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The Toronto Raptors started out strong but laid an egg by the end of regulation time, resulting in the Wizards forcing a couple of overtimes.
Serge Ibaka came up with a dagger three-pointer with 15 seconds left on the clock helping Toronto survive the mess they created and come up with their fifth straight victory via a thrilling 140-138 win over the Washington Wizards.
The leaders of the East pulled through for their eighth win in the last ten games, as they improved to a league-best 33-12(0.733) record on the season.
Once tussling with the Bucks at the apex, the Raptors are now 1.5 games clear of second seed Milwaukee.
They are in line to meet the Celtics in Boston for the next matchup and will be eyeing to better their already exquisite 22-7 win-loss record against Eastern Conference teams.
The Wizards put up a fight for the ages, led by shooting guard Bradley Beal, but eventually, the night wasn't theirs to conquer as they snapped their two-game winning momentum.
They have now lost half of their last ten games and will be facing the Knicks in London next. The loss has brought them down to the 11th spot on the East leaderboard with an 18-26 record next to their name.
Let's draw out some key takeaways from this Raptors' electrifying win over the hosts in Wizards down the stretch.
#1 Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam shine bright in the hard-fought win
For a guy who always rests for the second game of a back-to-back, Kawhi played a season-high 45 minutes and portrayed All-Star caliber in a game that went back and forth till the final seconds.
He dropped a team-high total of 41 points along with 11 boards and 5 assists. He shot a fairly respectable 15-of-29 from the floor, also contributing with 3 steals and 2 blocks on the defensive end.
"Tonight he played like a superstar," Ibaka said. "That's how we need him to play and he did his job as a superstar. When we need him to step up and make big plays, he did them for us."
This was Kawhi's fourth 30+ point performance is the last six games as he averages almost 30 ppg across the previous ten matchups.
Pascal Siakam put together a solid double-double effort of 24 points and 19 rebounds(5 of which were on the offensive glass), coupled with three steals and two blocks as well.
He is averaging 15+ points across the 43 games he has started for Toronto this season and provides the length and athleticism to finish strongly at the rim that is characteristic of a legit NBA Power forward.
#2 Wizards learn to play without Wall; Raptors 'need to close out games better
Serge Ibaka faked a pass and sank a clutch shot from deep to get the Raptors ahead by a point with less than 15 seconds left on the clock. In retrospect, this is not how it was supposed to end.
"It shouldn't come down to the last possession," Kawhi Leonard said. "We need to close out games better."
The Raptors were leading by 19 at the end of the first period, which they extended 23 in the second quarter.
They still held a 17-point cushion midway through the third period, but as we all know Washington forced not one but two overtimes from that point on.
To make matters worse, Toronto was just 2-of-9 from the field in the second OT, but thankfully the Wizards could not draw much out of that dry stint.
"We got lucky to get out of here with a win," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.
On the other hand, the Wizards did not look like they missed their All-star point guard at all, who had just undergone a season-ending left heel surgery.
Even before giving the East leaders a run for their money in this one, they had just beaten Philly and Bucks in quick succession.
Led by Beal's magnificent playmaking abilities without his backcourt mate, the team does not look like an ailing squad rather more of a unit than they were before.
#3 Bradley Beal messed around with a triple-double and made history
Even after missing eight of nine shots in the first quarter, Beal finished with one of the most historic triple-doubles ever recorded in the league.
While dropping 43 points, pulling down 10 boards and dishing out 15 assists in a game-high 55 minutes of play, Beal became only the second player in NBA history with multiple games of 40 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a single season.
The only other player to do so being the legendary Oscar Robertson, who had three such performances back in the 1961-62 season.
Beal is averaging a career-best 24.8 points per game this season and with Wall out for the season, he looks all set to take charge of the situation down in D.C, be it for better or for worse.
Guess the Lakers players!
