TORONTO — The Washington Wizards celebrated a close victory over the Toronto Raptors, securing a 118-117 win on Saturday night. Jordan Poole emerged as the star of the game, scoring an impressive 34 points for the Wizards, who are currently at the bottom of the NBA standings. The game concluded dramatically when Raptors guard Jamal Shead’s potential game-winning running layup was deemed too late, as video review revealed the ball left his hand after the buzzer had sounded.
This win marks the second consecutive victory for Washington, who now stand at a record of 13-49. The Wizards’ recent triumph over the Utah Jazz at home preceded their travel to Toronto, which is the initial stop of a challenging seven-game road trip. This journey will also include two games in Detroit and single matchups against the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, and another meeting with the Utah Jazz.
Contributions came from other Wizards players as well, notably Bilal Coulibaly, who added 18 points and secured 10 rebounds during the game. On the Raptors side, RJ Barrett led his team with 23 points, and Jakob Poeltl contributed significantly with 21 points. The Raptors, who had a successful outing against the Utah Jazz the previous night with their third consecutive win, found themselves just shy of continuing their winning streak.
With several key players absent from the Raptors lineup, including Immanuel Quickley (rest), Gradey Dick (right knee bone bruise), Ochai Agbaji (left ankle sprain), Ja’Kobe Walter (right hip flexor), and Jonathan Mogbo (nasal fracture), Toronto faced a tough challenge. When Poeltl, who had been causing difficulties for Washington, was benched due to a minutes restriction, the Wizards capitalized effectively.
In the final moments of the game, Shead’s supposedly game-saving shot prompted excitement among his teammates as they rushed onto the court. However, their celebrations were short-lived after the video review confirmed the shot came too late, sealing the victory for Washington.
Both teams are set to encounter each other once more on Monday night at the Scotiabank Arena, promising another exciting matchup as the Wizards continue their challenging road trip.
