Who's Playing
Matchup: Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards
Records: Raptors (19-8), Wizards (8-18)
Where to Watch
Date: Dec. 20, 2019
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: TSN (Canada), NBC Sports Washington or NBA League Pass (USA)
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Game Preview
The last time the Raptors saw the Wizards, Pascal Siakam was unbelievably good notching a career-high 44 points helping Toronto sweep their season series with the Wizards for the first time since 2015-16.
Siakam, however, won't be a part of this meeting with Washington as he joined a concerningly long list of Raptors who have now been hit with the injury bug.
Toronto will keep their fingers crossed that Fred VanVleet can go. VanVleet has missed the last five games, but it didn't really slow the team down as they went 4-1 in that stretch. Without nearly half of their core unit, VanVleet will be a welcoming addition back into the lineup.
Expect a fast-paced game on Friday night as the Wizards rank third in the NBA in pace. They also rank fourth in the NBA in offensive rating and score the third-most points per game only behind the Bucks and Rockets.
Bradley Beal is enjoying an All-Star calibre year averaging 27.6 points, 7.0 assists, both career-highs.
The short-handed Raptors will have their hands full with the offensive-minded Wizards.
While it may be tough to stop Washington from scoring, it won't be difficult to score on them. The Wizards have the worst defence in the league with a defensive rating of 116.1.
No one wants to see the injuries hit their team, but the Wizards may be the right team to play when you're without a lot of your scoring punch.
Injury Report
Wizards: C.J. Miles (Wrist, Day-to-day), Thomas Bryant (Foot, Out), Rui Hachimura (Groin, Day-to-day), Jordan McRae (Finger, Out), Moritz Wagner (Ankle, Day-to-day), John Wall (Achilles, Out)
Raptors: Pascal Siakam (Out), Stanley Johnson (Out), Fred VanVleet (Game-time decision), Marc Gasol (Out), Norman Powell (Out), Matt Thomas (Day-to-day)
Game Notes
- Washington was swept (0-4) by the Raptors last season, marking the first time they have been swept in the series since 2015-16.
- The Wizards have not won a season series over Toronto since the 2007-08 season (3-1).
- The Wizards have lost five straight against Toronto, tied for their second-longest losing streak against the Raptors.
- Washington’s 4-18 (.182) record against Toronto since the 2013-14 season is the lowest winning percentage against any team in the Eastern Conference.
- Bradley Beal has totalled 15 20+ point games against Toronto since the 2010-11 season, marking the 4th most by a player. Beal has also scored 20+ points in the past 10 consecutive games (since the 2013-14 season), the most by an Eastern Conference player.
- Last season, Washington averaged 119.5 ppg against the Raptors, the second most ppg they scored against an Eastern Conference opponent. Toronto averaged 127.8 points per game against the Wizards, the most against any team.
Last Time They Played
Date: Feb. 13, 2019
Score: Raptors 129, Wizards 120
Raptors: Pascal Siakam - 44 points (career-high), 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Wizards: Bradley Beal — 28 points, 11 assists, 1 block
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