GT #63: Raptors @ Wizards 8 PM (ESPN/NBCSW/1500 AM)

[FAH1223]

YOUR Washington Bullets are 36-26 and sit at 4th in the East.

With the Cavs taking an L to the Sixers on Thursday, the Wiz have a chance to inch even closer to 3rd.

The Raptors are back in DC after taking an L for the first time here in what seems like forever (in the regular season). They've won something like 12 out of their last 14 regular season games in the District. As we all recall, Kyle Lowry choked at the FT line. Beal also displayed spectacular choking by losing the ball in an intentional fouling situation.

The Raps are #1 in the East and have continued their winning ways. With this game closing the season series, they will not have had the opportunity to play the Wiz with John Wall this year.

Can the Wiz win the season series and gain separation for playoff seeding? Can Brooks play a PG at all times?



-------------------------VS-------------------------



LAST GAME:
Warriors @ Wizards - 109-101 (L)
Raptors @ Magic - 117-104 (W)

Lineups:










Bench:

[Drop Shot]

[lolwut]

Mike Scott going for 50 this game. Calling it now. Otto Porter chips in 62.

Despite an awful 2-21 shooting night from Beal, Wizards hang on to win 175-104

[lebron stopper]

Mike Scott going for 50 this game. Calling it now. Otto Porter chips in 62.

Despite an awful 2-21 shooting night from Beal, Wizards hang on to win 175-104

Never forget

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Satoransky barely misses triple double. Markieff Morris scores season high 25 points. Beal scores a quiet 27 points.

Wizards win, 108-99

Sent from my [device_name] using [url]RealGM mobile app[/url]

[FAH1223]

Satoransky barely misses triple double. Markieff Morris scores season high 25 points. Beal scores a quiet 27 points.

Wizards win, 108-99

Sent from my [device_name] using [url]RealGM mobile app[/url]

Norman Powell is gonna play. He's hurt the Wiz in the past. He's also been able to lock up Brad.

[tontoz]

Can Brooks play a PG at all times?

No

[cammac]

As you know the Wiz are my 2nd favorite team but I am a Canuck and Toronto has been devastating most of it opponents since the loss to Washington. They will be bringing there A game and looking for revenge. WE THE NORTH tonight any other game go Wiz.

[Throwback24]

Huge game for us, hopefully we can tonight.

[nate33]

Huge game for us, hopefully we can tonight.

From a standings watch perspective, I don't think this game is particularly important. Obviously, winning is better than losing, but it's not like a win here really hurts Toronto's position in the standings much, nor will it help us any more than winning any normal game. The key upcoming games are the next two, hosting Indiana and Miami respectively. Those are important to get us wins, but also to deliver losses to key adversaries. I want to make sure we maintain some distance between us and the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th seeds (Indiana Philly, Milwaukee and Miami respectively).

Our first priority should be to avoid a 1st round matchup against Cleveland. As things stand now, that should be pretty easy as long as we don't fall all the way down to the 6th seed. (We also can't let someone leapfrog ahead of us and Cleveland to set up a matchup between us and Cleveland in the 4-5 bracket. I'm looking at you Philadelphia.)

The second priority is to secure home court advantage in the 1st round by getting the 3rd or 4th seed.

The playoff opponent I want to face in the first round in descending order of preference:

Indiana
Miami
Milwaukee
Boston
Philadelphia
Toronto
Cleveland

However, the only team I think we can't beat is Cleveland. I'm not afraid of anybody else.

[Shanghai Kid]

Huge game for us, hopefully we can tonight.

From a standings watch perspective, I don't think this game is particularly important. Obviously, winning is better than losing, but it's not like a win here really hurts Toronto's position in the standings much, nor will it help us any more than winning any normal game. The key upcoming games are the next two, hosting Indiana and Miami respectively. Those are important to get us wins, but also to deliver losses to key adversaries. I want to make sure we maintain some distance between us and the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th seeds (Indiana Philly, Milwaukee and Miami respectively).

