Playing in Toronto is an easy reminder of how things were going in the playoffs last year. The Washington Wizards went to Canada and started a first-round sweep of the Toronto Raptors with two wins in front of manic Air Canada Center crowds. The Wizards had proven to be pliable, shelving their power-ball approach in favor 3-pointers and space.
Wednesday night’s visit to the New York of the North stirred more immediate recollections. The Wizards, a wobbling 14-15, put forth the evening as a microcosm of what began as a hopeful season.