OAKLAND – Coach Steve Kerr said this week that the Warriors play some of their best basketball when threatened. His team went out Friday night and affirmed his statement.
In a battle of conference leaders, the Warriors were as good as they've been in any game this season in a 126-105 dispatching of the Toronto Raptors before a sellout crowd at Oracle Arena.
Stephen Curry scored a game-high 32 points to lead five Warriors in double figures. Marreese Speights finished with 26, Klay Thompson had 20 and David Lee finished with 12.
The fifth Warrior in double figures was Draymond Green, who managed the feat in three categories. He totaled 16 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists.
The Warriors (26-5) shot 53.3 percent for the game and held Toronto (24-9) to 46.5 percent. The also outrebounded the bigger Raptors 45-37. Moreover, the Warriors committed nine turnovers, tying their season low.
Toronto's loss was its second in a row. The Raptors have had two two-game losing streaks this season and all four opponents were members of the powerful Western Conference.
STANDOUT PERFORMER:
Everybody gets in the picture this time, but Green was the catalyst and earned the right to stand in the middle and hold the trophy.
Green deserves the prime spot for delivering another comprehensively brilliant performance. In addition to his triple-double, he added two blocked shots and two steals.
Flanking Green in the photo are Curry and Speights. Curry added 12 assists to his points total, and Speights grabbed eight rebounds.
TURNING POINT:
Holding a 66-61 lead a the half, the Warriors opened the second half with a 23-5 run, going up 89-66 with 5:46 left in the quarter. Toronto kept coming but got no closer than nine after that.
Thompson scored 10 points during the run, which was highlighted when Green blocked a shot by 7-foot Jonas Valanciunas to trigger a Warriors fast break that led to a layup by Speights.
The Raptors during the stretch went 2-for-11 and also committed four turnovers.
INJURY UPDATE:
C Andrew Bogut (chondromalacia and bone edema) and C Festus Ezeli (sprained left ankle) remain out indefinitely.
WHAT'S NEXT:
The Warriors meet the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night at Oracle Arena.
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