Raptors hand Wizards franchise
The Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley scored a season-best 31 points, dished out 13 assists, and grabbed seven rebounds in the team's 130-122 win over the Washington Wizards on Sunday evening.
RJ Barrett (L) of Toronto Raptors makes a layup during the 2023-2024 NBA regular season game between Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards in Toronto, Canada, April 7, 2024. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)
Toronto had a balanced attack with three other starters finishing with at least 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
24-year-old RJ Barrett finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while fellow Toronto-native Kelly Olynyk chipped in with 21 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
Sharpshooter Gary Trent Jr finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists.
The team jolted out to a quick start with a season-best 42 points in the first quarter and taking a 25-point lead that they would never surrender.
"It was very positive the whole first quarter, we were making shots and we were running in transition," said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic after the win. "It's a readjustment. From not having anybody to having more guys. It's definitely a very good feeling to have more guys able to play."
Since March, the team has been decimated by injuries and unfortunate news to key personnel, leading to an abysmal 1-14 record during the month.
Starters Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl remain sidelined with hand injuries and have missed 18 and 17 games to date, respectively. Barrett and Quickley were sidelined for eight and six games to grieve the death of respective family members.
Since returning on April 2, 25-year-old Quickley has averaged 23.0 points, 7.8 assists, and 5.5 rebounds in four games.
"Growth, communication with his teammates, he's taking a lot of ownership in game preparations as well," praised Rajakovic when asked about the changes in Quickley's role since his return. "On the court, his ability to shoot the ball opens up a lot for everybody on this team."
With the victory, Toronto improves to 25-53 on the season and racked up consecutive wins for the first time since Feb. 26 when they beat the Pacers.