Game Thread: Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards preseason

We almost made it! One more preseason game to go before we get into the real deal. But in an odd twist of fate, tonight’s opponent, the Washington Wizards, is the same opponent the Toronto Raptors will face when said “real deal” begins: The Raptors open the regular season next week when they host the Wizards in Toronto.

So is tonight a sneak peek at the first regular season matchup? Hardly. While the Wizards will play their core players, at least to start the game, Toronto will be missing four of its top players: Chris Boucher and Pascal Siakam remain on the injured list, and OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet will get the night off for rest.

Tonight is all about seeing which end-of-rotation players can make an impact and thus, hope to stick around and still be on the roster next week. Nick Nurse indicated pre-game that the team will be making decisions quickly, in order to get a full week of practice in with the final roster.

Let’s watch and see who stands out!

Where to Watch:

Sportsnet 360, 7:00 p.m. EST

Lineups:

Toronto — Gary Trent Jr., Goran Dragic, Scottie Barnes, Svi Mykhailiuk, Precious Achiuwa

Washington — Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Daniel Gafford, Kyle Kuzma, Bradley Beal, Spencer Dinwiddie

Injuries:

Toronto — Chris Boucher (dislocated finger — out); Pascal Siakam (shoulder surgery — out); OG Anunoby (rest — out), Fred VanVleet (rest — out); Yuta Watanabe (calf — out)

Washington — Thomas Bryant (knee — out); Cassius Winston (hamstring — out); Rui Hachimura (personal — out)