Washington’s road trip couldn’t have gone much better as the Wizards departed Toronto with a commanding 2-0 series lead after their huge win against the Raptors on Tuesday night. They will look to stretch that advantage even further when they lock horns once again with the Raptors in Game 3, this time in front of their own home supporters.
Who will emerge victorious in this Eastern Conference matchup? Read on for a breakdown of this clash and while you’re at it you can check out our Game 3 previews of Cleveland vs. Boston and Houston vs. Dallas.
[sc:NBAArticles ]
Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1 — April 18, 12:30 PM ET, Washington Wizards 93 at Toronto Raptors 86
Game 2 — April 21, 8:00 PM ET, Washington Wizards 117 at Toronto Raptors 106
Game 3 — April 24, 8:00 PM ET, Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards – view all NBA lines
Game 4 — April 26, 7:00 PM ET, Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards
Game 5* — April 29, Time TBD, Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors
Game 6* — May 1, Time TBD, Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards
Game 7* — May 3, Time TBD, Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors
* if necessary
Betting on the Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are in deep trouble.
[sc:NBA240banner ]For the second game running, homecourt advantage didn’t mean much for the Raptors as they slumped to a disappointing 117-106 loss to the Washington Wizards in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference First Round series on Tuesday night. A season that started with so much promise looks to be falling apart for the Raptors who have now lost four straight playoff games.
To make matters worse for Toronto, star guard Kyle Lowry may miss Game 3 after suffering a shin injury late in the fourth quarter of Game 2. Lowry’s presence has been hardly felt, however, in the past two games with the star guard struggling mightily on the offensive end.
After scoring just seven points on 2-of-10 shooting in Game 1, Lowry had another off-night in Game 2, finishing with just six points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field. This is definitely not the Lowry who led the Raptors with his outstanding play this past regular season. Lowry averaged 19.3 points and shot 43% from the field before the All-Star break but has seen his numbers dip because of a lingering back problem.
With Lowry looking lost right now, the onus is on DeMar Derozan and Lou Williams to pick up the scoring slack for the Raptors. Derozan had a fast start in Game 2, scoring nine quick points in the opening minutes but finished with just 20 points on 18 shots. Williams also scored 20 markers but only shot 5-of-13 from the field, including going 0-for-4 from beyond the arc.
Williams, a 34% three-point shooter in the regular season, is shooting just 2-of-12 with the long ball in this series. The whole Toronto team is struggling with their outside shooting with the Raptors making just 27.7% of their three-point attempts this postseason, third-worst in this year’s playoffs.
The Raptors are 4-2 in their last six road games.
The NBA Playoffs are finally here. Create a betting account now and cash in on all the exciting basketball action.
Betting on the Washington Wizards
Paul Pierce made headlines prior to this series after declaring that the Raptors don’t “have the ‘It’ that makes you worried.” After two eventful playoff games at Air Canada Centre, it looks like Pierce was just telling the truth.
The Wizards head home with an imposing 2-0 lead after recording an impressive 11-point win over the Raptors on Tuesday. That advantage seemed impossible at the onset of this series considering the Wizards lost 15 of their final 19 regular season games. The Wizards are a different beast, though, when it comes to the postseason as they have now won seven of their eight road games in the playoffs over the past two years.
The Wizards used a balanced offensive attack to defeat the Raptors in Game 2 with five Washington players scoring in double-figures. Bradley Beal led all scorers with 28 points on 12-of-21 shooting but it was the dazzling play of John Wall that swung the ballgame in the Wizards’ favor. Wall scored 26 points and dished out a franchise postseason record 17 assists.
It was a huge bounce-back performance for the backcourt duo after they both struggled mightily in the series opener. Beal and Wall shot just 11-of-41 from the field in Game 1 but made amends in Game 2, knocking 20 of their 37 field goal attempts.
What has been the difference in this series thus far, though, is Randy Wittman’s decision to use Pierce as a small-ball power forward. With Pierce attracting Toronto’s bigs outside on offense, Wall and Beal were able to repeatedly find clear paths to the basket. That proved to be a stroke of genius as Washington made its game-winning run at that juncture.
With Kyle Lowry possibly out for Game 3 with a shin injury, it’s paramount for the Washington guards to continue attacking the basket. If Wall and Beal can continue their hot scoring ways in the next game, the Wizards stand a good chance of not only grabbing the victory but also of booking a place in the next round.
The Wizards are 8-2 in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Washington wins, 102-92, to go 3-0 up in the series.
