Raptors lose Barnes, recreation as Curry stars once more for Warriors

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Friday night time was not alright for the Toronto Raptors. Not solely did the group blow a halftime lead and fall to the Golden State Warriors, however all-star ahead Scottie Barnes was additionally misplaced to a left hand harm.

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The Raptors acquired off to a robust begin and led by three at halftime earlier than issues went awry. Golden State pulled away for a 120-105 win in entrance of a giant crowd that was clearly there to see Stephen Curry.

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Curry scored 25 factors, nailing seven three-pointers, Jonathan Kuminga added 24 and the Warriors gained for the thirteenth time in 16 video games.

The Raptors mentioned after the sport that Barnes sustained a fracture to the third metacarpal bone of his left hand and will probably be out indefinitely.

Barnes left late within the second quarter after scoring 10 factors and didn’t return. The opposite Raptors left within the third quarter when the group was outscored 32-19 and shot 26% from the sector, lacking all 9 three-point makes an attempt.

Curry had averaged 29.9 factors per recreation in eight common season video games at Scotiabank Area, probably the most of any participant, however had not performed right here since Sport 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, when he scored 31 factors, sending the sequence again to Oakland, the place Toronto would win the title.

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Golden State had a reliable excuse for a no-show recreation, however didn’t take it. The group beat the Knicks in New York on Thursday night time — profitable for the tenth time in 12 video games — earlier than airplane hassle saved them grounded on the runway deep into the night time.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has been a participant or coach within the NBA because the Nineteen Eighties and mentioned he can’t bear in mind a rougher street journey.

“I feel this may’ve been the worst (we’ve had),” Kerr mentioned earlier than Friday’s recreation. “You at all times have a number of delays throughout the 12 months however these usually final a number of hours. This was a troublesome night time. We principally spent the night time on the airplane ….

“So right here we’re, able to go,” Kerr added with a wry smile. As one Warriors staffer put it: “It’s by no means good when the solar is rising if you arrive in a metropolis.”

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And to Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic’s credit score, his group neatly tried to run the drained Warriors off the court docket within the early going. It was a frenetic tempo and labored for some time, however the draw back is it led to all types of Toronto turnovers.

Curry refused to let the Raptors create a lot separation. Twice he linked on a flurry of three-pointers in a row and when the Raptors blitzed him he discovered teammates. With the Raptors comfortably in entrance early, Curry hit three straight treys and located Draymond Inexperienced for an open shot. Later, his Splash Brothers teammate Klay Thompson heated up within the decisive third quarter, scoring his first eight factors of the sport.

Toronto was coming off surrendering 136 factors in a loss in opposition to Dallas on Wednesday, snapping a three-game profitable streak.

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The Raptors, who acquired 23 from RJ Barrett, however not more than 16 from anybody else, appeared like a very totally different group minus its all-star. Although Barnes was unable to return to the sport, Kelly Olynyk, who was shaken up after a fall within the second, was capable of come again and began the second half rather than Barnes. The Raptors even tried at occasions pairing Olynyk and fellow seven-footer Jakob Poeltl to assist stem Golden State’s decisive rebounding benefit.

Barnes had but to overlook a recreation this season. That may change when Toronto hosts Charlotte on Sunday.

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FREEMAN-LIBERTY GETS A DEAL

Javon Freeman-Liberty had been among the finest gamers within the NBA G League this season and the Raptors rewarded him by changing his two-way contract to a regular NBA contract on Friday. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 24 factors, 6.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 35.5 minutes in 21 video games with Raptors 905. He was third in G League scoring and appeared briefly in two video games for the Raptors.

Rajakovic mentioned pre-game that he’d like to seek out some minutes for Freeman-Liberty. “Hopefully. He’s one of many guys that we hope to present him prolonged minutes. I talked with him about that, we’re going to attempt to create alternative for him. I feel he very effectively deserves that,” Rajakovic mentioned. “Javon is that this quiet child who got here in (to coaching camp) and made a number of noise. From Day 1 throughout the summer season he simply competes. He exhibits up each day, he works actually arduous, he’s a humble man, he’s hungry and we’re actually proud about all that he achieved this 12 months.”

@WolstatSun

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