The Washington Wizards battled back from a double-digit halftime deficit in Game 4 against the Toronto Raptors to pull out a win and tie their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at 2-2.
On Wednesday (7 p.m. ET), the clubs head back to Toronto, where the top-seeded Raptors will attempt to reassert control of the series. Conversely, the No. 8-seeded Wizards are looking for a road win that would put them on the doorstep of a massive first-round upset.
Toronto is a seven-point sportsbook favorite with the over-under for total points scored set at 215.5.
For optimal analysis of this matchup, look no further than SportsLine analyst Galin Dragiev. The seasoned NBA handicapper finished the season as SportsLine's top NBA analyst and he has kept his strong campaign going in the postseason.
What's more, he has been zeroed in on these teams, posting an astounding 12-4 record against the spread (75 percent) when the Raptors or Wizards are involved. In Game 3 of this series, Dragiev predicted Washington would give an inspired effort on its home court and advised SportsLine members to back the Wizards as small favorites.
They did just that, and their 122-103 win was their first of the series. They showed resilience and poise in a 106-98 Game 4 victory to tie the series.
Toronto was a slight road favorite, and it dominated the first half in building an 11-point lead at the break. The Raptors pushed the lead to 14 in the third quarter before the Wizards battled back.
Bradley Beal, John Wall and friends started hitting 3-pointers while also turning up the intensity on the defensive end.
Beal fouled out with the score tied at 92, but Wall took over down the stretch. He scored or assisted on 10 of Washington's final 14 points as the Wizards outscored the Raptors, 26-18, in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Wall had 27 points, 14 assists and six rebounds, while Beal notched 31 points and five rebounds.
DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 35 points and six assists. Backcourt mate Kyle Lowry scored 19 along with seven rebounds and five assists.
The standout duo combined to go 5-for-10 from 3-point range, but hit just 17 of 44 from the field overall. Their effectiveness will be paramount as the series returns to Toronto.
Will the Raptors revert to their winning ways at Air Canada Center, or will the Wizards find a way to earn the first road victory in the series? … Visit SportsLine now to see which side of Wizards-Raptors you should be all over Wednesday, from SportsLine's top NBA analyst who's hitting 75 percent of his picks involving these teams.
