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Post-game Thoughts: DeMar DeRozan Leads Toronto Raptors Past Wizards

By Chris Okrainetz

Nov 2, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots the ball over Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) in the second quarter at Verizon Center. The Raptors won 113-103. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 2, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots the ball over Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) in the second quarter at Verizon Center. The Raptors won 113-103. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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DeMar DeRozan put the team on his back in the second half and led the Toronto Raptors  (3-1) to a 113-103 victory over the Washington Wizards (0-3).

VS.
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Thoughts and Observations

  • The Toronto Raptors overcame a slow start against Washington, as they went the entire first quarter without holding a lead and even found themselves trailing by as many as 12 points. They eventually cut the lead down to two and went into the half trailing by two points.
  • DeMar DeRozan put the Raptors on his back during the second half. In the third quarter alone he poured in 15 points and him and Kyle Lowry combined to shoot 10-of-12 from the field during the third quarter. DeRozan kept it going in the fourth quarter as his mid-range jumper was unstoppable.

    • With 33 seconds left in the game and the Raptors up by seven, DeRozan drilled his first three of the season to put the Raptors up by 10. The dagger three also gave DDR his second 40 point performance of the season.

  • We saw “good” Terrence Ross against Washington. In 18 minutes of play he went 6-of-8 from the field and finished with 15 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals. His 10 early points were crucial for the Raptors as they struggled out of the gate and Ross’ ability to lead the second unit was a welcoming sight. All-around great night for Ross.

    • Rookie

    Jakob Poeltl

    has improved each game this season and looks like he will be an integral part of the Raptors rotation this season. However,

    John Wall

    regularly destroyed Poeltl in pick-and-roll situations on Wednesday. Anytime Wall would run a high PnR and draw Poeltl on a switch, he would immediately attack him. Poeltl is a rookie so growing pains are to be expected, but his PnR defence will have to improve. Watching the Raptors PnR defence tonight actually made me miss Biyombo. *sigh*

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  • We finally saw Norman Powell play more than two minutes! Part of this might have been thanks to Lowry leaving to get stitches early on, but, either way, Norm saw quality minutes against Washington, including some time midway through the fourth quarter. Overall, Powell finished with five points, three rebounds and four assists in 15 minutes of burn. The team also went +18 when he was on the floor. I guess this means I can refrain from tweeting out #FreeNorm for a few games now.

    • Man, did the Raptors ever get crushed in the paint. The Wizards finished the night with 68 points in the paint while the Raptors had just 28.

    Points off turnovers were huge for Toronto. Washington coughed up the ball 21 times on Wednesday and it led to 30 points for the Raptors.

    Stock Up, Stock Down

    • Up: DeRozan has had a hot start to the season, but I still think he has room to grow. the other side, however, is that we’re witnessing “peak DeRozan,” which I don’t believe is the case. His stock might be a bit high at the moment, but I could easily see it rise more this season.
    • Down: DeMarre Carroll did not have a good game against the Wizards on Wednesday and we even saw Powell cut into some of his minutes. I’m not concerned about Carroll, at least not yet, but he did not play well against Washington, finishing the night with seven points, one rebound and one steal in 22 minutes of action while going 2-of-7 from the field.

    Stat of the Night

    10

    After struggling from behind the arc during their first three games, the Raptors made 10 three pointers on Wednesday night and went 10-of-25 from behind the arc. On top of their 10 three pointers, Toronto held Washington in check from behind the arc all night, allowing them to mkae just three of their 10 three point attempts.

    What’s Next

    The Raptors will return home to host the Miami Heat (2-2) on Friday night at the Air Canada Centre. Of course, with no Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh on the Heat roster, all the attention will shift towards James Johnson and his homecoming to Toronto!

    The #underutilized forward was a fan favourite in Toronto and I’m sure fans will give him a warm welcome. Johnson narrative aside, though, the Heat will enter Toronto fresh off a 108-96 overtime victory over the Sacramento Kings where the trio of Goran Dragic, Joe Johnson and Dion Waiters combined to score 67 points.

    Miami isn’t a terrible team, but they aren’t a great team either. In other words, this is a very winnable game for the Raptors.

    Next: Raptors Season Preview, Plus Other NBA Questions

    What did you think of the Toronto Raptors 113-103 victory over the Washington Wizards? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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