Toronto Shot 20 Percent From Three and Still Controlled Washington. That's the Problem.

Toronto shot seven-for-34 from three and still beat Washington by ten. Read that again. The Raptors barely cracked 20 percent from deep and walked out with a 112–102 win because they did the dirty work Washington couldn't match. If you're the Wizards, that should piss you off more than losing to a team that simply got hot.

Scottie Barnes went for 28 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. He wasn't perfect — eight turnovers and a 1-for-6 night from three show that — but he was involved in everything. RJ Barrett added 23 points and nine boards, while Kawhi Leonard had 16 and nine on a rough 7-for-20 shooting night. Toronto didn't need flawless stars; it needed effort across the floor.

The Raptors collected 53 rebounds to Washington's 40, including a 19–6 advantage on the offensive glass. That's thirteen extra offensive boards. Toronto also outscored Washington 52–32 in the paint, according to the official game recap. Those aren't glamorous stats, but they're the kind that make up for missing 27 three-pointers.

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Washington had a perfectly respectable headline from Trae Young: 22 points and 12 assists. Tre Johnson added 20 and hit four threes. But Anthony Davis went from a 34-point opening performance against Milwaukee to nine points on 3-for-12 shooting here. The Wizards aren't going to get away with that kind of drop-off from one of their biggest offensive weapons.

Toronto led by 17 in the second quarter, but Washington did fight back. The Wizards got as close as one in the third before the Raptors steadied themselves and ended that period ahead 81–77. Toronto then won the fourth 31–25. That's an important distinction: the Wizards weren't buried from tip to buzzer, but they couldn't sustain the run once they finally made it competitive.

Washington shot 30-for-79 overall, just 38 percent, and committed 20 turnovers in the official box score. Kyshawn George had eight of those by himself. Toronto's defense had twelve steals. When the other team isn't making jumpers, you have to stop gifting them transition opportunities and extra shots. Washington did neither consistently.

My take is that Toronto's defensive identity looks more convincing than its offense right now. A team that can win despite shooting 20.6 percent from three has a fallback plan: rebounding, paint pressure and physical defense. That travels. But I wouldn't ignore the bad shooting forever. Against a better-organized opponent, seven threes might not be enough.

Washington has talent, but talent isn't a plan. Trae can distribute, Davis can dominate a matchup and Johnson can shoot, yet those pieces still have to function together when the defense crowds the paint. Getting beaten 19–6 on the offensive boards is not about a lack of star power. It's about a lack of possession-by-possession urgency.

Toronto heads to Minnesota next, while Washington visits Chicago. I want to see whether Barnes can reduce the turnovers without losing his aggression and whether Davis responds with more efficient touches. For the Wizards, this loss is a warning: you can't let an opponent shoot like shit from three and still own the game.