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Raptors win first Game 1 in 17 years

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

The Toronto Raptors have finally done it.

The team defeated the Washington Wizards 114-106 in Game 1 at Air Canada Centre on Saturday to claim its first series-opening victory in 17 years. The win ends a losing streak of 10 consecutive Game 1s, with Toronto's last such victory coming in the 2001 East semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers. It's also the Raptors' first-ever Game 1 triumph in the first round after losing the previous nine.

Knowing the franchise's Game 1 curse all too well, All-Star Kyle Lowry alluded to the importance of starting the series on the right foot.

"Our Game 1 is like a Game 7," Lowry said Friday. "We've got to play like it's a Game 7."

Related: Raptors must solve Bradley Beal problem to get past Wizards

That, they did. Serge Ibaka led the way for the No. 1-seeded Raptors with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks in an intense, back-and-forth affair. John Wall paced the No. 8 Wizards with 23 points, 15 assists, and four steals. Wall missed all four regular-season matchups against Toronto, which the clubs split 2-2. It's the first time the two teams have met in the postseason since 2015, when Washington upset the northern rival in a 4-0 sweep.

The Raptors host Game 2 on Tuesday night.

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