Washington @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 13, 2019 ) Toronto 140, Washington 138

The Toronto Raptors are winners of five in a row and will try to keep the momentum going into the All-Star break when they host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. The Raptors got some late-game heroics from Kawhi Leonard in a 127-125 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday in the opener of a six-game homestand that bridges the break.

Toronto sits one game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and believes it took a step forward with the addition of former All-Star center Marc Gasol at the trade deadline. "I mean, we can be real good," Leonard told reporters after banking in the game-winning shot on Monday. "We have to come out with the same mindset and energy every night. That's the thing that we are working on, trying to be consistent and just knowing the game plan." The Wizards looked like they had something going with wins over two teams toward the bottom of the standings but could not get it done on Monday against one of the teams they are chasing and fell 121-112 at Detroit. The Wizards sit in 11th place in the East and dropped three games behind the eighth-place Pistons following Monday's setback.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington, TSN 1/3/4 (Toronto)

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (24-33): Washington imported a pair of power forwards at the trade deadline by bringing Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis over from the Chicago Bulls but it was of little help against a Detroit squad that dominated the inside. The Wizards were crushed 52-39 on the glass and outscored in the paint 56-40 to squander a 50-percent shooting effort. Parker, who collected 20 points, six assists and five rebounds in a win against his former teammates at Chicago on Saturday, went scoreless on 0-of-3 shooting in 20 minutes off the bench against Detroit.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (42-16): Gasol scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and finished 7-of-9 from the floor in 22 minutes off the bench on Monday. "Right now, it's just trying to fit in and understanding the plays, the spacing, obviously, the pace that they're trying to play at, players' tendencies, defensively the terminology as well," Gasol told reporters. "It's not so much about my role now. It's about trying to get comfortable and adjusted to what the team's trying to do, and then we'll figure out later on, how can I produce more." Gasol is coming off the bench while splitting time at the center spot with Serge Ibaka, who collected 18 points and 12 rebounds against the Nets.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Raptors will reportedly add PG Jeremy Lin after he was bought out by the Atlanta Hawks.

2. Washington SG Tomas Satoransky (personal) sat out Monday and is questionable for Wednesday.

3. Toronto averaged 127.3 points in winning the first three meetings this season.

PREDICTION: Raptors 125, Wizards 116