WASHINGTON (AP) – Fred VanVleet scored a season-high 33 points, OG Anunoby added 21 and the Toronto Raptors beat the Washington Wizards 109-100 Wednesday night for their fifth straight win.
VanVleet made 13 of 22 shots for the Raptors, who avenged a 15-point loss on opening night at home to the Wizards two weeks ago.
Svi Mykhailiuk and Gary Trent Jr. added 15 points each for Toronto, which spent the final 34 minutes with a lead that reached 16 in the third quarter.
Bradley Beal scored 25 points to lead Washington, which suffered consecutive losses for the first time this season by shooting 8 of 32 (25%) from 3-point range.
Montrezl Harrell added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Wizards, who lost despite leading 23-6 in second-chance points and 40-34 in points in the paint.
Related Videos
VanVleet gave Toronto its biggest lead when he added seven straight points on a 3-pointer, layup and two free throws to stretch it to 66-50.
With Toronto still up 10 in the fourth, Beal pulled up and Harrell sank a slim to cut it to 103-97 with 3:53 left. VanVleet responded with a run layup, and the Wizards made just one of their last six shots.
ADVICE
Raptors: F Scottie Barnes (crooked thumb) missed his second game and will be reevaluated when the team returns to Toronto, coach Nick Nurse said. … VanVleet has scored 15 or more points in seven straight games. … Precious Achiuwa had 10 rebounds.
Wizards: After spraining his left ankle at the start of Monday’s loss at Atlanta, F Davis Bertans is “probably week-to-week,” coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “I don’t think I’m going to go this week.” … F Kyle Kuzma left in the third quarter with a bruise on his right forearm. … Rookie G Corey Kispert committed the first technical foul of his career with 8:17 left in the game.
WNBA IN TORONTO?
Toronto rapper Drake expressed his wish on Instagram for a WNBA expansion team in his hometown early Wednesday. Before the game, Nurse was asked his opinion.
“I think it would be great. I think Toronto should have a team,” Nurse said. Over there. Boys, girls, men, women, everything. I think women should be represented. And Toronto with a WNBA team, I imagine, would be a huge success. “
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that prior to Game 1 of the WNBA Finals last month, the league is in the process of evaluating potential future expansion cities.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Raptors: host Detroit on Friday.
Wizards: Memphis host on Friday.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
© 2021 The Canadian Press
Reference-globalnews.ca