Don’t look now, but the Toronto Raptors finally have a win streak going. Against the Washington Wizards tonight, Toronto was able to hang tough for just enough time to walk away with a 96-88 victory. In this Friday night matchup against a Washington team that many predictors anticipated competing for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors managed to get a huge victory that helps them in their effort to stay atop the Atlantic Division.
Offense: B
This game was a mixed bag on the offensive side of the floor. While the Raptors finished the night shooting 47% from the field (37 for 78), there were some instances in this game where the Wizards defense noticeably flustered Toronto. The Raptors came out with the intent to move the ball on offense, and this play style was the reason they got off to a fast start, leading the Wizards 51-38 at halftime. To begin the second half of the game, Washington began to double team Toronto’s wing players; thus, forcing many turnovers and taking the lead in the process.
In the 4th quarter however, the Raptors got back to doing what has worked for them so far in the season: making the extra pass. Like discussed earlier, the Raptors had to close this one out— and they succeeded in doing just that. Other than the 3rd quarter, tonight’s game had Toronto making a concerted effort in conducting their offense with a healthy mix of Jonas Valanciunas post-ups and drive-and-kick plays which led to solid mid-range and long-range shot attempts. Toronto finished with 22 assists in this victory that was directed by balanced scoring. Six Raptors scored eight or more points; with DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay leading the team with 17 apiece.
Defense: B+
Before the start of tonight’s game, the Washington Wizards were among the best in the NBA at taking and making their three-point looks. Tonight, Toronto was able to slow them down from this area on the floor, only allowing 6 of 17 three point attempts to be made. In particular, the Raptors actively contested Bradley Beal‘s looks from downtown, forcing him to hit only 2 of his 9 shots. As a whole, Washington’s shooting guard shot a dismal 7 for 21 from the field; so Toronto proved to be successful in making him a non-factor. While Nene Hilario got a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, he only shot 5 for 14.
Not everything about Toronto’s defense was perfect tonight though. John Wall had an amazing game, scoring a cool 37 points while making 15 of 21 shots. As one could anticipate prior to the start of this game, Wall’s speed was something that presented a problem for the Raptors. The Wizards point guard was practically running a track meet in this matchup, often creating fast breaks when they seemed as if they weren’t there. Still, by cracking down on the defensive side of the floor late in the game, the Raptors found a way to weather the storm that John Wall created.
Rebounding: A-
Another key to the game that was discussed earlier was for the Raptors to attack the glass tonight. The team did a solid job in following this instruction, pulling down 46 boards and limiting Washington to only 9 offensive rebounds. With a big man tandem of Nene Hilario and Marcin Gortat playing for the opposition, it was of the utmost importance for the Raptors to make sure that second chance opportunities were limited for the Wizards. Mission accomplished.
Game Ball – Kyle Lowry
Lowry was all over the floor tonight. Toronto’s starting point guard played an excellent game. He contributed with his scoring (12 points), did a great job directing traffic on offense (9 assists), and was adequate on defense as well (3 steals). As the lead guard, Lowry really gave the Raptors what they needed against Washington.
