Kyle Kuzma scores 30, Wizards beat Raptors to edge closer in East

WASHINGTON(AP) — Kyle Kuzma scored the game’s first 10 points and finishedwith 30, Kristaps Porzingis added 25 points, and the WashingtonWizards beat the Toronto Raptors 119-108 on Thursday night in theopener of a two-game set between Eastern Conference playoffcontenders.

DanielGafford scored 18 points and Delon Wright had a season-high 11assists for the Wizards (30-32), who moved within percentage pointsof the ninth-place Raptors (31-33) in the East standings.

O.G.Anunoby scored 26 points and Jakob Poeltl had 23 points and 13rebounds for the Raptors, who had won five of their previous sixgames.

Washingtonbeat Toronto at home in the regular season for the first time sinceFeb. 1, 2018, ending a six-game winning streak for the Raptors atCapital One Arena.

Kuzmaessentially put the game away early in the fourth quarter when hefound Corey Kispert for a 3, buried a step-back 3 of his own anddrove for a layup to conclude a 12-2 run that made it 99-80. TheRaptors made a late push but did not get closer than eightpoints.

The Wizardshad a 59-50 lead at halftime that could have been bigger if not fora couple of lulls. Kuzma made two 3s and had an emphatic dunkduring his game-opening burst, but Toronto responded with an 18-2run. The Wizards went on a 12-2 run for a 50-36 lead in the secondquarter; Toronto countered with a 10-0 flurry.

The Wizardshad more explosiveness and outside shooting touch throughout,shooting 46.7% from 3-point range to the Raptors’ 27.3% andfinishing with 16 fast-break points to the Raptors’ four.

PascalSiakam had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Toronto. Scottie Barnesand Fred VanVleet had 14 points apiece, but VanVleet was 2 of 11 on3-pointers.

TIP-INS

Raptors:This is the first of two five-game trips remaining for Toronto,which has only eight home games left. The Raptors are 20-13 at homeand 11-20 on the road. ... G Will Barton, waived by the Wizards onFeb. 21 and signed by the Raptors on Tuesday, played seven minutesand didn’t score.

Wizards:Bradley Beal had 15 points. ... Corey Kispert finished with 10points and two 3-pointers, becoming the first Wizard to make 100 3sin his first two seasons. ... Wright started at point guard inplace of Monte Morris (lower back), who had an epidural injectionon Wednesday, missed his third straight game and is considered weekto week. ... Washington signed F/C Jay Huff to a two-way contract.The 7-foot-1 Huff had been playing for the South Bay Lakers of theG League, averaging a league-leading 3.4 blocks per game. Huff waspreviously with the Wizards in the 2021 Summer League after goingundrafted out of Virginia. ... Washington has 13 home games leftand only seven on the road, with no trips longer than one game.

UPNEXT

The teamsconclude their two-game set at Washington on Saturday.