If you went to this game, it was cool to see Steph Curry suit up in Toronto for the first time since Game 5 of the 2019 Finals. However Scottie going down in the second quarter put a real damper on the rest of the night.
Barnes initially appeared to jam his finger early in the quarter. Then Barnes fractured his hand while going up near the rim for a potential rebound. He was in obvious pain, left the court and didn’t return. Barnes officially been listed as out indefinitely, with the injury to the third metacarpal bone of his left hand.
The Raptors offence was humming while Scottie was in. They took a lead into the half for the sixth straight game, scoring 64 points. Barnes had 10 points, six boards and three assists. He came in shooting 1-13 from deep since the All-Star break, but made two early triples. His absence was predictably the turning point of this game.
The Raptors slogged their way to 41 second half points on 34 percent from the field (3-21 from three) without Barnes. They missed Scottie’s pace pushing tendency and ability to generate open looks garnering extra attention. Toronto went on a couple scoreless droughts including a three and a half minute famine early in the fourth. RJ Barrett (23 points) was the only Raptor to put up his usual offensive production.
High praise from Draymond Green on Scottie postgame.
Steph Returns
Young Wardell memories consisted of him shooting on these same rims. Fans had been eagerly awaiting Curry after being disappointed the last couple of years when he didn’t make the trip. The pro-Steph crowd was treated to seven threes and a game high 25 points, bouncing back from his 2-14 performance in January against Toronto where he missed all nine of his attempts behind the arc.
The Curry-Jonathan Kuminga pick and roll also hurt the Raptors. Kuminga’s athleticism as a roller combining with having to stick to Steph on screens is a lethal combo. Steph turned a tie game into a 10 point Warriors lead in a span of two and a half minutes. That 12-2 run created a deficit that Toronto couldn’t overcome without Scottie.
Sidenotes
- One of the original OG’s (not Anunoby) returned. Charles Oakley spent some time with Matt Devlin and his old teammate Alvin Williams on the Sportsnet broadcast during the third quarter.
- DJ Carton got some playing time at the end of the third quarter, stretching into the fourth. He had five points and two assists, highlighted with a lob to Gradey Dick. The reverse finish was one of Gradey’s more athletic moves this season.
Up Next: More Curry family members touch up North on Sunday. Former Raptor Dell on the Hornets broadcast, and Seth.
