Warriors vs. Raptors: Score, Highlights and Reaction from 2016 Preseason
For the first time ever, Kevin Durant took the floor alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson as a member of the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The team's first preseason contest ended in a 97-93 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
Durant recorded nine points, while Curry added eight.
Thompson led all scorers with 16, but Golden State's starters were pulled after one half of play.
As the game began with a frantic pace, Sports Illustrated wasn't sure how to react to seeing Durant in a Golden State jersey:
The former Oklahoma City Thunder star took the first shot of the night, a fadeaway from the right elbow that came up short.
CBS Sports began to sarcastically panic:
He wasn't a crowd favorite in Vancouver, either, per Bleacher Report's Howard Beck:
Durant didn't get his first basket until 1:13 remained in the first quarter, via NBA TV:
Sixth man Andre Iguodala made some big plays, coming off the bench to give the Warriors a lead as the first quarter expired, via NBA TV:
Durant went 2-of-9 from the field with nine points in the first half, and InsideHoops.com was ready for everyone's hot takes:
Meanwhile, the two-time reigning MVP, who hit an NBA-record 402 three-pointers last season, went just 1-of-5 from distance Saturday.
While Golden State wasn't clicking on all cylinders, it did show glimpses of what to expect in the regular season:
The Raptors reminded everyone that they are going to be one of the premier teams in the Eastern Conference, however.
Behind star DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors went into halftime up 53-51.
The NBA shared a replay of the human highlight reel:
Halftime signaled the end of the night for Golden State's big names, and only Thompson could boast about his performance:
| Stephen Curry | 17 | 8 | 2/6 | 1/5 |
| Klay Thompson | 19 | 16 | 5/13 | 4/11 |
| Draymond Green | 17 | 2 | 0/2 | 0/1 |
| Kevin Durant | 19 | 9 | 2/9 | 1/4 |
With the Raptors leaving their first unit in the game, Golden State's second unit still managed to keep it close. As the third quarter expired, Toronto's Cory Joseph banked in a three from just inside the half-court line to give his team a 78-76 lead with 12 minutes to play, via the NBA:
Toronto's bench began the fourth on a 12-4 run to take a 10-point lead, but Golden State scored eight straight to make it a one-possession game with three minutes remaining.
While they kept it close, the Warriors had no answer on the glass for Toronto's Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam, who combined for 13 points and 13 rebounds in the second half.
While it was just a preseason contest, an early win by the Raptors over the defending Western Conference champions could be something to build on as the regular season approaches.
Post-Game Reaction
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr wasn't impressed with his team after Saturday night, via Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle:
But he wasn't worried about Durant at all, via NBA TV:
For a team that won 73 games last season and acquired the biggest free agent prize during the summer, there shouldn't be any worrying that Durant and the Warriors won't be the most formidable team in the league.
