There are blowouts, and then there’s what the Toronto Raptors just did to the Golden State Warriors. In 48 of the worst minutes in NBA history, the Raptors defeated the Warriors 130-77. The final score does not leave the Raptors right. By a quarter, Toronto led just one. After three? They led by 53. In a span of 24 minutes, they were able to outsmart the Warriors by 52 points, or about 2.2 points per minute.
The third quarter was particularly humble. For five years, the Warriors were the best third-quarter team in NBA history. They defeated the opponents in the third quarters with the cumulative 1,640 points in Steve Kerr’s first five years at the helm. The Raptors outscored them 46-14 in this frame.
Open your record books, reader, because a lot of NBA history has been made:
- The 53-point victory was the 28th victory of that margin in league history. It was the biggest outburst this season, surpassing a 51-point victory over the Dallas Mavericks over the Los Angeles Clippers, and it is also not the biggest surprise margin in the history of Raptors. It was the biggest win the NBA has seen since 2018.
- At one point, the Raptors led by 61 points. This is the biggest lead any team has had this season.
- Gary Trent Jr. had a plus-minus of plus-54, and he did not even play in the fourth quarter. This is the second best point a player has scored since 1996, when the league started watching it. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute holds the record at plus-57. This, of course, means that Trent set the Raptors record.
The Raptors entered the game with the NBA’s 17th best points difference at minus 28. They now have the NBA’s 13th best points differential at plus-25. Despite their 19-30 record, the Raptors have a better point difference than the 29-18 Portland Trail Blazers. They are still 1.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls for the Eastern Conference’s final game.
As for the Warriors? They deserve a little break. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green both missed this game, and with Klay Thompson already out for the season, the Warriors were not exactly able to handle extra absences.
“We just destroyed. Not much to say,” Kerr explained after the game. “Humiliating. For everyone involved.” The Warriors now lead the Sacramento Kings by only half a game for the Western Conference’s final game.
It’s been a frustrating season for the Raptors since retiring in December. Restrictions on COVID-19 forced them to play in Tampa Bay. The lost depth of the track, health issues and bad luck in the clutch cost them their place near the top of the Eastern Conference. The mainstay Norman Powell was traded, and team legend Kyle Lowry was also almost moved. But for one night in April, the Raptors looked like a contender again. They beat Kerr’s undermined Warriors all time.