Our first priority should be to avoid a 1st round matchup against Cleveland. As things stand now, that should be pretty easy as long as we don't fall all the way down to the 6th seed. (We also can't let someone leapfrog ahead of us and Cleveland to set up a matchup between us and Cleveland in the 4-5 bracket. I'm looking at you Philadelphia.)

The second priority is to secure home court advantage in the 1st round by getting the 3rd or 4th seed.

The playoff opponent I want to face in the first round in descending order of preference:

Indiana
Miami
Milwaukee
Boston
Philadelphia
Toronto
Cleveland

However, the only team I think we can't beat is Cleveland. I'm not afraid of anybody else.

We really need to push for the 3rd seed. If you look at the remaining schedules, Philly has an absolute cake schedule. They are likely to get the 5th seed with potential to knock either us or Cleveland to the 5th seed.,

If we want to avoid Cleveland or Philly in the 1rst round, we need to push hard for the 3rd seed. We would then likely have Indiana or Milwaukee in the first round, followed by Boston in the 2nd round. That would be our most friendly scenario of getting to the Eastern Conference Finals. We have won in Boston and lost in overtime to them. But what's important is that Wall seems to always play well against Kyrie.

Also in that scenario, you make Cleveland have to go against Miami and then Toronto, which is an extremely tough road.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Huge game for us, hopefully we can tonight.

From a standings watch perspective, I don't think this game is particularly important. Obviously, winning is better than losing, but it's not like a win here really hurts Toronto's position in the standings much, nor will it help us any more than winning any normal game. The key upcoming games are the next two, hosting Indiana and Miami respectively. Those are important to get us wins, but also to deliver losses to key adversaries. I want to make sure we maintain some distance between us and the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th seeds (Indiana Philly, Milwaukee and Miami respectively).

Our first priority should be to avoid a 1st round matchup against Cleveland. As things stand now, that should be pretty easy as long as we don't fall all the way down to the 6th seed. (We also can't let someone leapfrog ahead of us and Cleveland to set up a matchup between us and Cleveland in the 4-5 bracket. I'm looking at you Philadelphia.)

The second priority is to secure home court advantage in the 1st round by getting the 3rd or 4th seed.

The playoff opponent I want to face in the first round in descending order of preference:

Indiana
Miami
Milwaukee
Boston
Philadelphia
Toronto
Cleveland

However, the only team I think we can't beat is Cleveland. I'm not afraid of anybody else.

Spot on Nate.

[Ruzious]

Wow, I'm the first vote for Warshington after 27 votes for Toronto.

[nate33]

Wow, I'm the first vote for Warshington after 27 votes for Toronto.

I never even noticed the poll. I never bother to vote in them because who cares about anonymous predictions?

[Ruzious]

Wow, I'm the first vote for Warshington after 27 votes for Toronto.

I never even noticed the poll. I never bother to vote in them because who cares about anonymous predictions?

I feel the same - just surprised it was 27-0.

[nate33]

Wow, I'm the first vote for Warshington after 27 votes for Toronto.

I never even noticed the poll. I never bother to vote in them because who cares about anonymous predictions?

I feel the same - just surprised it was 27-0.

Must be a Canadian thing.

[J-Ves]

Can’t lose with the coach of the month on our side...

[queridiculo]

Norman Powell is gonna play. He's hurt the Wiz in the past. He's also been able to lock up Brad.

Man, I'm not even sure Powell manages to regularly lock his front door, dude's been awful this season.

Beal's averaging 30.7ppg on .522 from the field, inluding .522 from three point land against Toronto and in the only outing that Powell started Beal dropped 38 on him.

Also keep in mind that Powell playing comes at the expense of Anunoby who's a far bigger threat than him.

[queridiculo]

Wow, I'm the first vote for Warshington after 27 votes for Toronto.

I never even noticed the poll. I never bother to vote in them because who cares about anonymous predictions?

For Raptors games the options should probably be more like, "I eat Poop" and "Your Washington Wizards".

[I_Like_Dirt]

Wow, I'm the first vote for Warshington after 27 votes for Toronto.

Pretty sure that's 27 people who eat poop and are willing to admit it only in the friendly anonymity of the internet. Nobody has predicted Toronto yet as far as I can tell.