Warriors sneak by Raptors after Steph Curry injury
A 6-1 home-stand is in the books.
The Golden State Warriors wrapped up an excellent home-stand on Thursday night, beating the Toronto Raptors to go 6-1 on the extended staycation, matching a franchise best mark. But, just as was the case during Monday’s loss against the short-handed Denver Nuggets, Thursday’s win was not the walk in the park that one might have imagined when comparing the rosters on paper.
And unfortunately, the 117-114 victory has a large cloud looming over it: Steph Curry left the game in the third quarter with a pelvic contusion, and did not return. He appeared to be in a ton of pain.
The game started in someone funny fashion, with Draymond Green putting on a three-point shooting showcase. Halfway through the quarter, Green had 10 points and Brandin Podziemski six; the rest of the team had combined for just one point. The Raptors, playing with all sorts of energy, athleticism, and hot shooting, kept the score close, even as the Warriors got a boost when Quinten Post entered the game.
Golden State has been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA since acquiring Jimmy Butler III, while Toronto has one of the league’s worst offenses ... and was playing without leading scorer RJ Barrett. Yet you wouldn’t know either of those things from the way the quarter unfolded, with the Raptors pouring in the points. But, after the Dubs briefly fell behind, Podziemski controlled the final minute with a brilliant two-for-one: he made a three and then a floater, which bookended taking a charge. That gave him 11 points in the quarter and it gave the team a 33-30 lead, even though they’d shot just 1-for-5 on free throws.
It continued to be the Podz and Green show into the second quarter. Green quickly reached four made threes, and the unlikely duo had combined for 29 of the team’s first 44 points. They were living at the three-point line, with Post getting in on the action on multiple occasions. But on the other end, Scottie Barnes was eating up the team’s defense, and keeping the Raptors in close proximity.
For a moment it looked like the Dubs would pull away. Jonathan Kuminga had some exceptional minutes in the quarter, controlling the action on both ends of the court, and pushing the lead to double digits right around the four-minute mark. But again the Raptors wouldn’t go away, and Golden State led just 67-61 at the break. Amusingly, Green had 18 points, Kuminga 14, Podziemski 13, and Post 12, while Curry and Butler had combined to score just 10 points ... and take just five shots.
Despite barely leading, the Warriors had shot a sensational 14-for-30 from three-point range, but Toronto had dominated at the rim, winning the points in the paint battle 30-18.
The bulk of the third quarter was awful. Golden State was exceptionally sloppy, neither getting good looks nor taking care of the ball. Five minutes in, Toronto had taken the lead, and a few minutes later, that lead was six points. That seemed to light a flame in Curry, who started to bring his A-game ... only to suffer his injury when he fell awkwardly (and loudly) on his back and tailbone. It was a scary scene, with Curry writhing on the floor in pain for a few minutes before gingerly walking to the locker room.
Injuries to star players usually either motivate or demoralize a team, and thankfully Curry’s hard fall did the latter. Shortly afterwards, the Warriors found their energy, motivation, anger, and competitive spirit. They were flying all over the court, talking trash, and yelling — at one point, Post even got the arena to its feet by pumping up the crowd. They ended the quarter on an 8-0 run which gave them just a one-point lead heading into the final frame.
It would stay that close for the bulk of the quarter. The teams were going at each other, with barely any separation. Butler and Post were bringing the energy and the fighting spirit, and eventually the defense started to really lock in. But while the Dubs maintained the lead late, they couldn’t pull away.
Playing with a closing lineup of Podziemski, Butler, Kuminga, Green, and Moses Moody, the defining moment of the game occurred with about two minutes remaining. Up three, Green attempted a corner triple, but missed it. Despite taking that shot, he still got down the court in time to break up a transition alley-oop, which led to a transition opportunity going the other way, and a pair of free throws by Moody to push the lead to five.
It was back to just a three-point lead inside a minute, when the Warriors couldn’t get a decent look off, giving Toronto a two-for-one in a single-possession game. But the Raptors were unable to get a shot off in a timely manner, and instead settled for a layup with less than 20 seconds remaining. Butler spoiled the party, providing impeccable help defense to block the shot. He was then fouled, and made both free throws with 15.8 seconds remaining.
It wasn’t over, though. The Raptors scored a pair of points with 7.4 seconds remaining, and the Dubs answered with a pair of Buddy Hield free throws. Now it felt over ... until Jamal Shead banked in a desperation three from the top of the arc, making it a two-point game with a few seconds still remaining.
But the new closer got the job done, as Butler calmly sank a pair of free throws with 2.0 seconds remaining, icing the game and giving the Dubs a 117-114 win.
Butler recorded his second triple-double with the Warriors, finishing with 16 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists, two steals, and two blocks. Green led the team with 21 points, and added seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Golden State had six different players score at least 15 points, as Post (18), Curry (17), Kuminga (16), and Podziemski (15) all got in on the action.
Golden State handled business at home and, thanks to some surprising losses by the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Dubs gained a little separation from the play-in tournament seeds this week. But now comes a harder task: a six-game road trip that will take them into April. It starts on Saturday, when the Warriors visit the Atlanta Hawks, and on Tuesday heads to Miami, for a reunion with Andrew Wiggins ... and Butler’s return to the Heat.
Hopefully they’ll have Curry for those games.