Raptors rip Wizards 114-106 in rematch
WASHINGTON — The Toronto Raptors knew they’d need a better performance from their bench Friday night than they got in the first game of a home-and-home set with the Washington Wizards.
Norman Powell made sure it happened.
Powell scored a season-high 21 points off the bench, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and the Raptors defeated the Wizards 114-106 on Friday night despite giving back a 19-point first-half lead.
“Our main focus was coming out and playing with energy,” said Powell, part of a second group that outscored Washington’s 44-14. “We didn’t have that back in Toronto.”
DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points, including a key 3-pointer late, and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Raptors (37-25) pulled back into a tie with the Wizards (36-24) for third place in the Eastern Conference. Toronto also secured a 2-1 victory in the season series, a potential playoff seeding tiebreaker.
On Wednesday, Toronto lost to Washington 105-96 due largely to a 26-1 second-quarter run fueled by the Wizards’ reserves.
With three-time all-star guard Kyle Lowry out for the rest of the regular season following wrist surgery, the Raptors may need more performances like Powell’s to keep their place in the standings.
“That was big,” said DeRozan, Toronto’s other three-time all-star. “With Kyle out, we need everybody who can be a playmaker, create their own shot and get to the basket to do that. And Norm did it tonight.”
John Wall scored 30 points and Bradley Beal added 27 for Washington, which has lost nine consecutive regular-season series to the Raptors.
Despite taking five more free throws than their opponents, the Wizards appeared frustrated with officiating, a theme through much of their season.
Washington last got within one possession when Wall hit a 3-pointer cut it to 108-105 inside a minute, but DeRozan answered with his own 3-pointer from an almost identical spot with 20.9 seconds left.
That was enough to preserve a victory that could prove vital in the playoff race.
“It’s a game of frustrations, game of mistakes sometimes, but it’s how you play through it and fight through it that is probably going to determine the outcome,” Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. “I thought our guys fought through a lot tonight, individually and collectively.”