In a matchup of teams occupying the final two play-in spots in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards will attempt to complete a two-game sweep of the visiting Toronto Raptors on Saturday.
On Thursday, the Wizards defeated the Raptors 119-108 in the first of two games in Washington.
The teams are virtually tied, with Saturday’s winner moving into ninth place in the conference and the loser into tenth.
Thursday, Washington got off to a fast start thanks to a 30-point performance from Kyle Kuzma, who scored the first 10 points of the game.
The Wizards have now won two straight games as they try to regain their lack of consistency this season.
After missing two games with a sore knee, the Wizards’ Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points. Bradley Beal scored 15, while Daniel Gafford scored 18.
Delon Wright, a former Raptor, scored seven points, grabbed six rebounds, and had a season-best 11 assists in starting Monte Morris, a point guard, for the third game in a row because of a back injury.
Corey Kispert, a reserve guard for the Wizards, had 10 points and made two three-pointers, making him the first player in the club’s history to make 100 three-pointers in his first two seasons.
Toronto was led by O.G. Anunoby, who scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter. Jakob Poeltl scored 23, pulled down 13 rebounds, stole three rebounds, and blocked two shots.
His players concurred, some platitude each of the five players on the court at a given time weren’t as “focused” as they ought to be.
On Wednesday, the Wizards released center Vernon Carey Jr. and signed center Jay Huff to fill their second two-way contract spot.
Huff has ties to the Wizards because he was on their 2021 summer league team. On Thursday, Huff was assigned to the Capital City Go-Go of the G League.
