Wizards at Raptors
The formula for the Toronto Raptors has been simple over the last six weeks – hold the opponent under 100 points and win. The Raptors will try to lock down on the defensive end and bounce back from a loss when they host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
Toronto is 12-0 when holding the other team to double digits and 0-7 when allowing 100 or more over the last 19 games, including a 104-97 loss at Chicago on Monday. The Raptors, who had limited Dallas and Milwaukee to an average of 94.5 in wins over the two previous games, had trouble with the second unit as the Bulls’ reserves went for 51 points in the setback. The Wizards are coming off a loss as well after a four-game winning streak came to an end with a 108-91 setback at home to the Los Angeles Clippers. The bright spot was the continued healthy return of Otto Porter Jr., who came off the bench in his second game back from a thigh injury and went for 21 points and eight rebounds in 33 minutes.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington), TSN (Toronto)
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (14-15): Washington averaged 108.4 points in the four-game winning streak despite working through several injuries but fell behind early on Monday and never found a way to dig out of the hole. “We let our ineffectiveness offensively affect our defense,” Wizards coach Randy Wittman told reporters. “We missed a lot of shots that have been going down, and we let it suck the air out of us.” John Wall continues to make his case as the best point guard in the Eastern Conference and posted 23 points and 11 assists in Monday’s loss for his sixth straight double-double.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (19-13): Toronto likely still feels the sting of getting swept out of the playoffs in the first round by Washington last spring but gained some small measure of revenge when Cory Joseph’s 3-pointer with three-tenths of a second remaining gave the Raptors an 84-82 win at the Wizards on Nov. 28. Kyle Lowry scored 27 points in that game but did his best work at the other end while limiting Wall to 6-of-25 from the field. Lowry is a quiet competitor with Wall among the point guard elite and tried to drag Toronto to the win with 28 points, nine assists and six rebounds on Monday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Wizards PF Nene (calf), F Drew Gooden (back) and G Gary Neal (back) are all day-to-day.
2. Raptors C Jonas Valanciunas returned from a broken hand on Monday and managed nine points in 21 minutes off the bench.
3. Toronto has taken the last four regular-season meetings.