Raptors use fourth-quarter surge to sink Wizards, take 3-2 series lead

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The Raptors defended their home court against the Wizards on Wednesday night, taking a 3-2 series lead with a 108-98 victory in Game 5.

After a rough outing in Game 4, DeMar DeRozan rebounded with 32 points on 12-of-24 shooting. He was much more patient getting to his spots on the floor and not forcing contested jumpers late in the game. Backup point guard Delon Wright was terrific throughout the game (18 points, five rebounds), but particularly in the fourth quarter, helping Toronto win the final frame by nine points.

The Wizards couldn't find any offense at critical times in the game, missing eight consecutive field goal attempts during a key stretch of the fourth quarter. Washington shot 41.1 percent overall and an abysmal 19.2 percent from 3-point range. Another outing like that, and the Wizards can start planning their summer vacations.

Check out all of the Game 5 highlights you missed below...

Final Score: Raptors 108, Wizards 98

9:25 p.m. ET — A strong finish gives the Raptors a 3-2 lead in their first-round series. Toronto won the fourth quarter 29-20 with Delon Wright providing the spark needed to shut the door on Washington. DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 32 points, and Kyle Lowry added 17 points and 10 assists. John Wall came up short of a triple-double (26 points, nine assists, nine rebounds), but Bradley Beal couldn't find his scoring touch. He needed 20 shots to score 20 points.

9:20 p.m. ET — The Raptors are in control now. Toronto holds an eight-point lead with 1:33 on the clock. The Wizards just can't seem to make an open 3-pointer when they need it.

9:17 p.m. ET — Delon Wright has been outstanding for the Raptors, especially with Fred VanVleet out. He's got 14 points (6-of-10 shooting) and is a plus-nine in 23 minutes off the bench. His energy has brought the Air Canada Centre crowd to its feet.

9:11 p.m. ET — The Wizards take the lead early in the fourth, but the Raptors answer with an 8-0 run. 

Raptors 92, Wizards 89 with less than six minutes to go.

9:03 p.m. ET — Kelly Oubre Jr. just made a poster. (Do people still buy posters?)

End of third quarter: Raptors 79, Wizards 78

8:52 p.m. ET — DeMar DeRozan adds another 10 points to his total (30 for the game), keeping the Raptors ahead through three quarters of action. The problem? Aside from DeRozan, only Kyle Lowry (15 points) has hit double-digit scoring for the Raptors. John Wall is doing it all for the Wizards with 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two blocks.

Buckle up, folks. This will be an interesting fourth quarter... 

8:40 p.m. ET — Active defense equals easy offense. Pretty simple formula.

8:33 p.m. ET — The Wizards (15) have nearly doubled the Raptors (eight) in free throw attempts, and that's a big reason why Washington is still competing despite a poor shooting night. Serge Ibaka and OG Anunoby each have three personal fouls, so that could be something to watch down the stretch.

8:24 p.m. ET — DeMar DeRozan picks up where he left off, scoring six points right out of the locker room. But Bradley Beal is getting hot, hitting a couple early jumpers and finding a rhythm. If Beal can keep working within the flow of the offense, he could have a big half.

Halftime: Raptors 48, Wizards 47

8:02 p.m. ET — Despite shooting less than 38 percent from the field, the Wizards find themselves down by a single point. DeMar DeRozan has 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, but the Raptors will need to find a secondary source of scoring if they want to hold this lead.

John Wall kept Washington afloat early, and Bradley Beal and Otto Porter Jr. appeared to find their shots late in the first half. We'll see if that carries over into the third quarter.

7:59 p.m. ET — Poor start for both teams from 3-point range. The Raptors are 3-of-10 from deep, and the Wizards are only 2-of-10. A few outside shots could quickly swing the momentum of this game.

7:54 p.m. ET — A nice fake handoff by Jakob Poeltl opens up the lane, and the big man takes care of the rest.

7:47 p.m. ET — Ty Lawson... oh my. That's fancy.

7:40 p.m. ET — Delon Wright with some energy off the bench. The backup point guard has seven points so far, including this creative reverse layup...

End of first quarter: Wizards 24, Raptors 23

7:30 p.m. ET — DeMar DeRozan has been finding all of his spots, scoring 13 points in the opening quarter. However, John Wall put the Wizards ahead with buzzer-beater to end the first. He's already got nine points, three rebounds and two assists. Yeah... that could be a problem for Toronto.

7:23 p.m. ET — Cold start for Bradley Beal. He has missed his first four field goal attempts, including two shots from beyond the arc. The Wizards need to free him up for better looks at the basket. 

7:10 p.m. ET — Kyle Lowry hits his first two shots in the paint, a good sign for the Raptors. DeMar DeRozan also gets off to a fast start with seven points early in the first quarter. Toronto is up five at the first timeout break.

7 p.m. ET —  DeMar DeRozan will put you in a trance ahead of Game 5. Tipoff coming up next...

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