TORONTO – Fred VanVleet and the Toronto Raptors are doing their greatest to cope with the quickly altering COVID-19 world nowadays.
Led by VanVleet’s double-double of 27 factors and 12 assists, Toronto dispatched a depleted Golden State Warriors 119-100 on Saturday after studying that Pascal Siakam and Dalano Banton each examined constructive for COVID-19.
The 2 Raptors will miss 10 days consequently as greater than 70 NBA gamers are presently mired within the well being and security protocols.
“We have to keep centered on the issues you’ll be able to management,” mentioned VanVleet. “We’re all in a susceptible state of affairs, unsure state of affairs. The one factor that’s fixed is issues won’t be fixed.
“There can be ups and downs and an absence of continuity. Right here we’re. I believe we’re all in it collectively. There are going to be much more issues that come our approach, clearly. Simply concentrate on the work and our job and attempt to keep constructive.”
The sport was performed earlier than 7,988 at Scotiabank Area.
The Raptors (14-15) house constructing can solely be at 50 per cent capability due to provincial pandemic laws designed to gradual the unfold of COVID-19.
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“I believe the entire sport simply form of had definitely a much less buzz to it,” mentioned Toronto head coach Nick Nurse.
“With a full home in one of many premier groups within the league on the town would have been completely electrical, and that was O.Okay. We’ll take any win any approach we will get them proper, however it was definitely from a juice standpoint, missing for positive.”
Valuable Achiuwa is aware of all about being within the league’s well being and security protocols. Regardless of being totally vaccinated and offering destructive checks, he was positioned in isolation for 10 days as a result of he got here in shut contact with somebody on the Giants of Africa occasion on Dec. 5 which Raptors vice-chairman and president Masai Ujiri attended and shortly after examined constructive for COVID-19.
Achiuwa additionally was nursing tendonitis in his shoulder however made a triumphant return in opposition to the Warriors with 17 factors.
“I simply felt like I had no management over something,” Achiuwa mentioned. “It was bizarre and irritating on the identical time. However we’ve simply gotta do what we’ve gotta do to verify everyone stays secure, particularly proper now with the way in which the virus goes throughout the league and the nation.”
On Thursday, the Raptors had their house sport in opposition to the Chicago Bulls postponed attributable to a COVID-19 outbreak inside the Bulls group.
In the meantime, OG Anunoby returned after a 13-game absence with a left hip pointer. He performed 28 minutes and was good for seven factors.
4 Raptors starters hit double figures. Rookie Scottie Barnes added 21 factors and eight rebounds. Canadian Chris Boucher and Gary Trent Jr. had been good for 11 and 10 factors, respectively.
The league-leading Warriors (24-6) had been with out standouts Stephen Curry (relaxation), Draymond Inexperienced (proper hip tightness), Andre Iguodala (proper knee administration), Otto Porter Jr. (left foot administration), Andrew Wiggins (relaxation) of Vaughan, ON.
Golden State guard Jordan Poole was in well being and security protocols.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr determined to ship Curry, Inexperienced, Iguodala, Porter and Wiggins house to relaxation and keep away from Canadian border COVID-19 protocols after their third consecutive win in Boston on Friday. This left the Warriors with solely 9 gamers.
Golden State’s sport in Toronto was the tip of a five-game, eight-day journey with earlier stops in Philadelphia, Indiana, New York and Boston.
Nineteen-year-old Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors with 26 factors.
This was the Warriors’ first go to to Toronto because the Raptors championship sequence win in opposition to Golden State in 2019.
Toronto loved snug leads of 31-18 after the primary quarter and 63-42 at halftime. VanVleet already had checked in with a double-double of 20 factors and 10 assists after two quarters.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Dec. 18, 2021.
© 2021 The Canadian Press
