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MONTREAL — On a night when Toronto Raptors stars Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley weren’t there, hometown favorite Chris Boucher took the spotlight in Montreal.
Boucher produced 13 points and six rebounds off the bench as the Raptors defeated the Washington Wizards 125-98 on Sunday in their preseason opener at the Bell Center.
The longest-serving Raptor went 5-for-9 from the floor in 17 minutes in front of “too many” friends and family in the sold-out crowd of 21,900 after the team held training camp all week at the Université du Québec à Montréal.
“The fans support us, they hug us when we’re in town, and you can feel the love,” Boucher said of his second preseason NBA game in town. “It’s hard for me not to give it back when they support me all the time. So I’m happy that we won. I am happy that we played well and to our standards and were able to put on a good show.”
RJ Barrett led all scorers with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting in 14 minutes – all in the first half – before leaving the game with a bruised right shoulder after running into a screen by Wizards big man Jonas Valanciunas.
Head coach Darko Rajaković said Barrett will be further evaluated on Monday.
Gradey Dick, Kelly Olynyk, Jamal Shead, Jahmi’us Ramsey and Jamison Battle each added 10 points for the Raptors. Shead and Davion Mitchell combined for nine assists and one turnover while starting point guard Quickley was absent.
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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.
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The 24th overall pick in this year’s draft gave him his first taste of NBA action in front of a group of family members in the stands, including his grandparents.
“As great as I imagined it, being able to spend my first game in front of my family was just a blessing,” he said. “It is also the first time that I see myself playing in real life. So it’s just a blessing overall, and seeing them on the field afterwards is just amazing.”
The rowdy crowd 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 on Nov. 2 will become the first player in Raptors franchise history to have his number retired, received the loudest ovation of the night.
“The arena here is very big. Someone told me it’s 21,000 seats. They are very steep, so you really feel the crowd spreading through the whole team,” said Rajaković. “It was great to be here in Montreal for a few days.”
Barnes missed the start of camp for personal reasons and rejoined the team on Saturday, while starting point guard Quickley is dealing with a sprained thumb.
Boucher – who grew up in the Montréal Nord borough – also welcomed the Bell Center floor when the Raptors played an exhibition game against the Brooklyn Nets in October 2018.
The Raptors last played a game in Montreal in 2022 against the Boston Celtics, but Boucher was left out with a hamstring injury.
Boucher and George addressed the crowd from center court to get things up to speed before the Raptors got going.
Led by Barrett and Dick, the Raptors opened with a 13-2 run less than four minutes into the game before Boucher and George checked in to more ovations six minutes into the first quarter.
Boucher’s dunk with 1:49 left helped the Raptors take a 34-16 lead after the first quarter.
“We didn’t enjoy our start,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said. “The second quarter was much better, much better defensive mentality. In the third inning the game was a bit up and down for both teams, but we were more competitive. But the start really hurt us. There is a lot to learn from this match.”
In the second quarter, Boucher hit a three, while Barrett hit two layups and a shot from beyond the arc as Toronto continued to increase the score. At halftime, the Raptors led 56-38.
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.
In the fourth quarter, both teams sat deep on their bench. Toronto’s Battle quickly scored eight points with two threes and a layup as the Raptors cruised to the resounding victory.
NEXT
The Raptors visit the Wizards in a rematch on Friday before a home-and-home series with the Boston Celtics on Oct. 13-15. They wrap up preparation against the Nets in Brooklyn on October 18.
Toronto tips off its 30th anniversary season at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 23.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
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