The Golden State Warriors lost their Christmas Day showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and they've had some time to dwell on it, too. Their post-holiday schedule begins Wednesday against the pesky and potent Toronto Raptors, and that might be a good thing for Stephen Curry.
Curry had a quiet afternoon in Cleveland, finishing with 15 points on 4-for-11 shooting and doing nothing to quell the concern that the Cavs figured out how to get him out of rhythm in last year's NBA Finals. Against Toronto, Curry tends to be extremely aggressive -- he had 35 points at the Air Canada Centre on Nov. 16 and had 44- and 37-point outings against the Raptors last year.
One of the great things about this year's Warriors is that they don't need Curry to go off like that in order to win. He said he needed to get more shots on Christmas, though, and he hasn't been quite the same this year when it comes to launching 3-pointers off the dribble. It feels like it's time for a Curry flurry.
WARRIORS CHECK-IN
- Record: 27-5
- Scoring leader: Kevin Durant (26.2)
- Assists leader: Draymond Green (7.3)
- Rebounding leader: Draymond Green (8.7)
- Last week: Defeated Jazz, Nets, Pistons, lost to Cavaliers (3-1)
GAMES THIS WEEK
Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. ET: Toronto Raptors at Golden State Warriors
- Where: Oracle Arena in Oakland, California
- TV: NBA TV
- Streaming: Playstation Vue
Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET: Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors
- Where: Oracle Arena in Oakland, California
- TV: NBA League Pass
- Streaming: NBA League Pass
KEEP AN EYE ON ...
A streak on the line
If you follow Golden State closely, you're no doubt familiar with its NBA record streak of games without consecutive losses. The Warriors have now played 118 games since their last two-game slide, a pair of defeats at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans in April 2015.
To say this team responds well after losses would be an understatement. That does not, however, mean that Golden State will definitely thwart Toronto. The Raptors have a higher offensive rating than the Warriors -- 114.3 points per 100 possessions to 113.0 -- and is one of the few teams that has not been blown out by Curry and company in the last two years. Do not dismiss them.
Kerr's pet peeve
Golden State and Toronto have put up incredible offensive numbers in very different ways, the most obvious distinction being the gulf between their 3-point attempts. Just as significant, though, is the way in which they take care of the ball. The Raptors are better than everybody except the Charlotte Hornets when it comes to turnover percentage, and the Warriors are 20th in that category.
Steve Kerr has been publicly and privately harping on this ever since he arrived in the Bay Area. He wants Golden State to play freely, move the ball and improvise, but do it within a disciplined structure. He hates when the Warriors give the ball away in crucial situations, and this bad habit came back to haunt them against the Cavs both in the NBA Finals and on Christmas.
This week, in particular, will be a challenge. While neither Dallas nor Toronto is an elite defensive team, they rank first and second, respectively, in opponent turnover percentage.
The returns
Former Warriors center Andrew Bogut could make his return from a right knee injury Wednesday at Oracle Arena. He missed the first meeting between these two teams for rest, so this is his first opportunity for a "revenge game." This will also be another chance for Harrison Barnes to show the team that drafted him that he's more than a 3-and-D guy.
BIGGEST ONE-ON-ONE MATCHUP
Curry vs. Kyle Lowry. As tempting as it is to go with Stephen Curry vs. Seth Curry, it would be a disservice to the Raptors star who is having yet another career season. Look at these numbers:
| PPG | APG | RPG | SPG | FG% | 3PT% | TS% | PER | USG% | |
| Stephen Curry | 24.1 | 5.8 | 4.2 | 1.8 | 46.6 | 39.9 | 63.4 | 23.9 | 28.1 |
| Kyle Lowry | 21.9 | 7.2 | 4.7 | 1.5 | 47.2 | 45.0 | 63.4 | 23.5 | 24.3 |
DeMar DeRozan's unbelievable start generated lots of headlines, but Lowry's continued improvement has been just as impressive. He will put pressure on Curry at both ends, and he will not be afraid to take big shots if it's close late in the fourth quarter.
