Raptors push Warriors to the brink, but champs escape 1st loss yet again
The Golden State Warriors will eventually lose, because no NBA team goes undefeated for too long. Good luck predicting when it will happen, though, because even the games that look to be headed for trouble usually end up in their favor.
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Three days after beating the Brooklyn Nets in overtime, the throwback-clad Warriors welcomed the Toronto Raptors to Oracle Arena. The game looked on its way towards another Golden State blowout in the second quarter, but the Raptors made their way back in the second half and appeared in solid shape to win late despite using their final timeout with 1:28 remaining in the fourth quarter. Down 109-108 with a shade over 24 seconds remaining, Toronto had a chance to end the contest in regulation with a winner.
They didn’t get that chance, though, because referees called Kyle Lowry for an offensive foul for pinning Andre Iguodala’s hand under his arm as the Warriors defender tracked DeMar DeRozan. Take a look:
Opinions will vary on the correctness of this call, but it’s definitely the kind of gambit that often goes uncalled in crunch time.
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At any rate, it registered as a major benefit to the Warriors. Stephen Curry made two free throws to push the lead up to three, after which Lowry bizarrely opted to attack the basket for a lay-up with six seconds left despite lacking timeouts for future possessions. That issue was rendered moot, though, because Draymond Green essentially ended the game with a block and two free throws at the other end. The Raptors traded a Cory Joseph lay-up for two Curry free throws over the final seconds to finalize a 115-110 Warriors win.
Toronto deserves credit for being in the game so late at all. Tied at 35-35 with 8:30 remaining in the first half, the Warriors closed the second quarter on a 28-12 advantage to take firm control of the contest. But the Raptors took the third quarter 36-27 and managed to change the tempo to their liking, or at least to something the Warriors did not prefer, with regular trips to the foul line (30-of-39 for the game). While frontcourt starters Jonas Valanciunas and Luis Scola largely struggled offensively, the backcourt kept pace with Golden State’s stars. Kyle Lowry (7-of-15 FG and 12-of-12 FT) and DeMar DeRozan (9-of-22 FG, six assists) both scored 28 points and played well enough to win.
Unfortunately for Toronto, neither of those players is Steph Curry. The reigning MVP did not have his best game and committed a season-high seven turnovers, but his 37 points (13-of-23 FG, 5-of-10 3FG) and nine assists were essential on a night when his teammates provided mostly efficient, yet relatively minimal, production.
At 12-0 with several wins over top competition, the Warriors have impressed as much as any team possibly could over the three weeks of the regular season. Yet Saturday and Tuesday’s wins make it clear that this group is not invulnerable. The continued struggles of Klay Thompson (19 points on 8-of-19 shooting) could become a long-term concern, and even Curry can be prone to bouts of poor decision-making. Although it’s easy to expect the team to remain focused for big games like Thursday’s trip to face the Los Angeles Clippers, they could very well show up for a future game and lay an egg.
The flip side of that worry is that they’ve encountered many of those problems in these last two contests and still won both of them. Great teams win when they’re not at their best, and the Warriors absolutely boast that quality.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
