Steph Curry and the Warriors struggled in their first matchup since Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL tear. Noah Graham / Getty Images
SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors got knocked out Tuesday night in a 145-127 loss to the Toronto Raptors. On the first night of the Warriors’ new life without Jimmy Butler, who tore the ACL in his right knee Monday night, the Warriors couldn’t keep pace against a more athletic and aggressive Raptors team.
How it happened
The Raptors jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never really looked back. The Warriors looked completely out of it emotionally in the first half until a strong push in the second half that made the final score respectable — a night after Butler’s season ended and the tenor of the entire year changed. The Raptors, led by guard Immanuel Quickley, who scored 40 points, did anything they wanted on the floor and looked more engaged all night. Warriors star guard Stephen Curry looked particularly off, going just 6-for-16 from the field. Buddy Hield finished with a team-high 25 points. Playing for the first time in over a month, Warriors swingman Jonathan Kuminga scored 20 points.
What this means
The most memorable part of this game is that Kuminga reappeared in the Warriors’ rotation for the first time since Dec. 18. Kuminga played 21 minutes and, on top of his 20 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out two assists and had a steal and two turnovers. The fact he actually played is significant — especially after Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy acknowledged before the game he was aware of Kuminga’s recent trade demand. Dunleavy said he had spoken to Kuminga in recent days and was hopeful he would be ready to play whenever Warriors coach Steve Kerr called his number again. That moment came at the start of the second quarter when Kerr went to Kuminga, and the 23-year-old received a nice ovation from the Chase Center crowd. Kuminga grew more comfortable as the night went on and appeared to gain more confidence the longer he was in the game. If Kerr continues to play Kuminga in the next couple of weeks leading into the trade deadline, it would be beneficial for Kuminga and the organization as the Warriors try to find their way without Butler.
Moment of the night
In the wake of the season-altering Butler news, Dunleavy took questions from reporters before the game, and one of his answers provided the quote of the year. As he discussed Kuminga’s trade demand, he delivered a not-so-veiled message to Kuminga and to Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner.
“As far as the demand, I’m aware of that,” Dunleavy said. “In terms of demands, when there’s a demand, there needs to be a demand on the market. So we’ll see how that unfolds.”
Stat of the game
The Raptors shot 59 percent from the field and 62 percent from beyond the arc.
What’s next?
The Warriors will fly to Dallas on Wednesday to begin a four-game, three-city trip. They will play the Mavericks on Thursday night.