By Canadian Press

Immanuel Quickley’s double-double powers Raptors past Wizards 130-122

Apr 7, 2024 | 6:50 PM

TORONTO — Immanuel Quickley had a double-double as the increasingly healthy Toronto Raptors fended off the Washington Wizards 130-122 on Sunday.

Quickley finished with a season-high 31 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds as Toronto won back-to-back games.

RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., scored 22 points with eight rebounds and seven assists for Toronto (25-53). Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops, B.C., had 21 points and nine boards.

Barrett and Quickley returned to the Raptors’ lineup on Tuesday in a 128-111 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers after lengthy bereavement leaves.

Toronto guards Gary Trent Jr. and Bruce Brown were both upgraded to active ahead of Sunday’s game. A series of injuries through March scuttled any hope the Raptors had of reaching a play-in berth.

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Deni Avdija, Jordan Poole and reserve forward Patrick Baldwin also had double-doubles even as Washington (15-64) lost its third straight. Avdija had 32 points and 10 rebounds, Poole had 29 points and 12 assists, and Baldwin came off the bench for 16 points and 10 boards.

Although the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture is set, the final standings still matter to the Raptors. 

Toronto needs to have the sixth-worst record in the NBA to keep its first-round pick in this summer’s draft. The draft lottery on May 12 could also shuffle the Raptors out of the bottom six, sending their pick to the San Antonio Spurs as part of last year’s trade for Jakob Poeltl.

Toronto has a 37.2 per cent chance to move into one of the draft’s top four picks and a nine per cent chance of selecting first overall.

An 18-6 run early in the first quarter had the Raptors flying out of the gates. The hosts led by as much as 29 points in the opening quarter. Barrett, Ochai Agbaji, and rookie forward Gradey Dick — coming off the bench — led all scorers with eight points apiece as Toronto built a 42-17 lead.

Woeful shooting by the Raptors in the second allowed the Wizards to climb back into the game. Toronto only made nine of its 24 field-goal attempts in the quarter, including 2-of-6 shooting from three-point range.

Avdija had 13 points in the second as Washington cut the Raptors lead to 63-50 by intermission.

Toronto maintained that lead throughout the third quarter but pulled away in the fourth, leading by as many as 18 points in the period. 

Dick left the game in the fourth quarter with a right groin contusion and did not return.

CARTER HONOURED — A tribute to Raptors great Vince Carter narrated by Canadian basketball stars Kia Nurse and Barrett ran during the first quarter. Carter was named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2024 on Saturday.

BARNES & POELTL — Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic said he wasn’t sure if all-star forward Scottie Barnes (hand) or Poeltl (finger) would be back by the end of the Raptors’ season in Miami on April 14.

“I don’t have expectations that they’re going to come back or not,” he said. “They’re ramping up, and (we’re) trying to get them in the best way possible.”

UP NEXT — Toronto hosts Pascal Siakam and his Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.

Washington travels to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2024.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press