Raptors Vs. Wizards Quick-Hit Recap: Take 100 seconds to catch up on the news, notes and must-see from last night's Wizards action -- good and bad -- with 'Postive Pixels, Wicked Pixels.' It's your morning-after Wizards hangover cure.
Positive Pixels
• John Wall: 31 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks and an emphatic shout of "This is my city!" Monday night was a neat reminder of who Wall is and what he can be. His ability to create offense -- either for himself off the dribble or with the attention/doubles he demands -- was huge for the Wizards late in the fourth quarter when every possession was critical. My favorite Wizards play: any time Wall goes to the basket -- he shot 14 free throws tonight.
"John led it with his play on both ends of the floor," interim head coach Randy Wittman said. "The pace of the game in that first quarter, to me, was incredible. His decisions, going all the way to the basket, his defensive pressure, we just kind of all fell in right behind that."
• First Three Quarters: The Wizards were sharp early, opening up a 10-point lead after the first quarter and extending the lead to 15 points at halftime -- they're second-largest lead at intermission this season. The Wizards backcourt of Wall and Nick Young had 30 of the Wizards 57 points at the break. That cushion allowed Washington some breathing room when Toronto made a run late (more on that later).
This dunk was pretty cool, too:
• OT Defense: After blowing an 18-point lead to let the Raptors force overtime, the Wizards clamped down during the extra period. Toronto did not register a made field goal in OT, scoring three points, all at the foul line. Highlight: John Wall blocking consecutive shots by Raptors 6-foot-11 forward Amir Johnson, followed by Trevor Booker emphatically stuffing Johnson all on one possession -- 16 seconds -- in overtime.
"I think those were the key in tonight's game," Booker said. "It got the team hyped, it saved a couple of baskets and it helped us win."
Wicked Pixels
• Today in Must-See JaVale McGee GIFs
(via Truth About It's @JohnCTownsend)
• Late game lull: The Wizards put together perhaps their best three quarters of basketball this season and led by 18 with 3:02 left in the third quarter. But from that point, the Raptors got closer, and closer and closer until -- what, what? -- Washington had to come from behind with 30 seconds left.
Washington is a) *very* young and b) relatively inexperienced at winning, let alone holding a big lead. After the game, Booker and Kevin Seraphin stressed that this would be a learning experience, but the coaching staff can't be overly pleased about letting Jerryd Bayless and Linas Kleiza shoot Toronto back into this basketball game.
• The Verizon Center Crowd: It is an actual fact* that the first half of Monday night's game game was also an episode of Silent Library. Listen for yourself:
*Note: Not actually an actual true fact.
For more on this game, scan our Raptors vs. Wizards StoryStream. Get the latest fan perspective at our Wizards blog, Bullets Forever.