Raptors 94, Wizards 91
TORONTO -- Guard DeMar DeRozan scored 34 points and the Toronto Raptors defeated the Washington Wizards 94-91 on Wednesday.
Center Bismack Biyombo grabbed 12 rebounds and scored 12 points coming off the bench for the Raptors (20-13) and reserve forward Terrence Ross added 14 points. Guard Kyle Lowry had 11 points including two crucial free throws in the final minute.
Forward Otto Porter led the Wizards with 20 points. Guard John Wall added 19 points and dished out 11 assists, forward Jared Dudley scored 17, center Marcin Gortat had 12 points and nine rebounds and guard Ramon Sessions added 11 for the Wizards. It was the second loss in a row for Washington (14-16).
The Raptors stretched a one-point first-quarter lead to 11 points at the half. They took a 14-point lead in the opening minute of the fourth quarter before the Wizards cut the lead to one point in the final minute.
The Wizards trimmed the lead to two points early in the third quarter with Porter scoring eight points in an 11-2 surge.
DeRozan's layup with 4:46 left in the third quarter gave Toronto a 62-55 lead.
A 3-pointer by Ross bumped Toronto's lead back to 11 with 52.9 seconds left in the third. The Raptors led 77-65 after the third quarter.
Guard Cory Joseph opened the fourth quarter to give the Raptors a 14-point lead.
The Wizards trimmed the lead to eight points on Porter's running layup off the fast break with 6:40 to play.
After a Raptors miss, Sessions made two free throws, cutting the lead to six points. Wall reduced the lead to four with a jumper after another Toronto miss.
With 3:13 to play, DeRozan made the free throw after Wall was called for a technical foul after he was called for a foul. Lowry then made both his free throws to extend Toronto's lead to nine.
Wall cut the lead to seven points with a layup.
Dudley hit a 17-foot jumper with 1:58 to play and Gortat's dunk 30 seconds later trimmed the lead to three points.
After the Wizards stopped the Raptors, Wall came back to hit one of two free throws to cut the Toronto lead to 90-88.
DeRozan made a pair of free throws with 47.5 seconds to play to put the Raptors ahead by four.
The lead was down to one point when Dudley hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 39.5 seconds to play.
DeRozan missed a jumper and the Wizards had the ball with 29.9 seconds left. Dudley missed a 25-footer. Lowry took the rebound and was fouled by Dudley with 15.5 seconds to play. Lowry made both free throws and Toronto led by three.
The Wizards missed two chances for a 3-pointer before time expired.
After leading by as many as seven points, the Raptors settled for a 28-27 lead after the first quarter led by DeRozan, who had eight points. Gortat and Wall each scored eight first-quarter points for the Wizards.
DeRozan finished the first half with 17 points and the Raptors took a 52-41 lead into the intermission. Biyombo had eight points and 10 rebounds in the half. Wall led the Wizards 12 first-half points and Gortat had 10.
NOTES: The Wizards continue to deal with injuries. G Bradley Beal (stress reaction in right leg) missed his 10th straight game. Washington also was missing F Nene (left calf strain), F Drew Gooden (right calf strain) and G Gary Neal (right quadriceps strain). F Otto Porter played his second game on Wednesday after missing three games with a bruised left thigh. ... Raptors C Jonas Valanciunas played his second game after missing 17 games with a fractured left hand. ... Toronto won the first meeting this season 84-82 on Nov. 28 at Washington on G Cory Joseph's 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Wizards swept the Raptors in four games in the first round of the playoffs last season. ... The Raptors' next game will be Friday at home against the Charlotte Hornets. The Wizards will play at home against the Orlando Magic on Friday.