It all comes down to who has the mismatch. The Raptors have generally been unselfish in this front, as Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby have also taken turns as the go-to option. This was a return to his All-NBA approach, and it was a reminder of how effective he can be when the matchup is right. Siakam had mostly been focused on fitting into the team, which mostly resulted in him operating as the second option.

It was smooth sailing from there for both Siakam and the Raptors, who weren't quite as sharp in the second half but they didn't need to be as they kept the Wizards at a comfortable distance the entire way through.Ĥ: Siakam was more efficient in his 10-for-12 performance against Sacramento, but this was his most assertive game by far since returning from shoulder surgery.

Siakam took up residence in the post, shaking and baking his way into all his classics, including turnaround jumpers, the face-up game from the elbows, the spin move after setting up his defender, and he had 22 points by halftime as the Raptors built their lead to 19 points. Washington's defensive scheme is to limit how much help they bring, meaning there's a lot of one-on-one opportunities, and the Wizards had nobody to match up. This wasn't the 44-point career-high that Siakam managed in each of the last two seasons, but the process was essentially the same. Toronto allowed only six offensive rebounds while both of Washington's centres scored in single digits.ģ: Siakam continues to feast each time he sees the Wizards. Each of the three interior defenders also took turns getting stops in the post, and save for the occasional runner after a wing broke free at the perimeter, or a bailout whistle on a drive, the Wizards got nothing down low.

Just as they did in the win over Milwaukee, the trio of Precious Achiuwa, Pascal Siakam, and Scottie Barnes worked in concert to challenge everything at the basket. Washington shot 20-of-44 from within 10 feet of the hoop, which was a result of the Raptors showing multiple bodies in the lane. The key to every great defence is protecting the basket, and the Raptors were lockdown in the paint.

They started the year great, but had completely lost their way on the West coast trip, and finally, it is coming back to them. 2: The Raptors are slowly getting back to their defensive identity.

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