Returning home has changed nothing for the Raptorsbeaten on their floor by the Warriorsafter four straight away defeats in the last ten days.
Despite the absence of Stephen Curryand to a lesser extent from the regional stage Andrew Wigginsthe Warriors had a very good evening in attack (53% shooting success), relying mainly on Jordan Poole to fuel the brand, the young defending champions indeed offering his new career record in points, with 43 units.
For the Raptors, on the other hand, it’s another difficult evening in attack (42% on shots, less than 40% behind the arc), even if Pascal Siakam (27 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists) and Fred VanVleet (22 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists) struggled valiantly.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Jordan Poole Size Boss. Positioned as the main ball carrier, the young back of the Warriors quite simply signed the best offensive match of his career, on Canadian soil: 43 points! With very good shooting success percentages, 14/23 including 5/11 from 3-pointers, which reflected a good selection of shots and above all an absolute confidence in his right wrist. We also note a good alternation in his decisions, since 10 of his points were scored on the free throw line: “JP” was not content to draw, he also attacked the circle effectively.
– A benchmark success to restart the machine, on the Warriors side? Beaten three times in a row since the start of their “road-trip”, Steve Kerr’s men won easily, dominating and without offering their opponents the slightest possibility of hope. The success was mainly built with a very effective attack: 31 assists for 43 shots scored, mostly shots in rhythm which resulted from a good movement of the ball. The percentages attest to this: 53% success, notably boosted by a huge 18/39 behind the arc. Ideal for boosting confidence after three straight losses, and why not to launch a winning streak, while the Nets and Knicks, the two best teams in the Eastern Conference at the moment (6 straight wins for the first , 7 in a row for the seconds), are on the program to complete the “road-trip”.
TOPS & FLOPS
✅ Klay Thompson. Not at best physically since the start of his team’s “road-trip”, the back of the Warriors found rhythm in this meeting, and managed to weigh in attack: 17 points at 6/14 on shots, including 3 shots award-winning. Not to mention 7 rebounds and 4 assists to sign a full game. We are still far from even touching the Klay Thompson of the finest hours, but it was certainly reassuring, and above all encouraging for the continuation and the end of the “road-trip”.
✅ Draymond Green. He started very strong, with 13 points and a 3/3 behind the arc in the first quarter, before gradually falling into line as the game unfolded, leaving the exteriors of the Warriors to manage the “scoring” to focus on other areas. But without making noise, his performance was very complete, as he is used to: 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. A day of work like any other for Draymond Green.
✅ Pascal Siakam. Few reasons for satisfaction for the Raptors at the end of this meeting, but the Cameroonian was clearly the best player on his team. Although a little clumsy near the circle (9/20), while conversely he found the target with regularity behind the arc (3/5), the Raptors strong winger deployed a volume of important play, and regular pressure on the circle (6/7 on free throws). But a feeling of helplessness remains in mind, because of the large defeat of the Raptors.
⛔️ The “spacing” of the Raptors. As we know, Nick Nurse likes to play big. At the jump ball in that game, only Fred VanVleet was less than two yards in the Raptors’ major five. And if such a choice certainly offers a size and scope advantage to defend, it brings its share of negative points. The outside shot, among the most consistent. The Raptors have in fact registered “only” 13 outside shots (compared to the 18 pellets of the Warriors), including 8 registered by “FVV” and Malachi Flynn. In other words, the greats bring no “spacing” (with the exception of Siakam who scored 3 shots behind the arc). With that starving outside address being a big part of why the Raptors offense has been struggling so lately, one wonders if Masai Ujiri, now that the Dec. 15 date has passed, isn’t going to start seriously think about a transfer, to perhaps balance the forces in attack…
THE FOLLOWING
– Raptors (13-17): “back-to-back” in Philadelphia (01:00)
– Warriors (15-16): reception of the Warriors, on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday (01:30 a.m.)
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