The Toronto Raptors let another one get away on the road!
The Raptors lost another tough game, 129-117, to the Splash brothers' Warriors last night. Steph Curry is Steph; what can be said about that? Curry was at his best last night, scoring 35 points and 11 assists, putting on a masterclass and getting past Nick Nurse's defence easily. Klay Thompson had 29 points, and 6 threes as the Warriors pulled away late in the fourth quarter.
The Raptors fall to 22-28 with the loss and are now in 12th place in the East. The Warriors improved to 25-24, sitting in seventh place in the West.
It wasn't for lack of effort from Toronto; they gave it their all and played hard but couldn't match Curry's brilliance and keep up with Golden State late in the game.
Steve Kerr praised Curry's performance, saying, "When Steph plays like that, the whole game opens up." In the end, though, when all was said and done, it was just too much firepower for Toronto, and they couldn't keep up with the reigning champions.
Warrior's offence is from another planet!
The Warriors' offence is from another planet, and the Toronto Raptors got to experience that firsthand. The ball was moving, and shots were falling as the players created a show with their passes and great accuracy. Even though this isn't one of Golden State's best seasons, their elite playing level is still impressive and entertaining. Once again, we witnessed the awe-inspiring offence of the Warriors and why elite-level accuracy makes them a show-stopping force to be reckoned with.
Toronto put up an excellent fight, thanks partly to Fred VanVleet's 28 points and 10 assists, Scottie Barnes' 24 points and five assists, and Precious Achiuwa's 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. However, the Warriors eventually pulled ahead by outscoring the Raptors 20-12 during the final six minutes. The deciding moment was Steph Curry splitting the defence before driving in for a layup that put them up by 10 points with 1:17 left on the clock.
After the game, Nick Nurse praised the unparalleled skill of the Golden State Warriors, noting their ability to execute plays with extraordinary accuracy and speed. He highlighted their shooter speed as a special advantage that other teams don’t have access to. The Warriors are one of the most formidable basketball forces because of their play's sharpness and speed.
The catastrophic breakdowns on defence ultimately choked Toronto's chance of winning last night!
Once again, it was the defensive struggles that proved to be too much for Raptors. The Raptors fought hard throughout the game, on both ends of the court, but the Warriors' offence was just too much for this year's Toronto Raptors' mediocre defence. The Toronto Raptors need to learn from this: our defence is not where it needs to be.
The Raptors were able to force twelve turnovers, yet it wasn't enough to overcome the shart shooting of the Warriors. The loss brings the Raptors' record to 2-7 in their first back-to-backs this season and 3-5 in the second part of back-to-back games, below what they posted last year.
When it comes down to it, a lot of what needs improving is fundamental: closing out shooters tighter and taking away passing lanes quicker; being smarter with double teams and knowing when to switch correctly; choosing good matchups; staying alert on abrupt cuts or backdoor screens and utilizing additional help to shut down offensive runs or comeback attempts effectively without giving away too many fouls or open shots either situationally or transition opportunities; rotating earlier when necessary stopping long rebounds.
The Raptors played an underwhelming game, with glaring defensive lapses and a lack of physicality. Nick Nurse acknowledged that their failure to match their opponents' intensity ultimately cost them the victory. Nick Nurse added after the game: ''We missed a lot of communication; we just got beat physically.''
Communication and physicality are essential for any team that wants to be successful. Without proper communication on the court, it is impossible to execute plays and make intelligent decisions in tight situations properly. Likewise, you can't win unless you're willing to outwork and outplay your opponents.
Raptors must rebound fast as they fly to Portland for their matchup with the always-dangerous Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers.
They'll have to dig deep and bring something new to this battle to win.
