Washington Wizards: 5 keys to series vs. Raptors

5. Pull off the upset in Game 1

Figuratively speaking, the Washington Wizards have been here before. They’ve been the underdog, the team on the road that had to prove themselves coming in. This time around, the Raptors are the top seed and the Wizards are the last seed in the East.

During the regular season, both teams won a game at home and on the road, showing that the old adage, “On any given night, anybody can lose” still holds true. It’s a little different scenario this time, as Toronto finished the year with a franchise-best 59 victories.

The Wizards are definitely capable of pulling off the shocker in Game 1 behind John Wall and Bradley Beal. Wall has averaged 19.4 points, 9.6 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game despite playing in 41 games. In his final two appearances of the regular season, it looked like he got some of his swagger back. He averaged 29.0 points, 12.0 assists, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 3.0 blocks per contest although they went 1-1.

Pulling off an upset puts them in prime position for victory in a series that could need all seven games for completion. Playoff basketball is a different beast and the Washington Wizards have always seemed to be ready to tame it these past few years.