warriors vs raptors preview (Photo: Rene Johnston / Toronto Star)
Golden State Warriors (36-23) vs. Toronto Raptors (32-26)
Tip-off: Sunday, March 2nd, 2014 – 1:00 PM PST
Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
Spread: TBA
TV: CSN Bay Area | Radio: KNBR 680 AM
Livetweet: @LetsGoWarriors (by @kingofmyworld19)
Last Game / Streak:
TOR – Lost 134-129 (OT3) vs WAS in Washington, Lost 1 game in a row
GSW – Won 126-103 vs NYK in New York, Won 1 game in a row
Probable Starting Lineups:
Warriors:
PG: Stephen Curry (23.9 PPG, 8.9 APG, 4.4 RPG)
SG: Klay Thompson (17.9 PPG, 2.4 APG, 3.1 RPG)
SF: Andre Iguodala (9.4 PPG, 4.3 APG, 4.9 RPG)
PF: Davide Lee (18.7 PPG, 2.1 APG, 9.7 RPG)
C: Andrew Bogut (8.0 PPG, 1.6 APG, 10.5 RPG)
HEAD COACH: Mark Jackson (106-101)
Raptors:
PG: Kyle Lowry (16.9 PPG, 7.7 APG, 4.5 RPG)
SG: DeMar DeRozan (21.4 PPG, 3.7 APG, 4.3 RPG)
SF: Terrence Ross (14.7 PPG, 1.2 APG, 4.3 RPG)
PF: Amir Johnson (13.0 PPG, 1.7 APG, 8.3 RPG)
C: Jonas Valenciunas (13.5 PPG, 0.9 APG, 11.3 RPG)
HEAD COACH: Dwane Casey (142-186)
The Warriors are coming off a 23-point victory in New York on Friday night, the team’s 7th victory of at least 20 points this season, and are looking to build on their success on the road.
The Warriors are tied with the Miami Heat for the 4th most victories on the road (18) against a Raptors team that is coming off of a difficult home loss to the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
The Warriors get Saturday night off as added preparation which Curry made note of to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Rusty Simmons here:
“We’re going to need that rest,” Curry said. “We want to be able to keep pushing and have gas left at the end of the trip to finish it off strong. When we take care of business and don’t play around with leads … it’s nice to see.”
The Raptors have had two nights to rest and prepare for Sunday’s matinee, but history sides heavily with the Warriors in this matchup. The Raptors are a dismal 0-7 against the Warriors with Curry in the lineup and have given up an average 119.3 points per game in those seven contests.
Curry, who is coming off of an impressive third triple-double (27-11-11) of the season on Friday averages 27.3 points per game on 53.7% from the field against his dad Dell’s former team.
Those numbers are Curry’s best against any team and to prove how consistent those averages are, the Warriors All-Star scored exactly 27 points on 53.3% from the field in a 112-103 victory against Toronto at Oracle Arena in December — that’s consistency.
Most probably recall that contest from earlier this season which saw the Warriors fall behind by as much as 27-points before erasing that deficit with a memorable 42-15 4th quarter in which every shot seemed like it would go in.
This is a different, more engaged Raptors team which has thrived since trading small forward Rudy Gay and are now atop the Atlantic Division. Curry’s fellow 2009 draftee, DeRozan, was named an All-Star for the first time this season and most pundits felt Lowry was one of biggest All-Star snubs this season, a feeling Warriors fans can connect with after Curry’s snub last year.
DeRozan has been on a tear, completing an impressive February by averaging 26.6 points on 44.4% shooting compared to his 22.7 points per game on 43.1% for the season, but he will have a tough task against the Warriors defense on Sunday.
Friday night saw Iguodala, Thompson, and company hold the New York Knicks‘ two active leading scorers, Carmelo Anthony and JR Smith, to a cringe-worthy 40 points on 45 attempts.
DeRozan is good, but he provide’s nowhere near the threat of a Carmelo.
The Raptors finally have an identity and play with a ferocious fast pace, completely different from the ball-stopping offensive approach from the Rudy Gay era.
Two uncertainties for the Raptors on Sunday are Lowry and second-year small forward Ross, both of whom suffered ankle injuries Thursday night against Washington. No official word has been given on their status, but coach Casey offered this comment:
“We’ll have to see for Sunday what they are going to do,” coach Dwane Casey said. “But it’s next man up. Somebody is going to have to step up and be ready to play.”
Lowry’s backup, Greivis Vasquez, played well in Thursday’s game with 26 points and 8 assists, but in Vasquez’s previous two games against the Warriors this season while with the Sacramento Kings, he struggled.
The former King scored only 9 points on 3-for-15 from the field and collected a miniscule 6 assists combined in those previous two contests.
According to Dwane Casey, Kyle Lowry practiced today. Terrence Ross did not and remains questionable for Sunday's game vs. Warriors. #RTZ
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) March 1, 2014
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Doug Smith of the Toronto Star:
PROLIFIC PRODUCTION
Some are suggesting Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson may become the best shooting teammates in NBA history. Raptors fans know what Curry can do — his averages of 27.3 points and 8.7 assists in seven games against Toronto are his best career marks against any team in the league.
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FAMILIAR FACE
Ex-Raptor saviour Jermaine O’Neal is rejuvenated at age with the Warriors. He’s had double-doubles in two of his last four games and is averaging about 16 points per game in that stretch.
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