2018 Playoffs: Game 1 Preview - Raptors vs. Wizards | Toronto Raptors
2018 Playoffs: Game 1 Preview - Raptors vs. Wizards
Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com
Posted: Apr 14, 2018
Washington Wizards (0-0) @ Toronto Raptors (0-0)
When: Saturday, April 14th, 5:30 P.M. ET
Where: Air Canada Centre
Broadcast info: ESPN, SN1, TSN1050
LAST MEETING
The Raptors defeated the Wizards 102-95 on March 2 in the final meeting between these teams in the regular season. The victory was Toronto's fourth straight on the road, as the Raptors were led by their reserves who outscored Washington's bench 50-15. C.J. Miles led the reserves with 20 points, while DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points and Jonas Valanciunas and Fred VanVleet each scored 12 points. Toronto helped pressure Washington into 18 turnovers, scoring 27 points off those miscues, still the game was close throughout the fourth quarter until a three from Miles put the Raptors ahead by six with 3:06 remaining. The Wizards were led by Otto Porter's 24 points and 23 points from Bradley Beal in the loss.
LEADING INTO TONIGHT'S GAME
Injury report: For the Raptors, Dwane Casey said Fred VanVleet is questionable with a sore shoulder. For the Wizards, Mike Scott is questionable as a result of being in the NBA concussion protocol, and Otto Porter is listed as questionable with a strained right calf.
Season series: The Raptors went 2-2 against the Wizards during the regular season. Each team split their home games, but the Wizards were without John Wall in all four games because of injuries. Despite not facing Wall during the regular season, the team has spent the previous two days practicing with him in mind. "They're good pick and roll players," Jonas Valanciunas said. "John Wall is one of the quickest guys in the league, so it's not easy stoping him in the pick and roll. We've been preparing now for the last two days, it's not the first time we're facing them and we'll know what to expect, and we'll try to take that away."
Game 1 on deck: "Our Game 1 is our Game 7 tomorrow, to be honest," Kyle Lowry said after Friday's practice. Though no one can provide a specific reason, Toronto is 1-12 all-time in the first game of a playoff series. The last time the team won a Game 1 was in 2001, against the Philadelphia 76ers. Saturday marks the eighth time the Raptors will have homecourt advantage to start a playoff series, and Lowry and Co. are ready to start a new postseason streak.
EXTRA ASSISTS
Meeks out: The NBA announced on Friday that Washington's Jodie Meeks had been suspended without pay for twenty-five games for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program for testing positive for Ipamorelin and Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-2. His suspension will begin on Saturday when the Raptors/Wizard series tips off. Another roster change for the Wizards is the signing of reserve point guard Ty Lawson, who was playing in China, prior to signing with (and flying to) Washington on Thursday.
Moving the rock: In a regular season where the Raptors moved from 30th in assists to sixth, Dwane Casey credits the team's chemistry for helping with the transition. "Trust, more than anything," Casey said of the offensive changes. "Guys trusting each other, trusting the pass. I see a guy open over there, let's move the ball to him." Though rotations shorten and defensives tighten up in the postseason, the Raptors want to keep playing with the same identity they created while going 59-23 this season.
Top seed: The Raptors will kick off the 2017-18 postseason as the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time in franchise history. DeMar DeRozan is Toronto's all-time playoff leader for points (890), field goals (310), free throws (256) and games started (41). Toronto last saw the Wizards in the postseason in 2015, but DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, and Jonas Valanciunas are the only players still on the roster from that series.
