Reversed! Curry 26+7+7, Barnes 23+8+6, Li Kair Creates Record, Warriors Realize Reality
On January 14, 2025, Beijing time, the Raptors with an 8-31 record faced off against the Warriors with a 19-19 record at home. The Raptors were on a five-game losing streak and had lost 16 of their last 17 games, in a very poor state. Although the Warriors' recent performance was not ideal, having lost three of their last four games, they were still doing better than the Raptors. For the Warriors, who still wanted to make a playoff push, this game was a must-win. Could they do it? The Warriors were without Kuminga, Green, and Bjelica, starting with Curry, Schroder, Hield, Wiggins, and Davis. The Raptors were without Quickley, starting with Mitchell, Dick, Barrett, Barnes, and Poeltl.
In the first quarter, Barrett scored a layup, Davis scored a layup + Wiggins hit a three-pointer, giving the Warriors a 5-2 lead. Barnes and Dick responded with points, followed by Schroder and Wiggins, putting the Warriors up 10-7. Abaji hit a three-pointer, while Curry hit a three-pointer + Hield made a layup, extending the Warriors' lead to 5 points and forcing a timeout. After the timeout, Barnes scored 4 consecutive points to force another Warriors timeout. After the timeout, Dick and Abaji scored, while Looney and Curry responded, leaving the Warriors with a 1-point lead. Shed hit two consecutive three-pointers to take a 5-point lead, followed by Schroder and Waters scoring, and Barnes making 1 of 2 free throws. At the end of the first quarter, the Raptors led 28-26.
In the second quarter, Barnes scored 5 consecutive points, giving the Raptors a 7-point lead. Moody and Li Kair scored, while Shed and Barrett responded with three-pointers, extending the Raptors' lead to 8 points. Wiggins, Hield, Li Kair, Curry, and Looney went on a scoring spree, putting the Warriors up by 4 points. Poeltl and Dick responded with a 7-0 run to take a 3-point lead. Curry then scored 5 consecutive points to regain a 2-point lead for the Warriors. However, Barnes and Dick responded to retake a 2-point lead, ending the half with the Raptors leading 52-50.
In the third quarter, Curry, Schroder, and Wiggins scored to take a 4-point lead. Barrett made a layup, followed by Hield's three-pointer, extending the Warriors' lead to 5 points. Barrett and Barnes continued to score, while Schroder, Wiggins, Curry, and Looney responded, keeping the lead at 5 points. Barrett and Abaji scored, while Looney, Wiggins, and Schroder responded, giving the Warriors a 7-point lead. Barnes and Boucher narrowed the gap to 3 points, ending the third quarter with the Warriors leading 78-75.
In the fourth quarter, Curry and Waters scored 5 consecutive points, extending the Warriors' lead to 8 points. Boucher dunked, followed by Waters' three-pointer, giving the Warriors a 9-point lead. Boucher then scored 6 consecutive points + Poeltl's hook shot, narrowing the gap to 1 point. Wiggins and Looney scored, while Poeltl and Boucher responded with consecutive points, allowing the Raptors to take a 1-point lead. Wiggins hit a three-pointer to regain a 2-point lead for the Warriors. Barrett and Boucher scored, while Curry and Li Kair responded, leaving the Warriors with a 3-point lead. Boucher hit a three-pointer, which Li Kair responded to with a three-pointer, keeping the gap at 3 points. Boucher and Abaji scored to take a 1-point lead with 1 minute and 30 seconds left. The Warriors missed several shots, followed by Boucher's dunk, giving the Raptors a 3-point lead with 40 seconds left. There were no more scores in the remaining time, resulting in the Raptors defeating the Warriors 104-101, completing a comeback from being down 9 points in the fourth quarter. Boucher scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, setting a career-high for single-quarter scoring.
Curry scored 26 points with 9 out of 17 shots, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. Wiggins scored 20 points with 6 out of 13 shots and 3 rebounds. Schroder scored 12 points with 3 rebounds and 4 assists. Li Kair scored 13 points with 2 rebounds, setting a new scoring record for his career with the Warriors. Looney scored 10 points with 9 rebounds.
Barnes scored 23 points with 9 out of 21 shots, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Barrett scored 15 points with 6 out of 14 shots, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Poeltl scored 13 points with 13 rebounds. Dick scored 12 points with 3 rebounds. Boucher scored 18 points with 7 rebounds, becoming a key player, and Abaji scored 12 points with 3 rebounds.
The Warriors were reversed after leading by 9 points in the fourth quarter, causing the Warriors' management to realize the reality: the competitiveness of this team is too limited. If they maintain their current roster, it will be difficult for the Warriors to make the playoffs this season.