The Warriors defeated the Raptors 120-105, which was also the team's third game in a four-game losing streak. With the recent return of Chris Paul and the explosion after Klay was deployed to the bench, the Warriors have won five of their last six games. The most terrifying thing is that the Warriors' away form is much better than their home court. According to statistics, the Warriors have won eight straight on the road, and with the Mavericks losing to the Celtics today, the gap between the Warriors and the eighth place in the West is just 15 wins.
With the next schedule between the Mavericks and the Warriors, the Warriors are even easier, and in the first half of the game, the Warriors basically beat some strong teams. If they can maintain their current form, the Warriors will not only finish in the top eight, but also think about finishing sixth to avoid the play-in tournament. The gap between the Warriors and the sixth-place Pelicans is 3 wins, and it's not impossible to chase. In terms of the play-offs, the Warriors are also stable, and they have two spots with the Lakers. The Jazz, who are 11th, and the Rockets, who are 12th, have surrendered this season.
In the absence of Raptors Podzemski, Kerr put Thompson back into the starting lineup, which was no problem. The Raptors forward line is already strong, and the Warriors need some height. What's more, with Paul leading the second team, the Warriors can have an advantage no matter how they play, especially the ability to control the court. The Raptors are actually not weak, and they beat the Warriors to a 9-2 climax at the beginning. Then Curry made a force on the outside, and the Warriors continued to eat. The Raptors led 31-28 in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the two sides were tied until the second half. The Thompson and Curry splash brothers reconnected and hit five three-pointers as the Warriors went on a 30-15 run to stretch the margin to double digits. The Raptors were also very tenacious, attacking the Warriors basket all the way to the rim and eating away at the end of the quarter to just eight points. Fortunately, Paul stabilized the situation, Curry and Kuminga affected offense and defense, and the Warriors reopened the killing suspense.
In the whole game, Barrett on the Raptors' side had 23 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, and his performance since joining the Raptors has been as stable as Mount Tai. The core Barnes scored 10 points and retired injured, Poeltl still played 10 points and 14 boards, and Trent and Quickley's backcourt combined to score 21 points. On the Warriors' side, Curry scored 25 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, Moody scored 17 points, 2 steals and 2 blocks, and Kuminga scored 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, scoring 20 points in three consecutive games. Paul had 13 points, 4 boards, 5 assists and 2 steals in 24 minutes, Thompson had 14 points and 7 boards, and Dream had 6 points, 13 boards and 5 assists.
After going through the labor pain, the Warriors have played the lineup clearly, Curry, Podemski, Moody, Kuminga and Dream Green are the starters, and the substitute Paul is charging with Looney and a bunch of instant forces. Among them, the first icebreaker was Dream Chasing to play center, and Kuminga forward. Kuminga plays a key role because he is a Leonard, and it takes Kuminga's height and reach and rebounding ability to qualify Dream to play the No. 5 position. As Curry said after the game, Kuminga's role in today's Warriors roster is the cornerstone.
At the beginning of the season, Kuminga didn't get along well with the veterans, and after the game, both Curry and Paul said bluntly: "At the beginning of the season, I bet Kuminga might hate us, but now he understands us because we see his highlights!" ”
The Warriors almost traded Kuminga for Siakam. In terms of ability, Kuminga's potential is above Siakam, and the 21-year-old Kuminga is averaging 15 per game so far this season7 points 48 plates 21 assist, shooting 533%, and he only made 11 shots. Now that Kuminga has made the Warriors stop missing Wiggins, perhaps the Warriors will be ready to trade Wiggins this offseason and then talk to Kuminga about a contract extension.
**10,000 Fans Incentive Plan