Washington Wizards (0-1) @ Toronto Raptors (1-0)
When: Tuesday, April 17th, 7:00 P.M. ET
Where: Air Canada Centre
Broadcast info: NBA TV, TSN, TSN1050
LAST MEETING
The Raptors took a 1-0 series lead following a 114-106 victory in the series opener on Saturday. Toronto had six players reach double figures, led by Serge Ibaka's 23 points and 12 rebounds and Delon Wright's 18 points (including 11 in the fourth quarter). After the Raptors got off to a strong start, they led by five at the end of the first quarter. Washington had a strong second quarter, outscoring Toronto 36-27, to take a halftime lead, but Toronto went into the fourth ahead by one. In the final quarter, Wright's 11 points and a pair of three-pointers from C.J. Miles led the Raptors offensively as Toronto pulled away to snap a streak of 10 consecutive Game 1 losses.
LEADING INTO TONIGHT'S GAME
Injury report: For the Raptors, Fred VanVleet is questionable with a bruised right shoulder. For the Wizards, Jodie Meeks is not with the team as he serves a league suspension.
From deep: The Raptors doubled up the Wizards on three-pointers in Game 1. While the Wizards shot 8-for-21 (38 percent) from beyond the arc, Toronto connected on 16-of-30 attempts (53 percent) from downtown. All 12 of C.J. Miles points came from beyond the arc, where he connected on 4-of-7 attempts, while Serge Ibaka shot 3-for-4 from three. The 16 three-pointers were a playoff franchise-high for Toronto.
Leading the way: In the regular season, the Raptors were a perfect 8-0 in games where Serge Ibaka scored at least 20 points. This streak continued into the postseason, as Ibaka had a fantastic Game 1 effort, leading Toronto with 23 points, 12 rebounds, an assist and two blocked shots. Ibaka shot 8-for-11 from the floor, 3-for-4 from three, and 4-for-4 from the free throw line in 33 minutes.
EXTRA ASSISTS
11th man: Coaches shortening their rotations in the postseason isn't anything new. It's what is expected to happen in the playoffs. This year, Dwane Casey is deviating from the norm in sticking with the players who helped Toronto get to the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Casey played 11 players in Game 1, with nine players logging at least 15 minutes of action.
Bench mob: The Raptors bench opened the postseason as it performed the entire regular season. Toronto reserves combined to score 42 points in Saturday's Game 1 victory, doubling the output of Washington's reserves, who combined for 21 points. In the regular season, Toronto's "bench mob" averaged 41.8 points per game (4th in the NBA). Despite Fred VanVleet's absence in Game 1 because of a bruised shoulder, the bench still hit its average. With Washington focused on DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, their teammates were ready to step up an help secure the victory.
Ready for battle: Though the Raptors came away victorious in Game 1, they're preparing for a hungry Washington team on Tuesday night. "Tomorrow night's game is going to be one of the toughest we've played," Dwane Casey said. "They're a talented team, well-coached team, they're not your typical 8 seed, and they're going to come out breathing fire."