Takeaways as Raptors Shock Warriors With Upset Victory

Toronto Raptors 104, Golden State Warriors 101

Raptors Spoil Curry's Night

Stephen Curry knew his role.

Sixteen years into his career, the routine must be exhausting. Every night is a spectacle. Fans arrive early, cameras in hand, just to watch him warm up. Then come the screams from children clamoring for autographs, hoping for even a fleeting moment of Curry’s attention.

He’s generous with it, too. Of course, he can’t accommodate everyone, but he makes an effort—signing jerseys and posing for photos with those lucky enough to be close to the court before security inevitably whisks him away.

"Fans mean the most in terms of that’s why we play the game,” Curry said. “It’s not like you can sign every jersey but you do what you can in certain moments. I’ve always had that interaction with fans no matter what.”

And then, there’s the matter of playing basketball.

It might as well have been a home game for Curry. The loudest ovation during the starting lineup introductions wasn’t for a Raptors player but for Curry himself, whose jerseys dotted the stands by the hundreds. Even Drake, sitting courtside for one of the few games he attends each year, was just part of the backdrop to Curry’s show.

"It's a privilege for all of us to live in an era and to work in this era in the NBA when he's playing," Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said of Curry. "I've been playing against him for a long, long time. I can't wait for him to retire."

Curry played his part too. He hit the 35-foot pull-up three everyone wanted to see over Davion Mitchell who for some reason went under a screen as he tried to defend the greatest shooter in NBA history. His step-back three-pointer against Jamal Shead made the Raptors rookie touch the hardwood as oohs and awes broke out in the arena.

And yet, it was the Raptors who ended up shining the brightest Monday night.

Chris Boucher continued his torrid stretch, connecting on three fourth-quarter three-pointers and chipping in 17 of his 18 points in the final frame. Scottie Barnes continued his brilliance on both ends of the court with a 23-point showing, and the good-night three-pointer the Warriors were waiting for from Curry never came. Instead, Toronto got the stop in the final seconds and an Ochai Agbaji dunk ended Toronto’s five-game losing streak.

"It just validates all the work that guys are putting in," Rajaković said post-game. "We want to be able to compete against anybody every single night and to continue to grow and to have that in mind what we're trying to achieve and then to develop our guys."

Toronto climbed out of a nine-point deficit early in the fourth only, tying it up on an RJ Barrett floater with just over four minutes to go. That's when Curry checked back in, connecting on three to stick Golden State back to a lead in the final minutes.

But that was it from the superstar sharpshooter who was held in check by Agbaji down the stretch, limited to just 26 points thanks to improving defense from Toronto. His would-be go-ahead running three couldn't fall and the Raptors snuck out with the victory.

Shead On the Rise

Jamal Shead has found his three-point stroke.

It was the biggest question mark surrounding Shead coming out of the draft last summer. Despite his accolades as the NCAA Defensive Player of the Year and Big 12 Player of the Year, teams couldn’t overlook his lackluster three-point shooting. For a six-foot point guard, shooting below 30% from deep simply wasn’t going to cut it.

But lately, something has changed.

Shead has been on a tear, sinking eight straight three-pointers, including his first three attempts against Golden State. That shooting improvement has transformed his ceiling, making him a far more intriguing prospect with legitimate two-way potential.

On Monday, he again provided a spark for Toronto’s second unit, filling the corners in transition and capitalizing on every opportunity that came his way. His newfound range continues to elevate both his game and his value to the Raptors.

"He's putting a lot of work in," Rajaković said of Shead's shooting. "He's really diligent about the work, and we believe in his shot. We trust his shot. So it's good to see that he's making those in games as well."

Shead finished the night with nine points on three three-pointers in nearly 18 minutes off the bench.

Quickley Out Again

The injuries just won’t stop.

At this point, it’s becoming alarming. Another injury to Immanuel Quickley who is now sidelined with a hip injury has limited Toronto to just four games with its core fully healthy this season. That’s four out of 40 games, with the group logging only 88 minutes together all year.

The on-court numbers haven’t been encouraging either. The group is generating just 100 points per 100 possessions when it has shared the floor—a mark five points worse than the Washington Wizards, who own the league’s worst offense this season.

“I think that group deserves more opportunity, more time, more practice time which we don’t have,” Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said pre-game. “I felt there were moments that they were starting to click offensively, looking good out there. There was times when they were playing over top of each other, they were not really knowing what the next guy was going to do.”

On Monday, Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett took on the bulk of the playmaking duties against Golden State and performed admirably. Both players—Barrett in particular—have shown significant growth this season as shot creators and facilitators.

But unless the team can get Quickley back and allow the core group to build chemistry on the court, Toronto will remain stuck in neutral, unable to truly assess the potential of its young roster.

Up Next: Boston Celtics

The Raptors will be back at it Wednesday night when Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics come to town for a 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff at Scotiabank Arena.