The Washington Wizards went to war with the Toronto Raptors on Friday, losing a contentious 112-102 clash at Capital One Arena.
The game was played with playoff intensity from start to finish. The Wizards got a taste of the Raptors’ defense, which limited the Chicago Bulls to 92 points in their season opener.
Washington was ice-cold in the first quarter, shooting just 4-for-21 from the field and committing 7 turnovers. Free throws kept the Wiz in the game — a theme throughout the contest — as they trailed 34-21 after one.
Toronto threatened to pull away in the second quarter. The Raptors opened the period with two quick buckets to increase their lead to 17. The Wizards countered with a 13-2 run of their own, keyed by back-to-back triples from Trae Young. Deandre Ayton also stepped up in the interior with several strong rebounds leading to second-chance opportunities.
Midway through the third, it didn’t feel like Washington had played all that well. The team missed several open threes and coughed up some sloppy turnovers. Kyshawn George was also out of rhythm due to foul trouble.
In years past, the Wiz kids would probably have been down by 20 in such a scenario. But a Justin Champagnie putback got the good guys within 78-75 with under two minutes left in the quarter. Washington hung tough with Toronto through defense and a favorable whistle.
Champagnie made three straight layups, with the final two off lobs from Young. Toronto led 81-77 after three.
The Raptors kept the Wizards at arm’s length for most of the fourth quarter. Tre Johnson scored 10 of his 20 points in the final period, keeping Washington in it with some timely shot-making. But it wasn’t enough as Toronto held on for the 10-point victory.
The Wizards’ second game was not pretty by any means. However, the team showed it could at least compete with a potential contender in the East.
The Raptors’ defense and active hands stifled the Wizards at times. The home team also missed several open three-pointers that could have swung the game. Washington shot just 38.0% from the field and 32.4% from beyond the arc and still felt very much in the contest.
The Wizards could look like a different team when the threes start falling and when AJ Dybantsa is there to help draw more defensive attention.
Young led the way with 22 points and 12 assists. Johnson showed no hesitation off the bench, scoring 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting with four triples.
The Wizards have an immediate opportunity to get over .500 again with a game against the Chicago Bulls tomorrow night.
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