WASHINGTON — The name of the arena has changed since the last time the Toronto Raptors visited the Washington Wizards in the playoffs.
That is not all.
Three years after getting swept by the Wizards in the first round of the playoffs — with the final two games coming at then Verizon Center — the Raptors roll into Capital One Arena on Friday night with a 2-0 edge in the best-of-seven series.
“We had some tough experiences out there Kony Ealy Jersey , especially in the playoffs, right?” Jonas Valanciunas told the Toronto Sun after Thursday’s practice.
In 2015, the No. 5 Wizards — led by veteran Paul Pierce — pulled off a what was a mild upset of the No. 4 Raptors, closing out the series with a 31-point rout.
This time out, the No. 8 Wizards, who played a large chunk of the season without point guard John Wall, were again thought capable of upsetting the now top-seeded Raptors, but haven’t shown evidence of that.
Toronto, meanwhile, appears comfortable being the hunted and are up 2-0 in a playoff series for the first time in their history.
“A few years ago, we had to have that (underdog) mentality, that chip on our shoulder mentality, or else Myles Jack Jersey ,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey told the Toronto Globe and Mail. “So we’re growing, I think our guys are developing a mental toughness that you have to have to be the favorite.”
The Raptors ensured the Wizards wouldn’t steal a game in Toronto by exploiting Washington’s defense for seven 3-pointers and 44 points in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s 130-119 victory. Washington, which trailed by as many as 23, pulled within 113-108 in fourth quarter before Toronto unleashed a 19-4 run.
DeMar DeRozan scored a career postseason-best 37 points on 14-of-23 shooting as Toronto shot 51.7 percent from the floor. Valanciunas added 19 points and 14 rebounds.
“We are shooting ourselves in the foot coming out to slow starts, allowing guys to get open threes, allowing guys to get those shots, allowing guys to get layups,” Bradley Beal told the Washington Post. “It has to be one or the other. We can’t give up 3s and layups, or we’re going to be down 20 in the first quarter.”
One bright spot for the Wizards was reserve Mike Scott, who had 20 points off the bench and was on the floor when Washington rallied.
Down 2-0, Washington coach Scott Brooks may opt to go with the 6-foot-8 Scott in place of 6-11 Marcin Gortat, who has struggled at both ends thus far.
“When we go small, Mike’s a guy that can shoot from the 3 Jabrill Peppers Jersey , and then they switch smalls on him, he can definitely score in the post,” Wall said.
The move could increase the inside advantage for a Toronto team that outrebounded Washington 48-34 in Game 2.
The Wizards could also use more offense from Beal, who is 11 of 28 in two games.
“That’s a little bit on him, a little bit on me, a little bit on John (Wall). We need him,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks told the Globe and Mail. “We’re going to have trouble beating this team if he’s not going to play better. And he will.”
Washington did not enjoy a strong home-court advantage this season, posting a 23-18 record at Capital One Arena, but Casey is ready for the worst.
“It’s going to be a hostile environment,” Casey told the Globe and Mail. “They’re going to be playing in a desperate mode, we’ve got to continue to be hungry, we’ve got to continue to go in with a fighter’s mentality to start the game as we did at home.”
Ben Simmons had the first playoff triple-double by a rookie in nearly 40 years, JJ Redick scored 24 points and the Philadelphia 76ers outlasted the Miami Heat 106-102 on Saturday to move within a victory of the second round.
The 76ers lead the Eastern Conference series 3-1 and can close out the Heat when play resumes in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
Simmons became the first rookie since Magic Johnson in 1980 to post a playoff triple-double – 17 points Zay Jones Jersey , 13 rebounds, 10 assists. Joel Embiid finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds for Philadelphia.
Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 25 points off the bench for the Heat, who led by 12 points in the second half before letting a game they almost certainly had to have slip away. Wade carried the comeback effort, with the Heat down six and less than 2 minutes left. His three-point play cut the margin in half and his next two field goals got Miami within one each time. The Heat got no closer.
PELICANS 131, TRAIL BLAZERS 123
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Anthony Davis scored 33 of his franchise playoff-record 47 points in the second half, and the Pelicans completed a first-round playoff sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Jrue Holiday capped his 41-point performance with an 18-foot pull-up jumper that gave the Pelicans a six-point lead with 40 seconds left.
Rajon Rondo added 16 assists, and Davis also had 11 rebounds and three blocks for New Orleans, which is moving on to the second round of the playoffs for only the second time since the NBA returned to the city 16 seasons ago.
C.J. McCollum scored 38 for the Trail Blazers, which responded to a blowout loss in Game 3 by keeping Game 4 close until the final minute. Al-Farouq Aminu scored 27, Damian Lillard added 19 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 18 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out.
TIMBERWOLVES 121, ROCKETS 105
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Jimmy Butler hit four 3-pointers among his 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns snapped back from a bad start to the series with 18 points and 16 rebounds, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Houston Rockets for their first postseason victory in 14 years.
Jeff Teague scored 23 points and Andrew Wiggins pitched in 20 points with another four 3-pointers, helping the Timberwolves match the fire-away Rockets from behind the arc and cruise down the stretch behind a 50 percent shooting performance.
Derrick Rose added 17 points off the bench for the Wolves Emmanuel Ogbah Jersey , who will try to even the series with a win in Game 4 on Monday night.
James Harden led the way for Houston with 29 points, but Chris Paul fouled out with 17 points and the Rockets went just 15 for 41 from 3-point range.
JAZZ 115, THUNDER 102
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Ricky Rubio had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for Utah’s first playoff triple-double in 17 years, and Donovan Mitchell added 22 points to lead the Jazz past the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.
Joe Ingles, who had 21 points, made two 3-pointers around two free throws to spark a 13-0 surge that ended on Mitchell’s 3 to put Utah up by 20 points in the fourth quarter.
Rubio’s triple-double was the first by a Jazz player in the postseason since John Stockton in the 2001 playoffs against Dallas.
Paul George scored 23 points and Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Raymond Felton each had 14 for the Thunder. Westbrook also had 11 rebounds and nine assists, just missing his ninth playoff triple-double but also had eight turnovers and shot 5 for 17.
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Thema drucken
03.09.2018 05:33
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