Raptors-Wizards: Game preview

VERIZON CENTER

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: Sportsnet One Radio: TSN Radio 1050

Toronto starters: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, DeMarre Carroll, Luis Scola, Bismack Biyombo.

Washington starters: John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, Kris Humphries, Marcin Gortat.

Key matchup: Kyle Lowry vs. John Wall.

The Raptors’ playoff horror of a year ago should weigh heavy on Lowry’s mind, as well as the rest of his teammates, when they step back onto the floor at Verizon Center.

The point guard battle will be a good one, with the starting backcourt from February’s all-star game going head-to-head. Lowry’s slimmeddown frame will be better suited to try to match Wall’s end-to-end speed. While Lowry trained, Wall worked on his shot and is trying to incorporate an outside touch to an

already lethal game. Both are shooting just under 42 per cent from the field, but Lowry has the edge from three, where he’s making 40.4 per cent of his shots to the 30.2 per cent that Wall is hitting.

Need to know: The Wizards’ threegame win streak of last week is just that — old news. They had dropped two straight going into their Friday night date with the Boston Celtics . . . Washington only scored just six points in the fourth quarter on Wednesday and was closed out by a 25-2 run at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets . . . Going into Friday’s game, Gortat has three doubledoubles this season . . . Heading into Friday’s game, the Wizards were allowing 106.4 points per game, the worst in the eastern conference. The Raptors are fourth, with 96.6 points allowed.

Up next: Sunday at the Air Canada Centre, vs. Phoenix, 6 p.m.