Toronto Raptors: 3 takeaways from Game 5 vs. Wizards

3. Washington controls the glass

Despite the loss, Washington outrebounded the Raptors by a margin of 50-35, including a 14-6 edge on the offensive glass.

Marcin Gortat was a monster on the boards, piling up 12 rebounds including five on the offensive end, gifting the Wizards with extra possessions they desperately needed during this battle on the road. Toronto simply can’t allow that to happen in Game 6.

Whichever team controls the rebounds usually controls the pace, and allowing the opponent to grab offensive rebounds forces the defense to work even harder to prevent points.

Jonas Valanciunas is a large man, and he should be kept in games to help on the defensive glass, allowing the Raptors to control the pace while not allowing Washington to get any extra possessions.

With 13 rebounds including four on the offensive side in Game 5, Valanciunas has shown the ability to dominate the game on both sides of the glass, and the numbers back that up.

Allowing Washington to dominate the boards gives it a decisive advantage. As the 8-seed in these playoffs, Toronto can’t look to give the Wizards any sort of edge with which to build momentum on.

If the Raptors hope to close the series out in six games, they should look to establish Valanciunas’ presence in the paint, thereby taking away any edge the Wizards would look to gain on the boards.