Steph Curry was visibly ailing. Andre went down hard. Klay Thompson has a hamstring issue and leaves the game. Kevon Looney's shoulder is injured and he goes out.
Nevertheless, the Golden State Warriors played with the heart of a champion, and discovered their game with a 20-0 run in the second and third quarters. A healthy Toronto Raptors team couldn't keep up. They came close but the Warriors prevailed to take one of the first two road games, and for the moment take away home court, 109-104.
Before his injury, Klay Thompson was finally having a hot-shooting Klay game. Curry had some treatment and began to find his game towards the end of the second quarter. The Dubs started DeMarcus Cousins, and he got better as the game went on. Draymond was aggressive, Andre was inspired--he took and hit the open 3 that iced the game, after the Dubs went dry for the last 5 minutes of the game. Quinn Cook hit three 3s, and every member of the bench contributed points except the injured Looney, and only two bench players didn't play.
This was not only a gutty win, it was the Warriors discovering how to beat Toronto. They saw success with Cousins and Andrew Bogut, countering the Raptors' bigs. Cousins' 11 points is apt to grow. Double and triple teams try to wear Curry down, but he usually wears them down to have big shots and big assists late in the game. The motion offense and transition defense work against Toronto as they did against Houston and Portland.
But a lot will depend on the injury report. Thompson and Looney will undergo tests on Monday. If they are ready to play on Wednesday, and Cousins doesn't have a physical setback, then the Warriors are in good shape. It should soon be known whether KD will play. At this moment it is possible the dream lineup--the five all-stars-- will be on the court together. That doesn't guarantee victory, but it comes closer.
On the other hand, it's hard to see how the Warriors survive without Klay or KD or Andre. But as Steph Curry said at his presser, Strength in Numbers isn't just a slogan--it's a program that begins in training camp. And the heart of a champion extends to the whole Golden State Warriors roster.
Update Mon.: Looney is out for the rest of the year with a shoulder fracture. Klay Thompson is "questionable" for Wednesday, depending on how things go over the next two days. No word yet on Andre or KD.
Update Tues: KD is out for Wednesday, Klay is still questionable, Andre is ailing but likely to play. Consensus is building that this game is Toronto's big chance--if the Warriors win, it will be considered amazing.
