Beal deals 38 points in win over Raptors
• Bradley Beal s c ored a game- high 38 points and the Washington Wizards defeated the Toronto Raptors 107-96 at Air Canada Centre on Sunday.
The Wizards ( 5- 4) l ed by as many as 19 points for much of the first half.
The Raptors cut the deficit down to three points after DeMar DeRozan hit a threepoint shot with 7:24 remaining in the fourth quarter, but at no point held a lead.
Toronto (5- 4) struggled to get into a rhythm after the opening tipoff. They were five for 19 from the field ( 26 per cent) after the opening quarter and trailed the Wizards 32-17.
The first quarter point total was Toronto’s lowest offensively this season.
DeRozan l ed the scoring for the Raptors with 26 points.
Raptors head coach Dwane Casey expected his team could be in for a long night, given Toronto just completed a season-high sixgame road trip.
“This is t he t oughest game, the scariest game, just because of energy level, time changes,” Casey said before the game. “The energy level, feeling sorry for ourselves, saying, ‘ Oh we’re a little tired’ or whatever, that’s what we’ve got to fight.”
Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry was ejected from the game with 8:08 remaining in the second quarter after picking up back-to-back technical fouls for arguing calls.
Lowry recorded just two points, both from the foul line.
Toronto was forced to rely on their depth for the remainder of the game. Thirtysix of the Raptors’ 96 points came off the bench.
Note: The Wizards played without John Wall. The star point guard sustained a shoulder injury during Friday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said the injury was a long- term con- cern before the game: “It’s just maybe another day of rest and let the stinger kind of settle down a little bit.” Brooks said he expects Wall to be back in the Wizards’ lineup for their next game, against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.