The Washington Wizards lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Toronto Raptors, 95-93, thanks to a DeMar DeRozan 15-footer that put Toronto up two with 13 seconds left in the game. Washington tied the game at 93 with a John Wall three-pointer with 2:10 left in regulation. They were unable to convert on several opportunities down the stretch, and the Raptors were able to convert when the game mattered most.
John Wall finished the game with 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting with eight assists. However, Wall turned the ball over five times and went 1-of-6 from behind the arc, including a missed three at the end of regulation that sealed the victory for Toronto. Paul Pierce scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting while Nene added 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Drew Gooden was very active off the bench, as he scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in 29 minutes of play in place of the injured Kris Humphries.
Louis Williams once again put a hurting on Washington, as he scored 27 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, 4-of-8 from three, and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. DeMar DeRozan struggled shooting from the field, but he remained aggressive, scoring 23 points while going 10-of-10 from the charity stripe. Kyle Lowry finished the game with 13 points and six assists. Even though his stat line is pretty average for the All-Star, he made shots when the game was on the line.
What has to be frustrating for Washington was their ability to hold Toronto to 40.8 percent shooting from the field and out-rebounding the Raptors, 50-to-37. The Wizards pounded the paint with 42 points as opposed to only 24 by the Raptors. However, Toronto’s three-point barrage was too much, as they went 11-of-26 from behind the arc and took advantage from the free-throw line going 22-of-26. The Wizards turned the ball over too much, with 16, which led to 12 Raptor points. They also struggled from three-point land going 5-of-21; Bradley Beal’s absence was truly missed.
It’s becoming a common theme for Washington against playoff teams above .500. The Wizards led the Raptors by 10 with 2:53 left in the third quarter. By the end of the quarter, Toronto cut the lead to one thanks to a 12-3 run. Washington’s record against the Atlanta Hawks (3 games), Toronto Raptors (3 games), Dallas Mavericks (2 games), Phoenix Suns (2 games), and Portland Trail Blazers (1 game) is a combined 0-11. Toronto has defeated the Wizards seven of the last eight times, including all three this season.
This is the final game for both teams before the All-Star break. The Toronto Raptors record before the break is 36-17 which puts them second in the Eastern Conference. The Washington Wizards record before the break is 33-21 which puts them fifth in the Eastern Conference. Toronto will face the Atlanta Hawks right after the break on the road at 7:30 PM EST. Washington will face the Cleveland Cavaliers at home at 8:00 PM EST on ESPN.