The Raptors shoot lights out against Wizards in Game 1: 3 takeaways
By Dre Elder
The Toronto Raptors used depth and a deadly 3-point barrage to down the Wizards and score their first Game 1 win in franchise history.
A leak from the ceiling of the Air Canada Centre before tip-off gave the Toronto Raptors more time to think about how they would win their first Game 1. Yes, that’s right. The Raptors earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time in franchise history. However, they had never won Game 1 of a playoff series until Sunday evening.
The team from north of the border used a blistering second half to pull away from the Wizards — the same Wizards who swept them from the playoffs a season ago. But, the north remembers. The skeptics have come out in droves to remind the Raptors of past postseason failures. But, the north remembers. They say Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan cannot be trusted in the playoffs. Yep, you guessed it, the north remembers. This version of the Toronto Raptors are primed to prove that winter is indeed here.
Takeaways
The Raptors are no longer playing Jurassic-style basketball. As recently as last season, Toronto ranked in the bottom-third of the NBA in pace. The team deployed a deliberate attack that did not feature the 3-point shot. On Sunday evening, Toronto showcased their new arsenal by bombing away from distance against Washington. They connected on 16 of 30 attempts from 3-point land. The Raptors had six players make multiple threes in their Game 1 win over the Wizards.
Toronto took control of the game in the second half, as their depth proved be too much for Washington to withstand. The Raptors used crisp ball movement to repeatedly find the open man in the corner. They often pushed the pace to create early offense. These Raptors are a different beast this postseason.
A lack of depth continues to plague the Wizards. The starting lineup for the Washington Wizards combined to score 85 of the team’s 106 points. John Wall and Bradley Beal combined to score 42 points, but combined to shoot just 14-for-37 from the field. Veteran forward Mike Scott was the only noteworthy contributor off the bench. Scott chipped in 14 points and 3 rebounds.
Washington’s two backup guards, Tim Frazier and Tomas Satoransky, played a combined 16 minutes. And they mustered a dismal two points between the two of them. The Raptors comfortably go 12 deep, so the Wizards need their bench to show up. Toronto’s strength in numbers may just end this series quickly if things don’t change for Washington.
Defense may win championships, but this series won’t need it. The Raptors finished the regular season as the NBA’s fifth-best team in Defensive Rating. Conversely, the Wizards finished in the middle of the pack. Simply put, sometimes they defend and sometimes they don’t. The latter describes the Wizards’ showing in this series-opening contest. Despite forcing Toronto to commit 15 turnovers, Washington offered very little resistance on the defensive end. The Raptors shot 54 percent from the field and 53 percent on threes for the game.
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Toronto didn’t fare much better defensively. They allowed Washington to shoot 48 percent from the field and 40 percent from distance. But it didn’t matter. And this trend could continue throughout a series that features four All-Star guards. Both teams look to get shots up early and often. Don’t be surprised if this series comes down to an offensive shootout.