DeMar DeRozan delivers as Toronto Raptors hold Golden State Warriors 83-75 - NBA Recap
Toronto Raptors record in the condensed season may not be too impressive, but they have put few very solid performances this season. Some of the games they lost could have easily been won, had the Raptors managed to hold their
nerves down the stretch.
On Sunday night, the Raptors did not let the game go till the end and after a powerful performance, overpowered the Golden State Warriors 83-75 to improve to 12-25.
DeMar DeRozan marshalled the Raptors with 25 points on 9 for 17 from the floor while the reserve Leandro Barbosa tallied 18 points including 3 for 5 from downtown. James Johnson and Amir Johnson both had a double-double with 12
points, 12 boards and 11 points, 13 rebounds respectively.
Only two players from Warriors managed to score a double digit tally. David Lee pounded 22 points on 9 for 13 from the floor and pulled down 12 boards while Monta Ellis finished with 20 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists.
After taking a 20-18 lead in the first quarter, the Warriors stepped on the gas further in the next frame and boosted the lead to 31-25 in the first 4 minutes. The Raptors pulled it back in the ensuing passage and cut the deficit
to 30-33, however what followed next was a 14-8 burst, that again turned the game in the favour of Warriors, making it 47-38, by the end of the first half.
The Warriors maintained the lead midway through the third frame and were comfortably placed at 56-48, but then the Raptors showed some urgency and rattled a game changing 10-2 run, to ensure they enter the deciding quarter with
a 2 points lead 60-58.
Warriors quickly erased the deficit and both teams were neck to neck at 62 all in the first three minutes of the fourth. The Raptors however initiated a 13-4 spurt to gain complete command of the game, making it 75-66. The 9 points
deficit proved too much for the Warriors to slash in six minutes, and by the end, they still found themselves short by 8 points.
Warriors Coach Mark Jackson was extremely disappointed with the final outcome of the game, especially after his team was in a commanding position by the end of the first half.
"That's four games in a row where we've had bad third quarters," Jackson said. "We knew that coming into this one. We talked about it at halftime. Once again, we were thoroughly outplayed. We didn't execute offensively, we gave
them hope and forced us to try and win the game a second time instead of putting them away when we should have. A bad loss."
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