Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross (left) tries to get around Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson at the Air Canada Centre on Friday. Golden State defeated Toronto 113-89.
Agencies/Toronto
After a long night, the Golden State Warriors made short work of their helpless Canadian opponent.
Klay Thompson scored 25 points, Stephen Curry had 22 Friday, and the visiting Warriors rolled to a 113-89 victory over the struggling Toronto Raptors.
The league-best Warriors (45-11) bounced back to deal the Raptors their worst loss of the season after dropping Thursday’s 110-99 decision to the surging Cleveland Cavaliers and arriving in Toronto at 3 am.
“That’s life in the NBA,” said Warriors forward Draymond Green following a 17-point, nine-rebound effort. “If you want to be great these are the type of games you have to win. We’re a team on a mission.”
The Warriors held the Raptors to a franchise-record low 1-of-19 shooting in the opening quarter for a 27-11 lead behind 10 Green points and nine from Curry.
“We just wanted to get stops and get back to defence,” Curry said.
“Holding a team to 11 points in the first quarter is pretty solid.”
Leading 54-31 at halftime, Thompson and Curry netted 11 points apiece in the 44-26 third quarter, as the Warriors opened a 98-57 cushion entering the final frame and cruised to the lopsided win.
Terrence Ross scored 18 points for the Atlantic Division-best Raptors (37-21), who suffered a season-high-tying fourth straight loss.
“There’s no excuse for that type of performance,” Raptors coach Duane Casey said.
Elsewhere, George Hill amassed his first career triple-double, leading the Indiana Pacers to a 93-86 home victory against the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers.
Hill finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists on a night when Cleveland played without All-Stars LeBron James (rest) and Kyrie Irving (left shoulder).
The Cavaliers (37-23) dropped to 2-9 in games without James.
Reserve center Alexis Ajinca scored a career-high 24 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, as the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a nine-point deficit in the final quarter to edge the Miami Heat 104-102.
Miami guard Dwayne Wade missed a three-pointer to win it as time expired.
The Boston Celtics overcame a 16 -point deficit late in the third quarter for a 106-98 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Despite going more than nine minutes without a field goal in a span bridging the second and third quarters, the Celtics charged back to win their third in a row.
Guard Isaiah Thomas led the comeback with 17 points in a span of barely five minutes. He finished with a season-high 28.
Point guard Jeff Teague scored all 17 of his points in the second half to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 95-88 home win over the Orlando Magic.
The Hawks have the best record in the Eastern Conference but had trouble putting away the pesky Magic, who edged within three points with less than two minutes remaining.
Guards Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford scored 19 points each and center DeAndre Jordan grabbed 22 rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 97-79 road victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
With the game tied at the half, the Clippers opened the third quarter by going on a three-point-laden 21-6 run en route to just their second road win in seven games.