Wizards-Raptors Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Feb 02 2012 3:19PM

If there was ever a question about how much Andrea Bargnani means to the Toronto Raptors, the answer lies in their 1-9 record without him in the lineup.

Unfortunately for the Washington Wizards, their road mark is identical.

Bargnani likely will be out when Toronto seeks its fourth straight home victory over Washington on Friday night.

The Raptors (7-16) are coming off back-to-back blowout losses, falling 100-77 to Atlanta on Tuesday and 100-64 in Boston the following night.

Bargnani has missed the last four games after re-aggravating a calf injury in a double-overtime win over Utah on Jan. 25, and his return is unclear. Toronto's only victory without him was a 94-73 win over New Jersey on Sunday.

The Raptors are averaging a league-worst 86.0 points, though that number drops to 80.2 with Bargnani sidelined. He's missed 10 of the team's 12 games since Jan. 13.

Toronto shot 34.2 percent Wednesday in its most lopsided loss of the season.

"We are going to practice (Thursday). I mean there is no doubt about it after an exhibition like that," coach Dwane Casey said. "We owe it to the city of Toronto, our organization and ourselves."

Jerryd Bayless scored a team-high 14 points off the bench Thursday, while Ed Davis had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

"I told the team 'for the rest of your basketball career, remember how this feels tonight,'" Casey said. "I can't remember getting beat by (36 points) and it's the worst taste you feel, and that's something you don't want to forget."

It seems Toronto has a good chance to move past that defeat with the struggling Wizards (4-18) coming to town.

Washington fell 109-103 at Orlando on Wednesday, dropping to 4-47 on the road since the beginning of last season. The Wizards are allowing an NBA-worst 107.6 points per game away from home during that span.

They've allowed an average of 117.3 in losing three straight at Toronto.

Nick Young scored a game-high 24 points Wednesday and hit four of Washington's season-high 12 3-pointers. However, coach Randy Wittman's team allowed 40 fourth-quarter points - the most the Wizards have allowed in a single quarter all season.

John Wall finished 1 for 12 from the field and tied a career low with two points.

"I told our guys we can't stop playing as hard as we do," Wittman said. "We've got nine guys under rookie contracts. Right now they're not getting the respect. That'll come."

Veteran Rashard Lewis, who had 20 points, said he was pleased with how the team responded after falling behind by 12 in the early going.

"At the beginning of the season we'd always hang our heads," Lewis said. "... But recently we keep playing hard even when teams make runs. We don't give up until the end of the game. ... We have to take baby steps and take it one day at a time."

Washington's first victory of the season was a 93-78 home win over Toronto on Jan. 10, when Lewis and Young scored 15 points apiece to help overcome Bargnani's 22.

Wall also struggled in that matchup, shooting 3 for 12 and scoring eight points.

These teams have split the last six meetings.

Barbosa, Johnson lead Raptors past Wizards 106-89

Posted Feb 03 2012 10:46PM

TORONTO (AP) Any signs of progress Wizards coach Randy Wittman had seen in recent games were entirely absent Friday night.

Leandro Barbosa shook off flulike symptoms to score 19 points, Amir Johnson had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors beat Washington 106-89, handing the Wizards their third straight defeat.

"They outplayed us in every phase of the game," Wittman said. "It's disappointing after we've been playing at a pretty high level. Tonight wasn't it."

Wittman, whose team lost 109-103 at Orlando on Wednesday, was especially upset to see the Wizards outrebounded by a wide margin, 61-37.

"Rebounding is effort," he said. "We didn't have that same effort tonight that we've had, and it showed."

JaVale McGee, who missed six of his eight shots and finished with eight points, shared his coach's frustration.

"We should have come out a little bit harder, we should have played harder D," he said. "We've got another game (Saturday at home against the LA Clippers) so we've definitely got to make up for it."

Linas Kleiza scored all of his 15 points in the second half, and Jose Calderon had a season-high 17 assists as the Raptors bounced back from consecutive blowout losses to Atlanta and Boston and improved to 2-9 without leading scorer Andrea Bargnani, who is out with a strained left calf.

Held scoreless in Wednesday's 100-64 defeat at Boston, Amir Johnson hadn't reached double figures since Jan. 16 but bounced back with a strong showing in this one.

"Amir was a monster," coach Dwane Casey said. "He did a good job rolling to the basket and cleaning up the offensive boards."

Seven of Johnson's rebounds were at the offensive end. Toronto finished with 23 offensive boards to Washington's 11.

James Johnson scored 13 points and DeMar DeRozan had 11 as Toronto topped 100 points for just the third time this season, exceeding the 80.2 they'd been averaging without Bargnani. The Raptors scored 104 points Dec. 26 in an opening night win at Cleveland, and had 111 in a double-overtime win at Utah on Jan. 25.

"This was a game we definitely needed," DeRozan said.

Barbosa missed Friday morning's shootaround with flulike symptoms but showed no ill effects against the Wizards. He scored nine points in the second quarter and had six more in the third.

"Leandro picked us up in the first half, Linas took it over in the second and Amir was solid throughout," Casey said.

Nick Young scored 21 points and John Wall had 15 as the Wizards lost for the fourth time in five games. Trevor Booker had 13 and Jordan Crawford 11.

