Gameday: Raptors @ Wizards, November 3

Rematches are among the most attention-grabbing components of the NBA’s common season. Each groups have knowledge on each other, and never simply broad, common knowledge, however the particular stuff you possibly can solely generate whenever you play a crew your self. Each groups know the schematics they tried, what labored and what didn’t, and so they have an opportunity to recalibrate.

For the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards, that probability comes early. Each groups opened the season towards the opposite, and the Wizards received. That appeared on the time an in poor health omen for the Raptors’ possibilities, however the Wizards have since risen to 3rd place within the East, at 5-2. Now it looks like Toronto misplaced to a mighty crew. Nicely, tonight they’ll have an opportunity to unravel their errors.

Within the first go round, Toronto did a beautiful job bottling up Bradley Beal. He broke by for some free throws, however the Raptors held him to 7 of 19 from the sphere. Whereas Washington usually had bother scoring, it was boosted immensely by Montrezl Harrell. He feasted across the rim, scoring 22 factors on 9-of-11 taking pictures. Valuable Achiuwa wasn’t in a position to match his depth, and put up little resistance, whereas Khem Birch regarded a step gradual all night time. That was seemingly as a result of Birch had solely just lately left the well being and security program. He’s now coming off of among the best video games of his season, and Toronto will seemingly preserve him off the bench, not as a result of he’s not Toronto’s greatest heart possibility (he’s) however as a result of that’s a better place to match his minutes with Harrell’s. Birch is bodily geared up to gradual Harrell, however he’ll have to dial up his physicality.

On the opposite finish, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby shot extremely poorly from the sphere towards Washington. They each rushed into photographs and struggled each to create good photographs and to complete what they did try. Whereas the Raptors’ protection was stable towards Washington, their offense misplaced the sport. VanVleet and Anunoby have since settled into their roles and are enjoying fantastically, with VanVleet turning into a fourth-quarter nearer seemingly each recreation and Anunoby placing up a career-high 36 factors in Toronto’s final contest. Count on each to attempt to redeem their earlier outing towards Washington.

Recreation Data

Tip-off: 7:00pm EDT | TV: TSN | Radio: TSN 1050

The Lineup

Toronto’s Lineup

Scottie Barnes (thumb sprain) is out. Nick Nurse insists the harm isn’t severe, so he count on him to return quickly. Yuta Watanabe (calf) is out. Pascal Siakam (shoulder) is out.

PG: Fred VanVleet, Dalano Banton, Goran Dragic, Malachi Flynn

SG: Gary Trent Jr, David Johnson

SF: Svi Mykhailiuk, Sam Dekker, Justin Champagnie

PF: OG Anunoby, Chris Boucher, Isaac Bonga

C: Valuable Achiuwa, Khem Birch