Here’s the rundown, Twitter-style, via Storify, as hunted and gathered by the editors at TAI into this here blog post. Thanks if you happened to take part. The Subject: Wizards vs Raptors, Game 48, Jan. 31, 2015.
Wizards fall short in comeback bid, lose 120-116 to Raptors in overtime – Bullets Forever
After playing big parts in the Wizards’ late surge against Phoenix, Randy Wittman rewarded Otto Porter and Garrett Temple with playing time late in the first quarter with the starters and early in the fourth quarter. Alongside players who can generate some offense, they responded well. But when the second quarter began, Wittman opted to go with Miller, Temple and Porter on the perimeter and Humphries and Seraphin inside. Defensively, it made some sense to use Temple and Porter to defend Toronto’s three-headed monster of Greivis Vasquez, Lou Williams and Terrence Ross, and to their credit, they made things frustrating, though Toronto was still able to make some shots under duress.
Not sure when it was – late fourth quarter, I believe – but watching Lou Williams defend John Wall – yeah, him again – showed a side of Williams we seldom see but a side that Dwane has been talking about for a lot of the season. It was right in front of the Raptors bench, Wall had the ball and was going attack along the baseline but every time he made his move – it was at least twice – Williams got his feet going quickly enough so that there was no room for Wall to get past him. Now, Lou is never going to be confused with some ace defensive stopper but on that one possession he showed exactly what coaches mean when they say “keeping the guy in front of you.”
Raptors win in overtime again, defeat Wizards 120-116 – Yahoo Sports Canada
”Attacking, being aggressive, and taking shots I knew I could make,” Lowry said. ”My teammates trusted me to make the big plays.” Toronto squandered a 17-point, second-half lead Friday night before outlasting the Nets. ”It definitely says a lot,” DeMar DeRozan said of the overtime wins. ”It shows that we’re a poised, mature team. We’re definitely a team to be reckoned with.”
A glance at the Toronto Raptors schedule for February brings considerable trepidation to the hearts of even the most optimistic members of #WeTheNorth. Before the All-Star break, our guys tussle with the resurgent Milwaukee Bucks, a proud bunch of veteran Brooklyn Nets, then the Western Conference powers arrive. The Raps play the “other” Los Angeles team, the Clippers, then reigning-champion San Antonio. All of these are home games, so we’re in with a chance. Eight days off, then we hit the road, facing the high-flying Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets on consecutive nights, followed by New Orleans and Dallas. Greeting us when we get home – the Golden State Warriors. What will our team have left in the tank to face the Knicks in New York with the following night? Yes, that’s only ten games in the year’s shortest month, but only 2 of the opponents are under .500. Going 2-8 would not be a surprise.
Raptors stretch win streak to six vs. Wizards: Griffin | Toronto Star
“It was a huge win for us in an awesome environment,” Patterson said. “Yes, we gave up that large lead that we had in the second half, but our resilience, our toughness, leadership in Kyle and DeMar, our tenacity just kept us in that game and allowed us to win. On the defensive end it was just lack of communication, transition. It was complacency. We know they’re a great transition team. Bradley Beal and Wall are a great duo. Our leaders stepped up when they needed to step up.” The Raptors, for some reason, have had success against the Wizards. They won at home by 19 earlier in the season and are 5-1 over the past two seasons. “I think we just go out there and play our game,” Lowry said. “We have had success against other teams also, so it is not just these guys, but this is a talented team. This is one of the teams that I think we love (to play). It is just a fun game.”
Raptors Win Sixth Straight, Defeat Washington 120-116 in OT – Raptors HQ
While the Wizards cooled off, the hot streak for the Raptors continued as they began the second quarter on a 14-0 run. Terrence Ross provided a spark off of the bench with 8 points. Toronto entered the half up by 15, and held steady through the 3rd quarter, entering the the final 12 minutes of regulation with a 16 point lead. The fourth quarter served as an example of the adage that in the NBA, no lead is safe. While the Raptors struggled to string together successive strong possessions, the trio of John Wall, Nene and Kris Humphries willed their way back into the game, setting the table for veteran Paul Pierce to hit the three to force overtime. Worth noting is the fact that Jonas Valanciunas fouled out, and Dwane Casey opted to guard John Wall down the stretch with Lou Williams. The Raptors’ final play of regulation is likely to have irked many Raptors fans, as it was simply Iso-Lou going one-on-one with Wall.
Raptors blow lead over Wizards, win in overtime for second straight night – The Globe and Mail
The only downside to that spot is that it would likely remove them from a pairing with Washington. While the Wizards are good, and possess what might be the NBA’s most electric player in John Wall, they do not match up well with Toronto. The Raptors could take this team, maybe even easily. If Washington were to finish third, and then win their own first-round playoff series, then … well, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. Though they do it the hard way, the Raptors continue to set new marks. Their 33 wins after 48 games is as many or more than they’ve won in 12 complete seasons. They’ve never been ranked this high, this late in a year. Also, two consecutive overtime victories on two consecutive nights is a first in franchise history. Both of MLSE’s flagship teams are setting historic marks, and at opposite ends of the spectrum. Call it spreading around the risk. Maybe its time to start calling it a temporary changing of the guard.
Toronto Raptors edge out Washington Wizards in overtime
Aside from DeRozan and Lowry, Lou Williams put up 19 points on 50% shooting from the field. While his shot selection is still questionable at times (including the final shot in regulation), the reserve guard made key buckets in the later moments to keep his team alive. Additionally, Patterson recorded a solid 16 points to cap off a productive night on both ends of the floor. Overall, Toronto demonstrated smart ball distribution and offensive awareness. We saw a number of extra passes on the perimeter and good looks in the paint from the starting five. Oh, and the team somehow morphed into a collective Ray Allen in the first half on 11-18 shooting from beyond the arc. Seriously, it was unreal. The Raps came back to Earth in the second half (0-8 from three) but it was really their defensive woes which narrowed the gap.
Raptors win another nail-biter in OT | WASHINGTON | Raptors | Sports | Toronto S
“Four games in five nights, a great win for us,” Casey said. “You’re playing against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, yeah it was a tough game. We didn’t come here and expect to win by 20, we knew it was going to a tough game and I’m proud of our guys coming here fighting and really gutting it out.” DeRozan said the team simply refused to accept that the Pierce shot was a dagger. “No matter what, we still feel that we’re going to win the game,” DeRozan said. “Somebody makes a big shot, we’re still not going to be down. We’ve got the utmost confidence we’re going to win every single game until that clock runs out.”
