Apr 3, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) drives past Washington Wizards center Kevin Seraphin (13) and guard John Wall (2) during the first half at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

After leading by as much as 15, the Washington Wizards lost yet another road game to the Toronto Raptors. With this 88-78  loss, the Wizards are officially out of playoff contention.

Washington looked great in the first half. John Wall played good aggressive basketball, getting to the basket and knocking down several perimeter shots. Emeka Okafor and Nene both contributed in the first half, knocking down multiple shots which helped Washington gain a 15 point lead. Washington outscored the Raptors 26-16 in the second quarter, lead by their bench. Cartier Martin did a great job in filling in for Bradley Beal, knocking down several threes. Most importantly, the Wizards played great defense in the first half. But it all took a turn for the worse in the second half for Washington.

The Wizards scored 26 points in the second quarter, but only scored 28 in the second half. This was probably the most frustrating game of the season. The officials were horrible tonight, and I hate pulling the “referee card.” The Raptors took 18 free throws in the third quarter, which obviously stole all of Washington’s momentum. Jonas Valanciunas, who shot just 7 field goals, finished the game with 24 points. That’s ridiculous. Washington’s big men weren’t allowed any room to play defense by tonight’s officials. To be fair to Toronto, they did do a good job playing defense tonight. The Wizards shot just 32 percent from the floor, and the Raptors held John Wall to just 5-17 shooting. They also did a great job in closing out on Martell Webster from beyond the arc. Webster, who is Washington’s best shooter, shot just 1 for 8 from the field. John Wall, Martell Webster, and Garrett Temple combined for just 6/27 from the field. That’s terrible.

I wouldn’t put too much thought in this game. As noted, the officials were pretty bad tonight. This game was really tough to watch.

Washington will meet the playoff bound, Indiana Pacers, on Saturday night at the Verizon Center.

Feb 25, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) goes to shoot as Toronto Raptors center-forward Amir Johnson (15) defends at the Air Canada Centre. Washington defeated Toronto 90-84. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

It’s amazing how much of a difference maker a 19 year old rookie could be for a struggling Washington Wizards squad. Prior to suffering an ankle sprain, Bradley Beal had risen as a top rookie in a class full of spectacular players. Not only did Bradley Beal receive national recognition by winning Eastern Conference Player of the Month, he helped the Wizards overcome their offensive woes, by becoming a legitimate threat.

After sitting out 5 straight games, Beal returned to the Wizards lineup on Sunday night against the Toronto Raptors. In just 30 minutes off the bench, Beal scored 24 points along side 4 assists. He connected on 8 of his 14 field goal attempts, 6 of which were 3 pointers. Prior to Beal’s return to the Wizards lineup, John Wall was forced to carry the offensive load throughout the game. Now with both Beal and Wall sharing the back court, Washington has gotten some relief on both sides of the floor. With Wall on the floor, Beal has played at a very high level. John Wall’s ability to create for his teammates has certainly increased Beal’s level of play. In an interview with Zach Lowe, Bradley Beal stressed the importance of having Wall as a back court teammate;

He just makes life so much easier since right when he got back. The floor is so much better spaced — who are you gonna guard? Are you gonna leave me open to guard John? Are you gonna leave Martell [Webster]? Who you gonna guard? It just makes it difficult for the other team. He does a great job of finding me, and I just keep shooting.

Here are the complete highlights of Beal’s spectacular return on Sunday night:

Feb 25, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) tries to dribble around Toronto Raptors center/forward Amir Johnson (15) at the Air Canada Centre. Washington defeated Toronto 90-84. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

With the Wizards 109-92 victory over the Toronto Raptors, Washington has secured their best season since 2007-2008.

After missing five consecutive games due to a sprained ankle, Bradley Beal made his unexpected return to the Wizards lineup tonight. To be honest, I didn’t expect much from Beal, since he has sat out for a quite a long time. To my surprise, Beal looked just as good tonight, as he did prior to his ankle injury. Scoring 24 points in just 30 minutes off the bench, Beal shot 8/14 from the field, including 6 of 9 three pointers. Beal did a terrific job in getting open and running his routes, which allowed John Wall to find him multiple times on the perimeter. With Wall attacking the basket, defenses are forced to collapse, which leaves Beal wide open in the corner. It’s amazing how much confidence Bradley Beal has gained just from playing with John Wall. Hopefully, we’ll see the continuous growth of the Wall-Beal combo for years to come. In my opinion, this tandem has the potential to become the most powerful combination of guards in the league. It’s amazing to watch how well Bradley Beal and John Wall work off each other.

John Wall also continued to impress. Scoring 18 points along side 10 assists, Wall has steadily shown his growth as a floor general. Instead of forcing the issue and committing unforced turnovers, Wall did a great job in controlling the pace all while getting his teammates involved. Wall also did a great job in looking for his shot and picked his spots well tonight. Most impressively, Wall committed just one turnover.

It’s a shame that this season is already coming to an end. John Wall and Bradley Beal have given us Wizards fans a glimmer of hope for the future. Barring injury, Washington’s back court have been a match made in heaven. I honestly can’t even comment on Toronto’s side of the fence tonight, because I’m so mesmerized at how well John Wall and Bradley Beal played together.

Washington will meet the playoff bound Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night at the Verizon Center.