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 Once Lowry found his rhythm against the Washington Wizards on
Tuesday night, there was little doubt which player shone brightest.
Lowry keyed a decisive third quarter and finished with 24 points and
10 assists as the Toronto Raptors returned from the All-Star break
with a 103-93 win over the Washington Wizards.
Guards DeMar DeRozen and Greivis Vasquez each scored 14 points for
the Raptors (29-24), who won their third straight game and improved
to 3-0 against Washington this season.
Toronto shot 56.8 percent from the field, led by 20 points in the
second half and had six players score in double figures in the first
game after the All-Star break for both teams.
After missing six of eight shots from the field in the first half,
Lowry made his first six in the third quarter and scored 14 points.
That span turned a two-point lead into a 20-point advantage in the
fourth quarter, enough of a margin to overcome a late offensive
funk.
Even after the Wizards (25-28) pulled within six points, Lowry saved
the day from the foul line.
"It's always tough to find a rhythm when you are coming off the
All-Star break unless you played in the All-Star (Game) or kept
working out," Lowry said. "We figured it out in the second half and
third quarter especially for me to get going a little bit."
Wizards guard John Wall, one of the players selected as an Eastern
Conference reserve over Lowry, scored 22 points for the Wizards.
However, Wall missed all seven shots from the field in the second
half.
Washington has lost three straight and five of six.
Toronto entered the post-All-Star break in third place in the East.
The loss dropped Washington into a statistical tie for sixth place
with the Brooklyn Nets.
Leading 57-55 early in the third quarter, the Raptors pulled away as
Lowry scored 12 points during a 21-6 run. His 3-pointer capped the
spurt and gave the Raptors a 78-61 lead with 2:41 remaining in the
third before the crowd of 15,624.
"He took the game over in the middle of the third quarter and willed
us to a win," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "He just kept
attacking and that's something that really helped us and helped him
get to the paint."
Washington played the final 4:39 without Randy Wittman as the coach
was ejected after picking up two technical fouls. The ejection
ignited the Wizards, who trailed 99-82 after DeRozen made one of two
technical foul shots. Washington scored 11 straight points and
trailed 99-93 with 1:06 remaining but would get no closer.
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"For some reason, when he got ejected we played with a lot of
energy," Wizards guard Bradley Beal said. "We've got to do that from
the start and not just when something big like throwing our coach
out happens.
After the Wizards surge, Lowry hit four straight free throws,
helping to put the game away even though Toronto's final field goal
in the fourth quarter came with 7:36 remaining.
"They were better than us tonight," Wittman said of the Raptors. "We
lost it a little bit there in the third quarter."
Wall won the Slam Dunk contest during All-Star weekend and played in
the main game on Sunday along with DeRozen. Beal lost in the finals
of the 3-point contest and Raptors forward Terrence Ross joined Wall
in the dunk event.
Wall had plenty of energy and accuracy in the first half. He made 9
of 12 shots from the field for 19 points in the first half, yet the
Wizards trailed 55-49 at halftime. Center Jonas Valanciunas scored
all 10 of his points in the first half and Toronto shot 57 percent
from the field.
Beal struggled, finishing with nine points on 2-of-10 shooting from
the floor and Ross scored only had two points.
The Wizards now need to figure out how to stop struggling before
their playoff position fades away.
"I don't think we're losing confidence or thinking that the season
is slipping away because we still have 29 games," Beal said. "That's
a lot of games. The season is still up for grabs."
NOTES: Both teams shot better than 56 percent from the field in the
first half. ... Raptors F Amir Johnson (ankle) returned to the
lineup and came off the bench after missing the final two games
before the All-Star break. ... Wizards F Al Harrington participated
in a full practice Sunday, his first since undergoing a knee
procedure on Dec. 19. Coach Randy Wittman said the veteran is
"getting closer" but did not offer a return date. ...The Raptors,
9-2 at home since Jan. 1, host the series finale on Feb. 27. ...
Toronto returns home to face the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, the
same day Washington plays the Hawks in Atlanta.
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