The Toronto Raptors will return from a 2-2 road trip to open a four-game homestand with a clash against the Washington Wizards on Monday night.
The Raptors completed their trek with a 117-94 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday night.
The Wizards lost 102-94 to the host Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon after overcoming a 17-point deficit to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Washington has dropped six of its past seven games.
The Raptors’ road trip included an impressive win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. It also had benefits that included some long practices and bonding as the team creates an identity.
Pascal Siakam led Toronto with 17 points on 6-for-17 shooting in Boston. Dennis Schroder scored 14 points, Jakob Poeltl had 12 and Scottie Barnes added 10 on 4-for-15 shooting as he has cooled off in the past couple of games after a strong start to the season.
Rajakovic said better defense helps to create better offense; however, he did not see that in Boston.
The Wizards’ leading scorer Sunday was rookie Bilal Coulibaly, who had a season-best 20 points off the bench. He added seven rebounds but also made a crucial turnover down the stretch.
Coulibaly, 19, led a comeback that had Washington leading by five points with 6:07 to play in the fourth quarter.
Washington’s Delon Wright (sprained left knee) will be out for at least three weeks. Wright was injured Friday in a loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
