NBA
Pascal Siakam Leads Raps to Victory Over Wizards
Jeremy Lin officially joined the Raptors tonight.
He seemed to really get along with his teammates.
Especially Pascal Siakam.
Toronto Raptors vs Washington High School
The opening few minutes of the game seemed more like a hockey game – because Toronto had a shutout going for almost four minutes.
Washington didn’t score a single point until the 8:31 mark of the first quarter. It really seemed like one of those NBA exhibition games where an international basketball powerhouse would be humiliated by an NBA franchise for the paying public.
Lifeless and devoid of passion on Washington’s end, this game appeared to be over in the first quarter.
Washington Turns the Tables
Jeremy Lin started off the bench and received a partial standing ovation. Marc Gasol is already a beloved commodity and received the largest cheer of the night when he checked into the game.
Washington began to chip away at the Raptors lead, then started gaining confidence as the game progressed.
This momentum continued until the 8:48 mark of the third quarter, where Nick Nurse was forced to call timeout after the Wizards had built a 12-point lead, 80-68.
Pascal Siakam to the Rescue
It’s unknown if Nick Nurse then delivered a stirring speech — reminiscent of Al Pacino in the movie “Any Given Sunday” — but the Raptors finally turned on the collective light bulb.
Pascal Siakam led the charge, scoring 33 points before the fourth quarter even started and setting a new career-high with 44 points.
Newly acquired Jeremy Lin also made an impact in this game. He played with a consistent motor and defensive energy that pervaded the team. Marc Gasol also anchored the defense yet again.
Lin and Gasol are going to make a significant difference in the playoffs — probably the best retooling the Raptors franchise has ever done pushing towards a playoff run.
OG Anunoby also had his best game of 2019, both anecdotally and statistically, and the Raptors survived yet another game without Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard barely seemed engaged all game, but he did find the energy to stand at the end of the 4th quarter when the crowd acknowledged Pascal Siakam’s career accomplishment with a standing ovation.
Siakam is clearly the piece this Raptors franchise will be building around in the future. He improves every single game, and on a night when he finally cracked the 40 mark, no doubts remain in the minds of Raptor fans.
On the night before Valentine’s Day, Pascal Siakam has captured the hearts of the entire city of Toronto.
Final result: Toronto 129, Washington 120
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
Pascal Siakam (obviously) – 44 points, 15/25 FG, 10/12 FT, 4 3PM, 10 REB, 2 AST, 3 BLK, +24
OG Anunoby – 22 points, 4 3PM, 5 REB, 1 STL, +18
Bradley Beal – 28 points, 14/15 FT, 3 REB, 11 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK
Next game:
Raptors play San Antonio Spurs on Friday, February 22nd @ 7pm in Toronto.
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