10 things from Raptors-Wizards
Welcome to the 10 things recap by theScore features writer William Lou, which serves to highlight emerging trends from a Raptors perspective.
Impressive: The Raptors put together one of their best efforts of the season by putting the smackdown on an old nemesis. Toronto scored 125 points with 32 assists while holding Washington to under 40 percent shooting from the field.
Regression: The lid is finally off the rim for the Raptors. They drained eight 3-pointers in the first quarter alone and finished with 17 threes on 39 attempts. The Raptors came into the game with the seventh-lowest 3-point percentage in the league despite taking the seventh-most wide-open threes.
Integrated: This was Kawhi Leonard's best game since he jammed his foot against the Suns. Leonard was money from the mid-range while curling around screens, he wasn't afraid to drive and finish through contact, and his defensive activity was high. He finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes.
Tunnel vision: The only knock against Leonard is he rarely passes because he's always confident that he has the best matchup. He's right most of the time, but it's a bit awkward when he misses a turnaround jumper when there's an open shooter with his hands up.
Sustain: Washington came out of halftime with a 9-0 run to briefly take the lead before Leonard and Kyle Lowry each responded with five points apiece to regain control. The Raptors have developed a bad habit of taking their foot off the gas pedal this season, as they have blown leads of 19, 18, and 16 in the last 10 days.
Caution: There was a scary moment in the second when Lowry tripped on Bradley Beal's foot along the baseline and fell into Leonard's leg. Thankfully, both players are fine, as Leonard even took it coast-to-coast for a dunk on that same play. Lowry stayed down momentarily, but he finished the game without a problem.
Boost: OG Anunoby was incredible in his return after missing the last three games with a wrist injury. Anunoby drilled two corner threes, made excellent cuts to get open, and played a pivotal role in the third quarter by drilling a three and a layup when the defense collapsed around Leonard.
Bench: Fred VanVleet continued to show signs of life with three triples, seven assists, and a gorgeous scooping layup, while Delon Wright also broke out of a slump with 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting. Now they're just waiting on C.J. Miles, who continues to settle for difficult shots.
Scouted: Pascal Siakam was limited to just seven points on 2-of-5 shooting after Wizards coach Scott Brooks discussed how Siakam has moved up on his scouting report following his hot start to the season.
Abysmal: This was just a pathetic effort from John Wall, who finished with 11 points and seven turnovers on 5-of-13 shooting. All of the rage and passion that used to characterize his game is now gone. Wall looks checked out.