A.J. Lawson had a breakout performance, scoring a career-high 32 points and grabbing 12 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors secured a 119-104 win over the Washington Wizards on Monday night.
Lawson, a Toronto native, hit seven three-pointers and came off the bench to lead the Raptors (22-43) to their second win in three games.
The Raptors dominated the glass, collecting a franchise-record 73 rebounds, the most by any team in the NBA this season.
Four Toronto players recorded double-doubles, with Scottie Barnes contributing 14 points and 13 rebounds, while RJ Barrett added 14 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.
Orlando Robinson also played a key role, finishing with 13 points and 11 boards as Toronto capitalized on 28 offensive rebounds to score 33 second-chance points.
The Wizards (13-50) entered the game with momentum after winning two straight, including a victory in Toronto two nights earlier, but they struggled to contain the Raptors’ relentless rebounding effort.
Alex Sarr led Washington with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Jordan Poole also scored 16.
Tristan Vukcevic added 15 points off the bench, but the Wizards, already missing Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart, lost rookie Bilal Coulibaly in the first quarter due to right hamstring tightness.
The game remained close at halftime, with both teams tied at 33 after the first quarter and Toronto leading 59-60 at the break.
Barnes sparked a third-quarter surge, scoring four straight points during a 10-0 run that put the Raptors ahead for good.
Toronto outscored Washington 34-19 in the third, building a lead that proved insurmountable.
Despite shooting just 39.4% from the field and 32.7% from beyond the arc, the Raptors’ rebounding dominance made the difference.
Lawson, in just his fourth game with Toronto, played a career-high 33 minutes and shot 9-of-21 overall while making 7-of-14 from deep.
His energy helped Toronto control the pace, as they recorded 26 assists while limiting turnovers to just eight.
Washington struggled offensively, shooting 36.2% from the field and 29.1% from three-point range, missing 39 of their 55 attempts from deep.
The Wizards were held to just 19 points in the third quarter and couldn’t recover in the final period.
