Wizards guard AJ Johnson (5) and forward Tristan Vukcevic battle with Raptors center Colin Castleton for a rebound Monday night. (John E. Sokolowski/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
TORONTO — Although a day off separated Washington’s consecutive matchups against the Toronto Raptors, four Wizards found themselves playing in what effectively became the second half of a back-to-back in Monday’s 119-104 loss at Scotiabank Arena.
A day earlier, a convergence of schedules pitted Washington and Toronto’s G League affiliates — the Capital City Go-Go and Raptors 905 — against each other. The Go-Go won by 20, with guard AJ Johnson, center Tristan Vukcevic and forwards JT Thor and Jaylen Martin each playing at least 20 minutes in the game (Johnson led the way with 29).
On Monday night, that quartet combined for 65 minutes in the Wizards’ loss. And while Thor and Martin are not expected to be part of the Wizards’ long-term plan, Johnson and Vukcevic could well be key. The former was the prime piece the Wizards received for Kyle Kuzma. The latter was the team’s second-round pick in 2023.
Vukcevic had 15 points and seven rebounds against Toronto. He shot 6 for 15 from the field a night after dropping 22 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in the G League for his first career double-double. Johnson, who had 10 points, six assists and seven rebounds against Raptors 905, shot just 1 for 7 against the NBA Raptors but had six assists.
“My mentality,” Vukcevic said when asked what he liked most about his recent play. “Just not being scared to go out there and do my thing. I’m just trying to show my abilities and the work that I’ve done this whole summer.”
Raptors guard and Toronto native A.J. Lawson posted a career-high 32 points as the Raptors improved to 22-43. The Wizards lost the rebounding battle by 19 and allowed 33 second-chance points, tied for their second-worst mark of the season behind only Saturday’s game.
Washington entered intermission up one but was outscored 34-19 in the third, a gap that matched the final margin. The loss snaps the Wizards’ two-game winning streak and drops them to 13-50.
Wizards Coach Brian Keefe, looking for a spark, started the fourth quarter with an unconventional setup: playing centers Vukcevic and starter Alex Sarr together for the first time. The duo played about seven minutes together, a stretch that ended in a stalemate.
“They complement each other offensively, and I thought they could complement each other defensively,” Keefe said, “so I wanted to see what that looked like. I thought they did a good job during that little stint.”
Pairing the 7-footers could have some merit, with Vukcevic’s shooting and Sarr’s defense covering up for the other’s struggles in that area. The lineup also reunites two longtime friends — Vukcevic and Sarr practiced together with Real Madrid’s youth team.
“When Coach said it, I was a bit surprised because I haven’t played [power forward] at all here.” Vukcevic said. “… It’s great because you have two 7-footers on the court at the same time. That’s something that [the Cleveland Cavaliers are] doing, and it’s working out for them. So it would be great if it could work out for us.”
Here’s what else to know about the Wizards’ loss:
Coulibaly limited
Bilal Coulibaly played just eight minutes before he exited in the first quarter. He was later ruled out with right hamstring tightness.
Coulibaly dunked on Raptors forward Jamison Battle through a foul and appeared to lose his grip on the rim. Coulibaly flipped and fell on his right arm and back. He stayed in the game to take a free throw before exiting. Keefe did not have an update on him postgame. …
The Wizards also played without trade-deadline acquisitions Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart, both of whom were listed as missing the game with “injury management.”
Middleton (ankle) and Smart (finger) first dealt with those injuries earlier in the season.
The loss against Toronto was the first of a back-to-back; Washington will play in Detroit on Tuesday. The last time either missed a game came under near-identical circumstances. The two were ruled out for injury management Feb. 23 against the Orlando Magic; the Wizards played the Brooklyn Nets the next day.
The Wizards have four remaining back-to-backs. Keefe didn’t answer when asked whether the strategy would continue through the end of the year, but it’s worth noting that the Wizards are 4-3 when both veterans play, a mark that doesn’t help a team worried about the draft lottery. …
Richaun Holmes missed Monday’s game with a left knee contusion. …
Veteran Malcolm Brogdon, who hasn’t played since Feb. 12 with a left ankle sprain, worked on the court after Washington’s morning shootaround. Keefe, who said March 3 that Brogdon had yet to begin on-court work, said before Monday night’s game that Brogdon had been on the court for “a few days” but did not give a timeline for his return.