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GAME INFO
Capital One Arena | 7 p.m. | TV: NBCSW | Radio: 980 AM & Wizards App
On Wednesday night, the Wizards are back in D.C., hosting the Raptors at 7 p.m. at Capital One Arena. Washington is looking to bounce back from a loss in Atlanta on Monday night that snapped a three-game winning streak. Toronto comes in on a four-game winning streak and sits at 5-3 on the season.
INJURY REPORT
WIZARDS: Davis Bertans (left ankle sprain – out), Thomas Bryant (left ACL injury recovery – out), Anthony Gill (right calf strain – out), Rui Hachimura (not with team – out), Cassius Winston (left hamstring strain – out)
RAPTORS: Scottie Barnes (right thumb sprain – out), Pascal Siakam (left shoulder injury recovery – out), Yuta Watanabe (left calf strain – out)
STORYLINES
Wizards to debut City Edition uniforms
Wednesday night’s game will be the Wizards’ first in their new City Edition uniforms. Unveiled on Monday in a video that featured narration from Pusha T and a montage of some of the franchise’s greatest moments, the Wizards’ City Edition uniforms were an instant hit. They feature numerous nods to the past, blending some of the best elements from the franchise’s six-decade history, including the classic blue and red striping of the team’s earliest year, the gold trim of the early 2000s and the “Washington” wordmark from the team’s late 2010s “Stars & Stripes” run. The new look was a standout among the league, drawing praise from around the team, league and greater NBA world – and will be on sale online and available at the Capital One Arena Team Store starting on November 15.
Wizards' defense looks to get back on track
The Wizards’ defense has been up and down through six games this season. Washington is coming off one of its worst defensive games of the season – a 122.9 defensive rating Monday in Atlanta – and ranks 13th in the NBA for the entire season (105.2). The Wizards, however, still tout one of the best single-game performances of the year, set on opening night against the Raptors. Washington’s 83 points allowed were the fewest its given up since 2017 and the 77.6 defensive rating that night is one of three sub-80.0 defensive ratings of the season across the entire league. The Wizards’ suffocating defense was multifaceted, holding the Raptors to 30-97 (.309) from the field, 7-34 (.206) from three – and forcing 19 Raptors turnovers. Toronto’s leading scorer, Fred VanVleet, scored just 12 points. Washington’s defense, spearheaded by Daniel Gafford and Montrezl Harrell in the frontcourt and a handful of versatile wings on the perimeter, will look to repeat that performance on Wednesday night.
Red-hot Raptors look for fifth win in a row
After starting the season 1-3, the Raptors found their footing and have rattled off four consecutive wins, defeating the Pacers twice, the Magic and, most recently, the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. In the win in New York, Toronto was led by fifth-year wing OG Anunoby, who scored a career-high 36 points, shooting 13-27 (.481) from the field and knocking down four threes. Anunoby is averaging 23.0 points per game during the win streak while rookie wing Scottie Barnes, who will not play on Wednesday due to a thumb sprain, is just behind him, scoring 20.0 points per game on 54.2% shooting to go along with 9.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
TICKETS
Tickets for all Wizards home games can be purchased HERE.