Friday’s road game against the Toronto Raptors started well for the Warriors, but things quickly fell apart in the second quarter as they allowed the Raptors to outscore them 35-16 through the frame, putting the squad in a hole they could not get out of and led to the eventual 130-77 loss.
TEAM LEADERS
The Warriors knew they would be without Stephen Curry who missed Friday’s game due to a lingering tailbone injury, but things got worse just prior to the opening tip when Draymond Green was ruled out for the game with a left finger sprain. Down two of their core members and All-Stars, the Dubs would have their work cut out for them.
Heeding the call to take the lead in the first quarter was Andrew Wiggins: as he did Thursday night against the Miami Heat he came out with the hot hand, dropping 11 points through the first 12 minutes. His effort kept the Dubs on the tails of the Raptors, who led 27-26 after the first frame.
However, the Warriors became unraveled in the second quarter. The team was only able to generate 16 points through the quarter while Toronto posted 35 in the frame. Meanwhile on defense, the Dubs were unable to find an answer to Paschall Siakam (23 points) and recently-acquired Gary Trent Jr. (17) who combined for 40 points in the first half alone.
While Wiggins started strong and finished the first half with 15, no other Dub found their stroke early. Kelly Oubre Jr. was the only other Warrior to eclipse the five-point threshold through the first 24 minutes with six points.
Rookie center James Wiseman notched nine points and five rebounds, while fellow 2020 draft pick Nico Mannion added 10 points and three assists. Eric Paschall also logged a full line in his 23 minutes with nine points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal and one block.
With Friday’s loss, Golden State has dropped six of their last seven games.
The Warriors will be back on the hardwood on Sunday as they wrap up the road trip against the Hawks in Atlanta (4:30 p.m., NBCSBA).