Warriors’ absences too much to overcome in 119-100 blowout loss to Raptors

It did not take long for the Golden State Warriors to fall behind the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, and things never got much better for the Dubs. Between COVID-19 protocols, injuries, and the Warriors’ decision to rest several key players on their second back-to-back of the week, head coach Steve Kerr was without eight rotation players in their 119-100 defeat.

Kerr gave Chris Chiozza, Damion Lee, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Jonathan Kuminga, and Kevon Looney the starting nod. With Looney the Warriors’ only usual starter available, the Raptors burst out to a 22-7 lead. As expected, Golden State lacked a consistent threat and seemed out of sorts offensively. Just as importantly, though, the Warriors’ limited rotation struggled as much defensively, allowing the Raptors to score a lot of easy baskets.

Fred VanVleet continued his career ownage over the Warriors, recording 20 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block in the first half alone. Scottie Barnes, the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, also continued building on his impressive rookie season, amassing 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Warriors rookie lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody were the main attractions for Dubs nation. While neither offered enough firepower to make the game competitive, they each played with consistent offensive aggressiveness. Kuminga was by far the most outstanding Warrior, finishing with a team-high 26 points on .600/.667/.667 shooting.

Despite their loss on Saturday, the Warriors are still 24-6 and just a half-game behind the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the NBA. The Warriors will now return home after their first extended road trip of the season. They will take on the Sacramento Kings on Monday at 7:00 PM Pacific Standard Time at Chase Center, when Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and several other Dubs should be back in uniform.

If you missed the postgame stream, you can check it out here.