GAME #41 – TORONTO RAPTORS (26-14) vs. WASHINGTON WIZARDS (13-27) FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2020 – 7 P.M. (ET) – SCOTIABANK ARENA TV: TSN – RADIO: SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN
RAPTOR NOTES
• The Toronto Raptors host the Washington Wizards on Friday night at Scotiabank Arena. This is the second of three games between the two teams. The Raptors won the first meeting 122-118 at home in December. Kyle Lowry scored a team-high 26 points and Serge Ibaka recorded a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds in the victory. Toronto has won six in a row vs. the Wizards, including four straight at home. The Raptors swept the season-series in 2018-19 for the third time in five seasons. Since 2014-15, Toronto is 16-3 against Washington during the regular season.
• Toronto reaches the midway point of the 2019-20 season Friday night. The Raptors have had a +.500 record at the halfway point each of the last seven seasons (2013-20). Toronto was a franchise-best 29-12 (.707) after 41 games the previous two seasons (2017-19).
• Kyle Lowry recorded 17 points, a team-high eight assists and four rebounds in 33 minutes Jan. 15 at Oklahoma City. Lowry has now recorded at least eight assists in four consecutive games (Jan. 7-15); averaging 10.5 assists during this stretch. Lowry has dished out five or more assists in each of his 29 games this season, the longest single-season streak of that kind in his career. The only other players who had at least five assists in 25 straight games within a season for the Raptors are Damon Stoudamire (40-game streak in 1995–96) and Calderon (25-game streak in 2007–08 and 44-game streak in 2010–11).
• The Raptors shot a season-high .612 (52-for-85) from the field, including a season-best .556 (15-for-27) from three-point range, Wednesday night at Oklahoma City. Toronto shot 60 per cent from the floor in a game for just the 10th time in franchise history (Last: Nov. 27, 2018 at Memphis). The Raptors improved to a perfect 8-0 this season when they shoot .500 from the field.
• Norman Powell scored a team-high 23 points (9-11 FG. 3-4 3PT, 2-2 FT) in 27 minutes off the bench Jan. 15 at Oklahoma City – his ninth 20-point effort of the season. Powell had four 20-point games last season. Since returning from a left shoulder injury, Powell has posted consecutive 20-point performances (Jan. 1215), averaging 21.5 points and shooting 68 per cent (17-25) from the floor
. • Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol scored 15 points apiece Jan. 15 at Oklahoma City. Gasol returned to the lineup after missing the previous 12 games (Dec. 20 – Jan. 12) with a left hamstring strain. The Raptors are 12-6 this season when both Ibaka and Gasol play in the same game.
• Pascal Siakam moved up to second among all Eastern Conference frontcourt players in the third fan returns of NBA All-Star voting. Siakam is looking to become the seventh player in franchise history to earn an All-Star selection, joining Vince Carter (5X), Chris Bosh (5X), Kyle Lowry (5X), DeMar DeRozan (4X), Kawhi Leonard and Antonio Davis.
• Rookie Terence Davis ll contributed 12 points, a team-high seven rebounds and a career-best three steals in 17 minutes of action Jan. 15 at Oklahoma City. Davis has now grabbed five or more rebounds in three consecutive games (Jan. 8-15), averaging 7.7 rebounds during this span. Davis is the only Raptors player to appear in every game this season and currently leads all rookies in +/- rating (+198).
PROBABLE STARTERS
F – SERGE IBAKA #9
MIN: 26.6 REB: 8.5 AST: 1.2 STL: 0.4 TO: 2.1 BLK: 0.9 PTS: 15.1
• Contributed 15 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes Jan. 15 at Oklahoma City. • Averaging 17.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 32.2 minutes in 13 games as a starter. • Shooting .532 (50-94) from the field, including .467 (7-15) from three-point range, through six games in January.
F – PASCAL SIAKAM #43
MIN: 36.2 REB: 7.8 AST: 3.6 STL: 1.0 TO: 2.6 BLK: 0.9 PTS: 24.6
• Tallied 21 points, four rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes Jan. 15 at Oklahoma City. • Ranks 14th in the NBA in scoring (24.6) and fifth in minutes per game (36.2). • Has scored 30+ points 10 times; had five 30-point performances in 80 games played last season.
C – MARC GASOL #33
MIN: 28.3 REB: 6.6 AST: 3.5 STL: 0.8 TO: 1.2 BLK: 1.1 PTS: 6.9
• Totaled 15 points, five rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes Jan. 15 at Oklahoma City. • Missed 12 games (Dec. 20 – Jan. 12) due to a left hamstring strain injury sustained Dec. 18 at Detroit. • Has collected 10+ rebounds five times this season.
G – OG ANUNOBY #3
MIN: 28.3 REB: 6.6 AST: 3.5 STL: 0.8 TO: 1.2 BLK: 1.1 PTS: 6.9
• Finished with 21 points, a career high-tying five rebounds and five assists in 39 minutes Jan. 15 at OKC. • Toronto is 17-4 this season when Anunoby scores 10 or more points. • Shooting a career-best .506 (175-346) from the field, including .530 (35-66) over the last seven games.
G – KYLE LOWRY #7
MIN: 38.3 REB: 4.5 AST: 7.8 STL: 1.2 TO: 3.0 BLK: 0.5 PTS: 20.5
• Recorded 17 points, eight assists, and four rebounds in 33 minutes Jan. 15 at Oklahoma City. • Ranks sixth in the NBA in assist per game (7.8); averaging 10.5 assists over the last four games (Jan. 7-15). • Has made at least two three-pointers in 16 straight games (Dec. 14 – Jan. 15); totaled 54 threes during this span.
INJURY REPORT Dewan Hernandez (Right ankle; sprain) – Out Fred VanVleet (Right hamstring; strain) – Questionable.
LAST TIME VS. WASHINGTON
GAME 28 – DECEMBER 20, 2019 TORONTO 122, WASHINGTON 118 TORONTO — Serge Ibaka stepped into the starting lineup and helped the injury-riddled Raptors keep winning … Kyle Lowry scored 26 points, Ibaka had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Toronto overcame the absence of three key players to beat the struggling Washington Wizards 122-118 on Friday night … Fred VanVleet returned from a five-game absence with 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists … Bradley Beal scored 37 points, Ish Smith had 26 and Isaiah Thomas scored 12 as the Wizards lost for the eighth time in 10 December games … Toronto led 96-85 to begin the final quarter, but Beal and Admiral Schofield made back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the deficit to two points, and Smith’s 3-pointer with 5:21 to go tied it at 107-107 … Patrick McCaw hit a tiebreaking 3 with 3:02 remaining and, after Beal missed a 3 that would have tied the score, Lowry answered with a 3 with 2:00 left, putting the Raptors up 116-110 … Beal and Troy Brown Jr. each made baskets in the final 21 seconds to cut the deficit to two points, but VanVleet made four free throws down the stretch to preserve the win … The Raptors led 40-23 after one, their highest-scoring first quarter of the season, and were up 68-52 at halftime.
1 2 3 4 TOT
WASHINGTON 23 29 33 33 118
TORONTO 40 28 28 26 122
The view from left field 