By Canadian Press

Toronto Raptors beat Washington Wizards 125-98 in Montreal to open pre-season

Oct 6, 2024 | 8:17 PM

MONTREAL — Hometown favourite Chris Boucher produced 13 points and six rebounds as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Washington Wizards 125-98 in their pre-season opener at the Bell Centre on Sunday.

Boucher — the longest-serving Raptor — went 5-for-9 from the floor in 17 minutes after the team conducted training camp at the Université du Québec à Montréal all week.

RJ Barrett led all scorers with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting in 14 minutes — all in the first half — before exiting the game with a bruised right shoulder after running into a screen by Wizards big man Jonas Valanciunas.

Gradey Dick, Kelly Olynyk, Jamal Shead and Jahmi’us Ramsey and Jamison Battle added 10 points each for the Raptors.

Jordan Poole led Washington with 16 points and six assists. Swiss-Canadian Wizards forward Kyshawn George, whose father Deon is from Montreal, scored eight points in front of a pack of friends and family in the stands.

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The sellout crowd of 21,900 rowdy spectators included newlyweds Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey of the PWHL’s Montreal Victoire, four-time Canadian Olympian Natalie Achonwa and former Raptors great Vince Carter.

Carter, who will become the first player in Raptors franchise history to have his number retired on Nov. 2, received the loudest ovation of the night.

Raptors star Scottie Barnes, who missed the start of camp for personal reasons, and starting point guard Immanuel Quickley (thumb) were ruled out for the game.

Boucher — who grew up in the Montréal Nord borough — also took the Bell Centre floor to a hero’s welcome when the Raptors played an exhibition game against the Brooklyn Nets in October 2018.

The Raptors last played a pre-season game in Montreal against the Boston Celtics in 2022, but Boucher was out with a hamstring injury.

It was the eighth time Montreal hosted an NBA pre-season game as part of the NBA Canada Series since 2012.

Boucher and George addressed the crowd from centre court to tip things off before the Raptors went on a roll.

Led by Barrett and Dick, the Raptors opened on a 13-2 run less than four minutes into the game.

Boucher and George checked in as the first players off their benches six minutes into the first quarter to more ovations.

Boucher’s dunk with 1:49 left in the quarter helped the Raptors jump out to a 34-16 lead after the first quarter.

In the second, Boucher hit a three while Barrett hit two layups and a shot from beyond the arc as Toronto kept running up the score, leading 49-22 with seven minutes remaining in the second half. The Raptors led 56-38 at halftime.

Boucher scored eight points in the third quarter, but the Wizards cut the Raptors lead to 15 with multiple baskets from Alexandre Sarr and George.

Both teams went deep down their benches in the fourth quarter. Toronto’s Battle scored eight points in a hurry with two threes and a layup as the Raptors cruised to the resounding win.

UP NEXT

The Raptors visit the Wizards in a rematch on Friday before a home-and-home series with the Boston Celtics on Oct. 13 and Oct. 15. They’ll wrap up the pre-season against the Nets in Brooklyn on Oct. 18.

Toronto tips off its 30th anniversary season at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 23.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2024.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press