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Boost off the bench Reserve helps Wizards end skid with rout of Raptors
Posted: Wednesday January 12, 2000 02:12 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- After three straight disheartening losses, the Washington Wizards came back with their most lopsided win of the season. Reserve Aaron Williams had 17 points and 10 rebounds Tuesday night as the Wizards averted their longest losing streak of the season with a 117-89 victory over the Toronto Raptors. "It feels good to play a 48 minutes solid," said Williams. "We didn't have any letdowns, and we stuck to the defensive game plan." Rod Strickland scored 15 points and Jahidi White added 13 as Washington exceeded a 14-point victory over New Jersey on Dec. 16. Coming off back-to-back losses to Chicago, the worst team in the NBA, and a double-overtime setback in Milwaukee on Jan. 8, Washington put together its best offensive effort of the season. Seven Wizards reached double figures. By the end of the game, coach Gar Heard was able to take it easy. Usually, Heard is a picture of frustration, arms crossed as he contemplates how to spin another listless loss.
"It's nice just to sit back and watch the end of a game," Heard said. "It's nice to see us finish a game." Vince Carter scored 19 points and Antonio Davis had 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Raptors, who have dropped three straight. Tracy McGrady added 16 points. Toronto was doomed by an abysmal first period. The Raptors started out 5-for-23 from the field and scored only 10 points in the period. "It seems like everybody got a little frustrated out there," Carter said. "We're all of a sudden having poor starts. It's one of those nights when it's not going to go in, but you can't not shoot." While Toronto struggled, the Wizards went on a 12-2 run midway through the period, taking a 16-6 lead on Williams' bank shot with 3:03 left.
"We knew we wanted to establish ourselves early in the game," White said. "It's just good to finally do what we wanted to do." Juwan Howard scored the first four points of a 10-2 burst to open the second quarter, and Toronto made only one field goal over the period's first 6:26. Washington led by as many as 25 on White's lay-in with 23.9 seconds remaining in the half.
Notes: Carter left the game briefly in the second quarter after being accidentally elbowed in the mouth by Washington's Tracy Murray near midcourt. ... The 10 points the Raptors scored in the first quarter were only one more than the franchise low of nine in an opening period at Chicago on Dec. 13, 1997. ... Washington improved to 4-6 when scoring 100 or more points. ... Before Tuesday, the Wizards' largest lead this season had been 19 points. ... Washington's 117 points were the most it has scored in regulation since a 120-112 home victory over Toronto on April 3, 1998.
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