The Golden State Warriors end you before you realize it. Even on a night when the Warriors were sloppy and far from their best, they were on the verge of a run at any moment. And against the resilient Toronto Raptors, the Warriors had just enough to move to 12-0 on the season, winning 115-110.
2015 NBA scores: The Warriors win even when they struggle and 3 other things we learned
Even when the Warriors are bad they’re still one of the best teams in the NBA, plus three other things we learned Tuesday night.
Stephen Curry had 37 points and nine assists to lead the Warriors, and Klay Thompson added 19 points. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan had 28 points apiece to nearly handed the Warriors their first loss of the season.
The Raptors had an opportunity to pull off the upset because the Warriors couldn’t take care of the ball, turning it over 20 times. The Warriors committed some dumb fouls -- the Raptors made 30-of-39 free throws -- as part of an inconsistent ball game.
But their high-powered offense took care of business when necessary. The Warriors went on a 9-0 run towards the end of the first quarter, a 12-0 spurt to end the second, and a 7-0 burst after falling behind in the fourth.
Despite not playing their best, the Warriors still did that thing where they go into hyper speed and suddenly take the lead. The game was tied 35-35 with 8:35 to play in the second quarter. By the half, the Warriors were up 63-47. The Raptors didn’t do themselves any favors by leaving Curry wide open.
Space + Time = Splash. #TORatGSW on NBATV #NBARapidReplay https://t.co/UkrYu48p9F
— NBA (@NBA) November 18, 2015 The Raptors showed some resilience, though, making a run of their own to start the third quarter, and they pulled within five on a few occasions. And the Warriors didn’t have a run to close it out this time. The Raptors outscored the Warriors 36-27 in the third to make it a game. Then they pulled within two points early in the fourth. The Raptors stuck around, tied the game with 6:36 to play, and then took the lead with under 6:00 to play.
But sure enough, the inevitable Warriors run happened.
Draymond Green sprinted down the court and found Andrew Bogut for an alley-oop to tie the game, Curry used a nifty dribble to nail an open three to take back the lead, then Green hit a runner on a shot assisted by Curry. Just like that, the Warriors were up by five.
The Raptors did their best to halt the run with the hack-a-Bogut strategy. And it worked, they were only down three with under 2:00 to play.
In the end, however, the Warriors had Curry. He hit a bucket to take a five-point lead with 1:28 to play. The Raptors had chances in the final minute, but couldn’t take advantage. Curry made his free throws down the stretch and the Warriors held on.
The Raptors can take a lot out of this game despite the loss. DeRozan and Lowry didn’t give up on the game even when it looked over at the half. If the Raptors can play with that kind of toughness, they’re going to beat a lot of teams.
For Curry and the Warriors, they’re winning even when they struggle. That’s not a good sign for the rest of the NBA.
3 things we learned
The Detroit Pistons are confusing, but Andre Drummond is a force. After sputtering away the second half of their West Coast road trip, the Pistons looked like they might be an early season flash in the pan. But on Tuesday, they trailed by as many as 10 in the fourth quarter and still came back to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-99.
The Pistons looked every bit like the team that started the season 5-1 -- not the team that dropped four straight -- by running the offense through Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond. Jackson played with fire, driving into the Cavaliers' defense all night. He ended with 23 points and 12 assists. Drummond was even better, scoring 25 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. He had his way against Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson down low.
The Pistons have not been consistent this season. They’ve proven they can play with anyone, but now it’s on them to stay at the top of their game.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are good enough to withstand Hassan Whiteside. The Timberwolves beat the Miami Heat 103-91, despite Hassan Whiteside's triple-double of 22 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks. Whiteside was a beast, but the Heat struggled elsewhere -- they made only 5-of-24 shots from three -- before rolling over. The Timberwolves bounced back from a four-game losing streak by taking over in the fourth, outscoring the Heat 41-22.
The youth movement continued. Andrew Wiggins had 24 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 14 points and 14 rebounds despite battling down low with Whiteside. The Timbewolves are 5-6 and still look capable of staying in the Western Conference playoff race.
Kristaps Porzingis should get the keys to the city. The New York Knicks beat the Charlotte Hornets 102-94 and Porzingis was brilliant once again. He put up a career-high 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while igniting the Madison Square Garden crowd with his hustle and playmaking. And he showed off another move in his arsenal.
Porzingis with the Dream Shake? pic.twitter.com/lffz9yAkXg
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) November 18, 2015 The Knicks are fun to watch this year. In the East, that could mean they’ll make their way to the playoffs. Madison Square Garden might not be able to handle Porzingis in the playoffs.
SB Nation presents: Introducing PORZINGIS! A revolution in NBA rim cleanup
Play of the night
Whiteside's blocks weren't easy swats, he was everywhere on defense. On this play, he defended the ball the entire time, following Gorgui Dieng as the Minnesota big man drove to the hoop and then Nemanja Bjelica on the alley-oop. Whiteside is one of the most electric big men in the game.
2 fun things and one not so fun thing
Scores
Wizards 115, Bucks 86 (Bullets Forever recap | Brew Hoop recap)
Pistons 104, Cavaliers 99 (Detroit Bad Boys recap | Fear the Sword recap)
Timberwolves 103, Heat 91 (Canis Hoopus recap | Hot Hot Hoops recap)
Nets 90, Hawks 88 (Nets Daily recap | Peachtree Hoops recap)
Knicks 102, Hornets 94 (Posting and Toasting recap | At the Hive recap)
Nuggets 115, Pelicans 98 (Denver Stiffs recap | The Bird Writes recap)
Warriors 115, Raptors 110 (Golden State of Mind recap | Raptors HQ recap)
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