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The Golden State Warriors more than survived Stephen Curry's absence on Sunday, blowing out the Toronto Raptors 126-110 for just their third road win this season. Here are three observations from one of Golden State's most complete victories of 2022-23.
Jordan Poole, fully realized
The Raptors knew exactly how important Poole was to the Warriors' offensively without Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, pressuring him up the floor and showing him multiple bodies behind the initial point of attack by sloughing off so-so three-point shooters. It didn't matter.
Poole lit up Toronto for 25 first-half points, a career-high, scoring from all over the floor with pointed aggression while still keeping his teammates involved. He drained three triples and hit all six of his free throws before intermission, keeping the Raptors off balance by changing speeds on the drive and being willing to “settle” for mid-rangers.
Poole has struggled to find that shot mix at times this season, but looked more adept than ever seeking short two-point jumpers against Toronto, frustrating defenders with sudden starts, stops and crosses.
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Poole got off the ball early when the hyper-aggressive Raptors dared him to find the open man, too. These quick-hitting triples from Klay Thompson and Donte DiVincenzo came on successive possessions.
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Playing without Curry, especially when Wiggins is also sidelined, will always be difficult for the Dubs. No one has ever bent defenses like Curry, and no one on this roster exploits those advantages as a scorer more than Wiggins.
But if Poole can consistently tap into the blend of all-court shot-making, decisive yet measured driving and opportunistic playmaking he did on Sunday, there's still a chance the Warriors surprise while Curry recovers from his shoulder injury—even when Poole doesn't go off for 43 points, a new personal best.
Beating the Raptors at their own game
Toronto is unique among NBA teams, and not just because it's overloaded with rangy, position-less athletes who are questionable three-point shooters. Nick Nurse's team magnifies the strengths and mitigates the weaknesses of its singular personnel by owning the offensive glass, racking up forced turnovers and making hay in the open floor.
The Warriors were absolutely locked into the scouting report from the opening tip of Sunday's game—not just holding their own in those areas, but flat outplaying the Raptors.
Golden State had five more second-chance points despite Toronto grabbing a whopping 15 of its own misses. The visitors raced out to 18 fast-break points, holding the Raptors to just five. Turnovers, frustrating as they were at times, didn't kill the Warriors. They even both attempted and made more free throws than Toronto.
Golden State knew exactly what it wanted to do against the Raptors, approaching Sunday's contest with the intensity and precision of a playoff game. It was this team's most cohesive performance all season long away from Chase Center in terms of gameplan and execution, and it's not particularly close.
A true team effort
Toronto's recent rut bears mentioning. The Raptors are now 1-6 in their last seven games, and were without multiple key contributors, including OG Anunoby. Even at full-strength, they may not be the tough postseason out everyone anticipated before the season began.
Forget that context for now, though. Go ahead and bask in the afterglow of a wire-to-wire victory that, however briefly, puts season-long worries about the Warriors high-end talent base and overall depth to bed.
This might've been Draymond Green's best game of the season. He drained an open three on each of Golden State's first three possessions, more than ready to make Toronto pay for ignoring him defensively. Draymond was easily the best defender on the floor, ignited Golden State's transition game by relentlessly pushing the pace and helped keep his team organized in the halfcourt.
Look how quickly he covers for Klay Thompson from the strong-side corner here, coming out of nowhere for a block at the rim.
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When was the last time Draymond had a finish like this?
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Don't neglect what came before Green's eye-popping reverse layup, either.
That was just one of Kevon Looney's six offensive rebounds on a night he had a double-double. Donte DiVincenzo created space for Draymond's cut, turning his head to make the pass as soon as possible—an encapsulation of his smart, dogged effort on both sides of the ball.
The defensive possession below came after Golden State had just established its biggest lead of the game, but you'd hardly know it given the way Moses Moody hounded Fred Van Vleet on the ball.
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That pogo-stick back-line block at the rim wasn't even the highlight of JaMychal Green's 15-point, seven-rebound night. Anthony Lamb was a menace defensively, especially as a help defender, and drained both of his three-point attempts. Ty Jerome had nine points, four rebounds and four assists. Thompson mostly let the game come to him offensively, helping set the tone for an offense that finished with 31 assists.
Every Warrior who received regular minutes—with the exception of Jonathan Kuminga, who took a couple rough long twos in the first half—made his mark on Sunday's game. Does that mean Golden State shouldn't seek personnel upgrades via trade? Hardly.
Still, it's a reminder of what this team can do when it's truly locked in, connecting the game on both sides of the ball and playing for the group rather than the individual. Here's hoping the Warriors can sustain that level of all-for-one commitment going forward.
