Golden State Warriors shine anew, devour Toronto Raptors, 129-117
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT PhilBoxing.com Sat, 28 Jan 2023
The reigning and defending NBA champions Warriors apparently have hit their stride, beating the visiting Raptors, 129-117, Friday night.
In boxing terms, it was a fair and even tussle, each fighter tied in knots, eleven deadlocks total, and the victor winning by unanimous decision.
No knockouts, but it sure looked like it for Golden State, as they won by a wide margin- 12 points, to be exact.
The Splash Brothers once again showed why the Warriors possess the perfect 1-2 combination, with Steph Curry leading the way with 35 points and 11 assists (his ninth double-double this season). Curry got the votes for his ninth All-Star appearance last Thursday, and the only Warrior in franchise history to have done so.
It was vintage Curry who thrilled the crowd at Chase Center, taking over and scoring 9 of his 35 doozies in the fourth quarter, nailing a trey from the top of the key to give the Warriors’ a nine-point lead, with 3:29 remaining. The Toronto Raptors did not come within 7 points for the rest of the fight…I mean game.
The other Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, started out cold, going 0-for-5 early on, but finished strong with 29 points, knocking down six treys in the process. Tonight was Thompson’s 10th 20-point game in the last 12 games he played in (27.2 points per game in that span) and 19th 20-point game of the season.
Donte DiVincenzo added 12 points and posted a career-high 11 assists (previously nine, four times). He recorded his first career point-assist double-double with 12 points and a career-high 11 assists. It marked his ninth career double-double and second of this season.
Jonathan Kuminga made his presence felt with 15 points and sank a career-high-tying four 3-point baskets (done four times). He recorded his fourth-straight game of double-figure scoring (14th of the season).
JaMychal Green added 10 points and recorded his sixth double-figure scoring output of the season. He is averaging 13.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game in his three games since returning from a 14-game absence due to injury.
Kevon Looney had 12 points and 8 rebounds as a starter before fouling out late.
Draymond Green had 5 points but dished out 7 assists to go with 7 rebounds. All told, Green has dished out seven-or-more assists in his last six games, averaging 8.0 assists per game over that span.
Jordan Poole was cold tonight, per his standards, with just 9 points.
Despite the wide points difference, it was an exciting game that featured eleven ties before Curry took over and the Warriors pulling ahead with a 31-point fourth quarter.
For the visiting Raptors, Fred VanVleet had 28 points and 10 assists for the Raptors, who began their season-high, seven-game road trip 1-1.
Scottie Barnes added 24 points and Pascal Siakam 21, and Gary Trent Jr. 17 points. Off the bench, Precious Achiuwa poured in 17 points.
Per the Warriors Organization statistics team:
• The Warriors improved to 19-6 at home, including 8-4 vs. teams from the Eastern Conference.
• The Warriors dished out a season-high 40 assists (prev. 38, 11/20 at HOU), marking their league-leading 26th game of 30-plus assists. Golden State swept its season series vs. Toronto (2-0).
• The Warriors improved to 13-2 when shooting 50% or-better from the field. The Warriors recorded two consecutive games shooting 50 percent or-better from the field for the second time this season (11/25 vs. UTA, 11/27 at MIN).
• Tonight marked Golden State’s 455th consecutive sellout, the longest streak in franchise history.
Might I add, the Warriors have won consecutive home games after dropping four straight at the Chase Center, the last two against the vaunted Grizzlies and tonight the Raptors.
Has the sleeping giant Warrior awakened, we might ask…It certainly looked like it tonight.
Upcoming:
Golden State Warriors (25-24): Visit Oklahoma Thunders (24-25) on Monday.
Toronto Raptors (22-28): Visit Portland Trail Blazers (23-25) on Saturday.
Note of Appreciation:
Special thanks to Messrs. Raymond Ridder, Brett Winkler, Cole Lawrence, Darryl Arata, and the Warriors staff for their kind assistance and statistics.
The banner photos and video link are courtesy of the NBA and brought to you by PhilBoxing.com.
