Raptors rout the NBA-worst Wizards 106-82 for their 5th straight victory

Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) goes up for a shot against Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scottie Barnes scored 24 points and the Toronto Raptors beat NBA-worst Washington 106-82 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight victory and the Wizards' 15th loss in a row.

Jakub Poetl added 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists to help the Raptors to their first five-game winning streak since April 1, 2022. They have win seven of eight games.

Toronto allowed its fewest points of the season and forced a season-high 27 turnovers.

Kyle Kuzma had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Washington. The Wizards had their worst scoring and turnover numbers of the season.

Takeaways

Raptors: Toronto began Wednesday 5 1/2 games back of Chicago for the final Eastern Conference play-in spot. The Raptors will play their next four at home.

Wizards: Exceeded their previous season-worst of 21 turnovers before the end of the third quarter, and could share the blame for their sloppiness.

Key moment

Toronto began the game on a 14-0 run while Washington turned it over three times and missed its first eight shots. Jonas Valanciunas finally scored the Wizards' first points on a putback of his own miss with 6:53 left in the first quarter.

Key stat

Toronto scored 22 first-half points off 15 Washington turnovers, en route to a 19-point halftime lead.

Up nex

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Toronto hosts Chicago on Friday night. Washington hosts the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Ian Nicholas Quillen, The Associated Press