The Wizards got destroyed in Tuesday’s game against the Raptors at Air Canada Centre, in a matchup that was essentially over as soon as it began.
Toronto set franchise playoff records for number of points in a quarter (44), half (76) and game (130), and led by 17 points after the first stanza was in the books.
As for Washington, it didn’t really do anything well — getting bested in nearly every statistical category. The Raptors outrebounded the Wizards by a 48-34 margin, which suggests that their success in the first two games will carry over into the rest of the series. Toronto also managed to shoot 51.7 percent from the field, which is impressive for a playoff game.
There’s plenty of blame to go around for the Wizards, and head coach Scott Brooks addressed that very topic after the 130-119 loss. Brooks blamed himself, John Wall and Bradley Beal for the team being faced with a 0-2 deficit heading back to Washington. Specifically, he was asked about Beal’s struggles, and explained that the Raptors have been physical with the Wizards shooting guard, which has limited his effectiveness.
“That’s a little bit on him, a little bit on me, a little bit on John [Wall],” Brooks said.
He continued:
“We need him,” Brooks said. “We’re going to have trouble beating this team if he doesn’t play better. And he will.”
"That's a little bit on him, a little bit on me, a little bit on John [Wall]. We need him. We're going to have trouble beating this team if he's not going to play better. And he will" — Scott Brooks on Bradley Beal pic.twitter.com/pWWqZEqI7K
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 18, 2018
Brooks is likely correct about Beal playing better in the upcoming games, as he couldn’t play much worse than he did on Tuesday. He scored just nine points on 3-of-11 shooting, and hauled in just two rebounds. Beal was a complete non-factor in the game, and he deserves a share of the blame for the loss.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
