Raptors’ bench too much for Wizards
It was a game of starters vs. starters and bench vs. bench, with both teams holding an edge in one column.
But while the Washington starters’ edge on Toronto’s top five was strong, they lacked the advantage CJ Miles provided in the battle of the benches. That was pretty much the difference in this one as Toronto sawed off the season series with the Wizards 2-2 with a 102-95 win. Miles, working his way back to his early-season form following some injuries, served notice he is all the way back with this one. He helped the Raptors’ starters withstand a strong charge from the Wizards with a 6-for-9 night from his office behind the arc as part of a 20-point performance.
It’s the kind of performance Miles expects from himself and it couldn’t have come at a better time, as every point was needed in this one with the Wizards’ starters doing a job on the Raps.
Otto Porter Jr., in particular, was giving the Raptors fits with a 9-for-12 night from the field for a game-high 24 points.
Bradley Beal wasn’t quite up to his previous form when he almost single-handedly dusted Toronto on their own court, but he still had 23 points and six assists.
For the second game in a row, the Raptors’ starting five came out slow as Washington built an early lead. Unlike in Orlando two nights earlier, the Raptors’ bench was ready from the first time they were called upon and chipped away at a 14-point deficit before handing it back to the starters late in the second with a one-point advantage.
Toronto’s bench outscored the Washington subs 48-15 to offset any damage Wizards starters did.
DeMar DeRozan led all Raptors with 23 points.
QUICK HIT: Jakob Poeltl is on a block party tour with 11 in his past four games and leads the Raptors with 77. He is No. 2 among all rookies and sophomores in the blocks department, trailing only Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, who has 86.