In a game when Stephen Curry had his worst shooting performance of his career, his supporting cast stepped up and the Warriors defeated the Toronto Raptors, 106-105, Sunday night at Chase Center.
Curry, who entered the night as the NBA’s second-leading scorer, was the target of an aggressive Raptors defense that chased, battered and bloodied the two-time MVP. He finished with just 11 points on 2-of-16 shooting (1-of-10 from 3-point range), while Damion Lee’s free throws with 4.3 seconds remaining clinched the win for the Warriors (6-4).
Hounded by guard Fred VanVleet, an assortment of long defenders and a box-and-1 defense, Curry made his first shot of the game but then missed his next 13 field goal attempts until making a key 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter.
All of the attention being paid to Curry created opportunities for his teammates, as six others scored in double digits. Andrew Wiggins finished with 17 points and four assists, Eric Paschall (15 points) and Lee (13 points) contributed off the bench and Draymond Green recorded 10 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Brad Wanamaker’s 2-pointer gave the Warriors a 16-point lead midway through the second quarter.
But the Raptors (2-7) made a run in the second half and Kyle Lowry scored 16 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Raptors battled back and took a four-point lead with 2:58 remaining.
That’s when Curry made his first shot since the opening period — a 3-pointer to narrow the new deficit to one. Curry helped set up a potential game-winning opportunity when he helped defend forward Pascal Siakam on the Raptors’ second-to-last possession, forcing Siakam into a tough shot blocked by Kent Bazemore.
With 7.7 seconds left, Lee inbounded the ball to Curry who, after getting swarmed by Toronto’s defense, passed back to Lee. Lee rose for a 3-point attempt and was fouled before the shot, putting him on the line for the game-winning free throws. Siakam’s go-ahead mid-range jumper rimmed out.
For a Warriors team that had previously lost every game this season in which Curry failed to score 30 points, this win serves as an important touch point and proves they can win games when their top player is limited by a defense that sells out to stop him.
Next, the Warriors will wrap up this seven-game homestand against the Pacers on Tuesday.
