The Canadian Press
Lori Ewing
TORONTO–With just over a minute to play, DeMar DeRozan spotted Fred VanVleet prowling the perimeter and fed the back-up guard for a three-point shot.
VanVleet’s long bomb proved to be the proverbial dagger yesterday as the Toronto Raptors beat the Washington Wizards 100-91 to avenge their lone loss at the Air Canada Centre this season.
DeRozan scored 33 points on everything from dunks to three-point shots, and the three-time all-star–who has been as much play-maker as scorer this season–also doled out six assists.
“He’s grown so much in a lot of areas he doesn’t get credit for,” Raptors’ coach Dwane Casey said of DeRozan.
“A lot is made about the new offence and all that, but DeMar is a basketball player,” Casey stressed.
“We wanted him to handle the ball more this year,” he noted. “We talked about that this summer, being a quasi-point guard.”
Would DeRozan have made that pass a season or two ago?
“I think so. But would I be hesitant to do it or would it be automatic?” DeRozan mused, snapping his fingers.
“I’m not sure.
“A lot of times it was a me thing, me maturing and understanding I don’t have to take that big shot if I got two on me,” he noted.
“Just my maturity to pass to the open guy and trust him to make the right shot or play.”
C.J. Miles added 12 points, while Kyle Lowry and VanVleet finished with 10 points apiece, as the Raptors (11-5) stretched their win streak to four games and their home record to 6-1.
Pascal Siakam grabbed nine rebounds and had four points for Toronto.
Bradley Beal had 27 points to lead the Wizards (9-7), who were missing John Wall (sore left knee).
The hard-fought affair saw the lead change hands 17 times, and neither team led by more than eight points through the first three quarters.
Leading 79-76 to start the fourth, Washington pulled to within five points before VanVleet’s “three” with 1:15 to play.
“Any time he [DeRozan] gets the ball late, they’re going to double him,” VanVleet said of DeRozan’s pass.
“I kind of bait my guy into going . . . they’re gonna help off of me,” he added. “I know that. [DeRozan] knows that.
“That’s what he’s been so great at doing this year, drawing two or three or four guys and kicking it out,” VanVleet noted.
“It shows the trust he has in his guys.”
DeRozan drove hard to the net for a dunk on the Raptors’ next possession that had the capacity crowd of 19,800 roaring, and gave Toronto a comfortable 10-point lead.
The Raptors had dropped a dreadful 107-96 decision to Washington back on Nov. 5 at the Air Canada Centre.
The Wizards were missing Wall that game, as well, but Beal more than picked up the slack in a 38-point performance.
VanVleet chalked up the difference in games to the Raptors’ energy.
“All five guys on a string offensively and defensively, flying around, rebounding,” he noted.
“Beal got off to a hot start again tonight, but I think we were able to change some things in the second half and make an adjustment.
“It was kind of like déja vu the way he scored on us last time, so we didn’t want to let that happen again.”
Beal had 22 of his points in the first half.
Elsewhere in the NBA, Detroit beat Minnesota 100-97, Indiana dumped Miami 120-95, Golden State downed Brooklyn 118-111, Phoenix upended Chicago 113-105, and the L.A. Lakers pouned Denver 127-109.
