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FINAL: Wizards 101 | Raptors 103
SCORING LEADERS
Wizards: Russell Westbrook (23), Davis Bertans (17), Garrison Mathews (17)
Raptors: Pascal Siakam (22), Gary Trent Jr. (16), Malachi Flynn (16)
SUMMARY
After a pair of clutch baskets from Russell Westbrook in the final two minutes of the game, the Wizards were defeated 103-101 by the Raptors on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Gary Trent Jr. Westbrook finished with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists while Pascal Siakam scored 22 points to lead Toronto.
The Wizards were again playing shorthanded, missing Bradley Beal (right hip contusion) for the fifth straight game, Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain) for the fourth consecutive game and Rui Hachimura (right shoulder tightness) for the second straight game.
After the Raptors scored the first point of the game, the Wizards answered with a 12-0 run led by four points from Westbrook and a pair of threes by Davis Bertans and Deni Avdija. As a team, Washington shot 11-22 (.500) from the field, 3-7 (.429) from 3-point range and led 28-19 after the first quarter. Toronto made a push in the second quarter, opening on a 7-0 run and took their first lead since 1-0 on an OG Anunoby dunk to go up 36-35 with 6:38 left in the half. Over the final 6:05 of the first half, Washington shot 6-8 (.750) from 3-point range and turned a one-point deficit into a 12-point lead.
The Wizards opened the second half on a 13-4 run, taking a 19-point lead on an Alex Len finish at the rim with 9:16 left in the third. The Raptors then went on a 15-4 run to cut the lead down to eight points with 5:34 on the clock. Washington endured the run and led by 11 heading to the fourth, but were unable to keep Toronto at bay for much longer. Early in the fourth, the Raptors went on a 19-2 run to take a six-point lead with 5:59 left in the game. Minutes later, Westbrook put an end to a seven-minute field goal drought with a mid-range jumper that tied the game at 98. Just over a minute later, he knocked down a 3-pointer to put Washington up 101-100. Up one and with 5.5 seconds left on the game clock, Raul Neto missed a reverse layup at the end of the shot clock. Gary Trent Jr. gathered the rebound and quickly advanced up the court, pulling up for the game-winning three as time expired.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
Wizards post up-and-down shooting performance
The Wizards’ biggest problem throughout their recent run of losses has been their inability to generate consistency from 3-point range. Early on against Toronto, Washington came out firing. As a team, they shot 9-18 (.500) from deep in the first half, with all nine makes coming from Garrison Mathews (4), Davis Bertans (3) and Deni Avdija (2). Bertans, playing in his second game back after missing time with a right calf strain, has now hit two-plus threes in 24 of the last 25 games, excluding a game he left early due to injury.
In the second half, however, the Wizards were unable to keep up the same 3-point production. They shot 2-7 (.286) from deep in the third quarter and just 1-10 (.100) in the fourth quarter as the Raptors worked their way back into the game. The Wizards’ lone fourth quarter make came from Westbrook in the final minute of the game.
Wizards lean on unlikely names
With Beal and Hachimura’s offensive firepower missing from the lineup, the Wizards needed a boost from some of the lower-usage rotational contributors. Avdija, Bertans, Mathews and Alex Len provided some of the support the team needed, combining to score 59 of the team’s 101 points. For Mathews, it was the third time this season and the fifth time in his career he’s hit at least four threes in a game. Their performance, like the Wizards’ as a whole, cooled after halftime. They combined to score 17 points in the second half, including just two in the fourth quarter.
Westbrook posts 19th triple-double
After seeing his second four-game triple-double streak of the season come to an end in the Wizards’ last outing, Westbrook got back to his ways on Monday against the Raptors, finishing with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. He has now grabbed 14-plus rebounds in six of the last seven games. Westbrook totaled 10 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in the first half, nearly recording the fifth first-half triple-double since 1997. The former MVP notched his 10th dime of the game just over two minutes in the second half, giving him his 19th triple-double of the season, adding to his league-leading total. Westbrook recorded five of his 11 assists in a span of just over four minutes late in the second quarter as Washington erupted from 3-point range.
NEXT UP: Wizards at Magic / Wednesday, April 7 / 7:00 P.M. / Amway Center
HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT