The Golden State Warriors improved to 12-0 behind another big night from Stephen Curry to beat the Toronto Raptors 115-110, but it probably got help from the officials in its continuous run of an undefeated start.
The Warriors hate their legitimacy being questioned. Some thing that’s the entire reason for their quality of play so early in the season. The focus, the drive the hunger, which LeBron James and the Cavaliers are envious of. But luck, like it or not, is part of the equation of being successful. And getting the referees to make mistakes that go your way is the definition of lucky in the NBA, if you believe the theory that one time they make a mistake in your favor while screw you over on another occasion.
The first occasion is a call on Cory Joseph that might be correct technically, but I just don’t see it getting called on the Warriors if the situation was reversed, and in general it’s too soft of a foul in my opinion to be called that late in a game. Cory Joseph collided with Klay Thompson’s arm on his way to pick up an offensive rebound which he converted into two points to tie the game. Refs called a loose ball foul on Joseph, with the Warriors leading 105-103.
Entering the final 20 seconds, with the Warriors leading 109-108, it was an even weirder call. Kyle Lowry was setting a screen or trying to get around a player while DeMar DeRozan was dribbling down the clock. In my opinion? A fair play for position battle, but Lowry got called for the offensive foul, and the night ended for the Raptors, who were about to maybe be the first team that beats the Warriors this season, and certainly made it the most difficult they’ve had so far.
