jackson was an enforcer down low, playing with an invigorating energy that saw him jumping passing lanes and blocking shots all afternoon long. Jackson is the only player in OTE history to win a championship in his first three years as part of the league. Amari Evans continued to be the heart and soul of the team scoring nine points and registering a steal and a block, but his most important contribution didn’t even show up in the box score. With a minute and a half left, Evans found himself matched up against elite wing scorer Knox and he perfectly positioned himself defending a cut to draw a charge on Knox and force the RWE turnover 🔒

For RWE, Daquan Davis continued his sensational play, scoring 16 points while dishing out eight assists and eight boards, as he played with an unmatched level of passion and drive that ultimately came up just short. Despite missing two triples in the closing seconds of the game, Knox battled his heart out throughout the game, resulting in 16 points and six boards 💔

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