Toronto Raptors rout Washington Wizards 106-89 - NBA Recap
After playing an NBA high 15 games on the road, the Toronto Raptors were finally at home. It turned out to be a good omen for them too as they overpowered the visiting Washington Wizards 106-89 at Air Canada Centre this Friday.
The Raptors used some fourth quarter muscle to outgun the Wizards and walk away with a comfortable win, even though the game was closer than the 106-89 line suggests.
Leandro Barbosa was on song for the Raps. The guard went 8 for 17 from the field to post 19 points. Forward Amir Johnson also had an impact with 13 rebounds and 18 points. James Johnson and DeMar DeRozan contributed with 13 and
11 points respectively while Jose Calderon dished out 17 assists for Raptors.
The Wizards also put up a valiant fight and were bolstered by the inspiring performance of Nick Young. The guard was dominant on the night and finished with a game high 21 points. John Wall scored 15; Trevor Booker recorded 13
while Jordan Crawford was the last Wizard player to get into double figures with 11 points.
The game started evenly and the two sides matched each other well in the opening quarter, ending it on 22 apiece.
The second period was dominated by Raptors as they held the Wizards to just 23 points. After some dogged resistance early, the Raptors made a decisive 23-15 run late in the frame that put the Wizards on the back foot and gave the
hosts a 55-45 lead by halftime.
The Wizards came back strongly in the third quarter, but could not hold the Raps on the D. As a result, the double digit deficit, 80-69, was still looming large as the team entered the last 12 minutes.
The game got further away from Wizards in the 4th quarter as the Raptors shifted gears and left the away side trailing in their wake. Already ahead, the Raptors went on a 15-8 burst that placed them in an unassailable
position. They extended the lead to as much as 21 points with 01:02 seconds remaining on the clock.
The Washington Wizards could only reduce the margin of their defeat before the clock expired, final score 106-89.
The Wizards, who crashed to their third consecutive defeat at Toronto, managed only 13 assists in the game and now stand with 4 wins and 19 loses.
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