Booker said the Raptors played as though they were looking for payback for a Jan. 10 loss at Washington, the Wizards' first victory of the season following an 0-8 start.

"I know they remember us beating them so I know they wanted some revenge," Booker said.

Washington dropped to 1-10 away from home this season and has won just four times in 52 road games since the start of last season.

The Raptors were up 80-69 heading into the fourth and pulled away from there, leading by as many as 22.

Toronto, which led by 10 at the break, matched a season high with 55 first-half points.

Wizards veteran Rashard Lewis scored eight points, leaving him six shy of 15,000 for his career. When he reaches the mark, Lewis will join Paul Pierce and Jason Kidd as the only players to score at least 15,000 points, grab 5,000 rebounds and make 1,500 3-pointers.

NOTES: Calderon's career high in assists is 19, set twice. His 17 assists were more than Washington's total of 13. ... Calderon also had a season-high eight rebounds, one shy of his career best. ... Kleiza returned for the Raptors after sitting out Wednesday with soreness in his surgically-repaired right knee. ... Wittman was the replacement when Casey was fired by Minnesota in 2007.

Notebook: Raptors 106, Wizards 89

By Duane Watson, for NBA.com
Posted Friday February 3, 2012 11:08PM

THE FACTS: The Toronto Raptors' (8-16) bench was the difference tonight against the Washington Wizards (4-19), leading them to a 106-89 win in Toronto. The Raptors bench was active and outscored the Wizards starters 63-54. Led by the efforts of Leandro Barbosa's game high 19 points and 3 steals, Amir Johnson's 18 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks and Linas Kleiza's scored 15, all from the bench. Raptors starters James Johnson had 13 points, DeMar DeRozan 11 and Jose Calderon scored 8 with a season high 17 assists and 8 rebounds. The Wizards were led by Nick Young's 21 points, while John Wall contributed 15.

For a game that was 55-45 at halftime, the Raptors played a decisive fourth quarter sending the Wizards on their way adding to their putrid 1-10 record on the road. The Raptors pounded the glass and out rebounded Washington 61-37, including 23-11 on the offensive glass and outworked them earning 28 second chance points to Washington's 13.

QUOTABLE: "It was definitely great, that's what he does. He is definitely an energy guy. He likes coming off the bench and brings that type of energy for us, his rebounding and when he gets a chance to score on the screen and rolls he definitely takes advantage of it."
--Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan on the play of Amir Johnson.

THE STAT: 13 assists for the Washington Wizards. The Wizards inability to move the ball was one of many problems tonight. Point guard John Wall had 4 assists. They turned the ball over, couldn't complete plays, settled for one on one situations or simply couldn't finish. They entered the third quarter with 8 assists and added the other 5 in the fourth quarter when the team was already down 11. Calderon's 17 assists were more than the Wizards team combined.

TURNING POINT: Despite the Raptors entering the fourth frame with an 11 point lead, they started the quarter with a 15-8 run and and extended the lead to their biggest of the game at 22 points.

QUOTABLE II: "It was very tough to win when you get out rebounded by 24 points against anybody. That was the main thing they beat us on. We tried to make runs but they would miss a shot and get the offensive rebound. That wore us down because we had to work more on defense."
-- Wizards forward Trevor Booker

HOT: Johnson and Barbosa contributed 12 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks on 5-for- 5 shooting and 9 points and 1 steal and 1 block respectively, for the Raptors in the second quarter alone. Johnson finished the game with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks, while Barbosa had 19 points, 2 rebounds and 3 steals. The duo was the key and while Barbosa has been performing well of late, Johnson's play may be a sign that someone else is willing to help pick up the slack in Andrea Bargnani's absence.

NOT: Which category do you choose for the Wizards? They were overwhelmed significantly in numerous statistical categories tonight: rebounds 61-37, bench scoring: 63-35, points in the paint: 68-38 and second chance points: 28-13. It's hard to find a positive in their performance and their 1-10 record on the road proves that.

GOOD MOVE: With the Raptors utilizing their small line up with DeRozan playing the small forward position matched up against the taller Rashard Lewis at 6-foot-10, head coach Dwane Casey made an adjustment and inserted Kleiza to even the match up. Kleiza went on to score 15 points, including 3-for-3 from the 3-point line, of the bench, while Lewis shot 3-for-10 with 8 points.

NOTABLE: 28 second chance points is a franchise high, eclipsing their previous total of 22 on December 22nd 2005 vs. Atlanta... The Wizards are now 1-10 on the road this season... The Raptors have won four games in a row at home against the Wizard... The Raptors 23 offensive rebounds was their most since December 22nd 2009 vs. Washington where they had 22...

UP NEXT: Toronto takes their talents to South Beach on Sunday @Miami, Monday @ Washington, vs. Milwaukee. For Washington they have a home stand facing Saturday vs. Clippers, Monday vs. Toronto and Wednesday vs. New York.

• Wizards: Blatche, Turiaf
• Raptors: Alabi, Bargnani

• Wizards: --
• Raptors: --

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #11 Derrick Collins, #58 Josh Tiven
• Attendance: 16382
• Duration: 2:17