Warriors aim for more victory on the road in Toronto
Curry led the Warriors to a 110-99 victory over the visiting New York Knicks on Thursday night, grabbing 11 rebounds and scoring 31 points. Curry shot 21.6 percent (8-for-37) from 3-point range and 31.5 percent (17-for-54) from the field in his previous three games.
In the second game of four straight away on the road, Curry shot 11-for-26 from the field on Thursday after going 6-for-21 for 18 points in a 123-112 victory against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. He shot eight out of eighteen (3-pointers) in New York.
By the half, Curry led the injury-riddled Knicks with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
“Every night’s different, but it didn’t hurt that in the Garden I had a good vibe and a good flow going,” Curry stated.
The Warriors, who have won ten of twelve, added 25 points from Jonathan Kuminga. In his new position as the sixth man, Klay Thompson scored sixteen more points. Chris Paul, who missed 21 games due to a fractured left hand, returned with 11 points and six assists in his second game.
“There’s nothing like getting out there and playing, especially with our team,” Paul stated. “I think the spirit is right and we’ve just got so many different ways that we can play with our team.”
In the first game of a four-game homestand, the Raptors fell to the Dallas Mavericks 136-125 on Wednesday. Toronto’s first three-game winning streak of the season came to an end with the loss.
For Toronto, Scottie Barnes had a career-best double-double streak that now stands at five games with 19 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in 39 minutes of play. During the streak, Barnes is shooting 50% (44-for-88) from the floor and scoring 21.4 points with 10.4 rebounds.
“I’m constantly challenging him for more.” Darko Rajakovic, the Toronto coach, stated. “I think highly of him and have great expectations for him. However, the fact that he shares my perspective makes me quite happy. His age is twenty-two. He isn’t flawless. He still has a lot of room for improvement.
“What I like most about Scottie, though, is his willingness to work hard and pay attention. He’s becoming better every day, and he wants to be coached. As a young player, Scottie is now attempting to develop his post-up, pick-and-roll, and interpersonal skills. He is really selfless. He aspires to play ethically.
Although the Raptors are currently rebuilding, they were unable to handle Dallas.
“I don’t think the paint protection we applied tonight was adequate. Rajakovic remarked, “(We) gave them way too many offensive rebounds.” “Tonight, we had 34 assists, but it didn’t seem like that. Our ball movement and offensive intensity were also something I found lacking.”
Andrew Wiggins (personal) will not be available to the Warriors going forward.
RJ Barrett scored 37 points to help Toronto defeat the San Francisco Giants 133-118 in their opening meeting of the season on January 7.