Raptors get revenge on the Wizards behind DeRozan’s big game
The Toronto Raptors couldn’t get anything to fall from three points land on Sunday night. Fortunately for the Raptors, their three-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan had no problems draining shot after shot from inside the arc.
DeRozan’s right hand man, Kyle Lowry, continued his disappointing 2017-2018 campaign, but Toronto managed to take down the the Washington Wizards 100-91. They avenged their only home loss of the season, and while it was a less than memorable performance for most of the Raptors roster, DeRozan came up big with 33 points and had himself a game.
Although he’s made a living getting to the charity stripe, the high-flyer couldn’t seem to find his way to the line. The Raptors’ shooting guard jacked up 26 shots, but only attempted a single free throw.
In the end, his drought from the line was but a small blemish on an otherwise great outing. Not only did DeRozan flirt with a triple double, but he also put the exclamation mark on the game with a massive dunk in the fourth quarter after a miss from the Wizards on the other end.
Washington floor general John Wall sat on the sidelines nursing a sore left knee, but Bradley Beal put forth a valiant scoring effort and racked up 27 points. Although Beal led Washington in Wall’s absence, head coach Scott Brooks said it’s likely the four-time All-Star will return to action in Monday night’s matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Monday will mark the first time the Wizards play back-to-back games this season, but if they continue the streaky shooting and inconsistent play that’s marred their season, it’ll hard to bet against a promising Bucks team. Even if Wall returns, it’s become increasingly difficult to predict anything from this year’s squad.
Whatever lineup Washington deploys, viewers are always in for a show when Giannis Antetokounmpo steps on the court. It’s far from a Finals matchup, but should the Greek Freak and Optimus Dime suit up and battle it out, the showdown between the two All-Stars could become an instant classic.
