A move back to the bench seems to be agreeing with Bismack Biyombo.
The now-backup center filled in admirably during Jonas Valanciunas’ 17-game absence, something that mattered not only for those games but moving forward. Head coach Dwane Casey has gotten a much longer look at him now, allowing him to ease Valanciunas back into full duty, and giving him options for certain matchups or if Valanciunas is struggling during a game in the future.
Valanciunas was anything but struggling in the first half, scoring six points with five rebounds in 12 minutes, but Biyombo was even better, scoring eight points and grabbing 10 boards. Two of Biyombo’s points showed off that he can catch an imperfect dive-pass and still make something out of it. Biyombo reaches behind him to corral a Kyle Lowry dish, then gathers and throws it down.
Check out the fan-made highlight of the dunk on Grandstand here.
Thanks to the strong play of both centers – the Raptors have outscored the Wizards with either on the floor – the Raptors have an 11-point lead at the break.
Biyombo’s career highs are 15 points and 20 rebounds, if you’re on the “personal achievement” watch.
On the new sports app, you can share your own Raptors highlights, and watch other fans’ videos straight from the crowd.
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