Raptors' comeback falls just short in loss to Warriors

John Arlia

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Raptors' comeback falls just short in loss to Warriors image

Two nights after making a statement with a 34 point win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Toronto Raptors fell 127-125 to the Golden State Warriors, but gave the reigning NBA champions all they could handle Saturday at Air Canada Centre.

The Warriors, playing in the second game of a back-to-back, made a statement of their own in the opening half with an 81-point offensive outburst that looked to have ended the game as a contest.

Despite trailing by 27 at the half, the Raptors rallied in the second to make things interesting and had a chance to snatch the win late in the fourth quarter. DeMar DeRozan made a contested layup to cut the Warriors' lead to one with just over a minute to play, but Toronto couldn't complete the comeback. Kevin Durant restored the Warriors' lead to three with a pull-up jumper and Stephen Curry iced the game at the line after C.J. Miles had missed a potential game-tying three-pointer.

Klay Thompson led Golden State with 26 points, while Durant chipped in 25 and Curry scored 24 in his first game back from a sprained ankle. DeRozan led all players with 42.

Raptors' guard Kyle Lowry missed his third straight game as he continues to recover from the bruised tailbone and back spasms he suffered in Brooklyn on Monday.

Here are three takeaways from the Raptors' loss to the Warriors:

A Tale of Two Halves

Despite making a valiant effort to mount a comeback, the Raptors dug themselves too deep of a hole to climb out of in the first 24 minutes Saturday night. Toronto played sub-par defense for most of the first half and the Warriors made them pay by scoring 81 points on 71.1% shooting. It was the worst defensive half of basketball for Toronto since March 2011, when they allowed 84 points in the first half, also against Golden State.

While offensive outbursts like these are nothing new for the Warriors, Golden State still managed to set its season high for first quarter points (43) and points in any half (81). The record breaking display was the Warriors' highest scoring first half on the road since dropping 87 on the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 2, 1990.

In the second half, the Warriors looked like a team playing the second game of a back-to-back, while the Raptors looked like Eastern Conference contenders again. Toronto nearly set a new franchise record for largest halftime comeback (still 25 points against Detroit in 2010), outscoring the Golden State 71-46 in the final 24 minutes. 

The Raptors got a strong second-half effort from their bench, which dominated the fourth quarter. Fred VanVleet highlighted a balanced offensive display from the second unit, scoring 13 points and connecting on a trio of three pointers. 

DeMar Delivers Again

DeMar DeRozan continued his hot scoring streak, leading all scorers with 42 points on 17-31 shooting from the field and 8-10 from the free throw line. He single-handedly kept Toronto in the game early, scoring 25 of the team's 54 first-half points. 

The three-time All-Star also passed Vince Carter for the most 30-plus point scoring contests in Raptors' franchise history, with his 92nd such game.

Three point woes continue

Toronto struggled from long distance again on Saturday night, shooting a collective 8-25 (32%) from behind the arc. DeRozan missed all four of his attempts and sharpshooter CJ Miles was just 2-7, missing a toughly contested effort in the game's final moments. 

The Warriors, meanwhile, went 9-24 from three, an off night for one of the NBA's best shooting teams. In his return from injury, Curry shot 2-7 from behind the arc, while Durant went 3-6.

John Arlia