Poole scores career-high 43, Warriors win 1st without Curry
Dec 18, 2022, 3:45 AM | Updated: 6:45 pm
Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) passes off the ball as Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43) looks on during second-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
(Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
TORONTO (AP) — Jordan Poole scored a career-high 43 points, Klay Thompson had 17 and the Golden State Warriors won for the first time in five tries this season without the injured Stephen Curry, beating the Toronto Raptors 126-110 on Sunday night.
Draymond Green returned after sitting out Friday’s loss at Philadelphia because of a sore right quadriceps and finished with 17 points and nine rebounds in 37 minutes as Golden State snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 3-14 on the road.
“Everybody needs to step up when one of our leaders goes down,” Poole said. “We did that tonight from the top to the bottom of the roster.”
Kevon Looney added 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Warriors, whose last road win came Nov. 27 at Minnesota.
“It shows how good we can be,” Looney said of winning without Curry. “It’s always going to be hard to win when you’re missing one of the best players in the league. He’s going to be gone for a while so we’ve got to get used to trying to win without him. Hopefully we’re in a good spot when he comes back.”
Curry missed his second straight game after injuring his left shoulder in last Wednesday’s loss at Indiana. The two-time MVP and eight-time all-star is not expected to need surgery, but his return date is unclear.
Poole shot 14 for 23, a career-high for made baskets, and went 5 for 11 from 3-point range.
“He was incredible on both sides of the ball,” Green said.
Poole topped 30 points for the fifth time this season and 16th time in his career. His previous career high was 38.
“He’s played a lot of great games for us,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “If it’s not the best, it’s definitely one of the few best, because he was great at both ends.”
Pascal Siakam scored 27 points, Fred VanVleet had 22 and Scottie Barnes 17 as Toronto’s losing streak hit a season-high five games. The Raptors have lost three straight at home.
“This is a terrible stretch,” VanVleet said. “You don’t want this, you don’t expect this and you can’t accept this.”
Green scored Golden State’s first nine points on a trio of 3-pointers, one more than he’d made in any complete game all season.
“That was a great start,” Kerr said. “Draymond was feeling good right from the beginning of the game.”
Golden State led 68-54 at halftime and took a 102-80 lead to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Poole shot 10 for 11 at the free throw line. … JaMychal Green matched his season-high with 15 points.
Raptors: G Gary Trent Jr. (left quadriceps) sat for the second straight game. F O.G. Anunoby (left hip) missed his fourth straight. Before the game, coach Nick Nurse said Anunoby will likely return later this week. … Started 7 for 9 from the field in the first quarter, but shot 1 for 11 the rest of the period. … Buffalo Bills receiver Stefon Diggs sat courtside.
SHARING THE BALL
Golden State came in leading the league in assists at 29.4 per game and recorded 11 helpers on 13 made baskets in the first quarter. The Warriors had more assists (18) in the first half than rebounds (17). They finished with 31 assists on 43 made baskets.
NO CANADA
Warriors F Andrew Wiggins sat for the seventh straight game because of a strained right adductor, missing another chance to play in his Canadian home town for the first time since Jan. 30, 2018, when he was with Minnesota.
BEEN A WHILE
Thompson and Green played in Toronto for the first time since Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Curry has not played north of the border since that series.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At New York on Tuesday night.
Raptors: At Philadelphia on Monday night.
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