Without Jimmy Butler, Warriors begin anew against Raptors

Tue Jan 20 9:11am ET
Field Level Media

The Golden State Warriors will begin life without Jimmy Butler when they wrap up a successful eight-game homestand Tuesday night against the Toronto Raptors in San Francisco.

The Warriors won their fourth straight game Monday, improving to 6-1 on their homestand, despite Butler having to leave the game with an injured right knee that was so painful, he had to be helped to the locker room.

Golden State went on to defeat the Miami Heat 135-112, but the organization held its collective breath afterward as the 36-year-old Butler was sent for an MRI. And, according to multiple reports, the news was not good. The six-time All-Star suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season.

After contributing 13 points to the win, Moses Moody credited Butler for inspiring the team in a game in which Golden State led just 77-75 midway through the third quarter, at the time the injury occurred. Butler had 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field before his departure.

"It looked a little scary at first," Moody told the media after the game. "But you know Jimmy ... on the floor, still playing (around) and talking ... good spirits."

The Warriors responded to the injury by scoring 12 consecutive points to take a double-digit lead. They broke the game open late with a 15-point run.

Moody said he wasn't surprised despite the loss of a key player.

"Something like that really unifies the team," Moody said. "It's a mindset why we come together at times like that. Whether it's an injury or Draymond (Green) ejection ... it rallies the team."

The Warriors also figure to be without Al Horford on the end of a back-to-back set as he gets his regular second-night rest. The team, however, is expected to get De'Anthony Melton and Green back in the lineup after they were given Monday off.

No Warriors starter played more than 30 minutes.

In 38 games this season, Butler averaged 20 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.

The Raptors have injury issues of their own. They were without RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Ja'Kobe Walter and Collin Murray-Boyles when beaten 110-93 Sunday night by the Los Angeles Lakers in the opener of a five-game trip.

None of the injuries is considered serious, but all four players were early scratches from Tuesday's game as the Raptors hope for returns later in the week.

Toronto will take the court with the same 25-19 record as the Warriors, and will seek a two-game, season-series sweep. Immanuel Quickley had 27 points, Brandon Ingram 26 and Scottie Barnes 23 when the Raptors used a 19-5 flurry in overtime to beat Golden State 141-127 in Toronto last month. Barnes also had 25 rebounds.

Without some of their top guns, the Raptors acknowledged they were surprised by the Lakers' zone defense on Sunday. Toronto was held to 41.8% shooting from the field overall and 7 of 32 (21.9%) on 3-pointers en route to its third-lowest output of the season.

"We just have to keep trusting the shot," Sandro Mamukelashvili said after 8-of-12 shooting against the Lakers. "We were passing out of some shots because we wanted to get a better shot, and I think that's what a zone does. You got to attack it and collapse the paint or trust your shot and then go crash the boards."

The Raptors shot 50.9% in their earlier win over the Warriors.

- Field Level Media


TOR LogoToronto Raptors
GSW LogoGolden State Warriors

Tue Jan 20 10:00pm ET


Stephen Curry, GSW42.1 Fantasy Points42.1Fantasy Points
27.5 Points27.5Points
5.5 Assists5.5Assists
4.5 3-pt Made4.53-pt Made
37.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts37.5Pts+Rebs+Asts
33.5 Pts+Asts33.5Pts+Asts
32.5 Pts+Rebs32.5Pts+Rebs
9.5 Rebs+Asts9.5Rebs+Asts
Buddy Hield, GSW8.5 Points8.5Points
Moses Moody, GSW20.5 Fantasy Points20.5Fantasy Points
11.5 Points11.5Points
3.5 Rebounds3.5Rebounds
2.5 3-pt Made2.53-pt Made
15.5 Pts+Rebs15.5Pts+Rebs
Brandin Podziemski, GSW3.5 Assists3.5Assists
5.5 Rebounds5.5Rebounds
22.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts22.5Pts+Rebs+Asts
16.5 Pts+Asts16.5Pts+Asts
18.5 Pts+Rebs18.5Pts+Rebs
8.5 Rebs+Asts8.5Rebs+Asts
Draymond Green, GSW27.8 Fantasy Points27.8Fantasy Points
9.5 Points9.5Points
5.5 Assists5.5Assists
21.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts21.5Pts+Rebs+Asts
15.5 Pts+Asts15.5Pts+Asts
15.5 Pts+Rebs15.5Pts+Rebs
11.5 Rebs+Asts11.5Rebs+Asts
Immanuel Quickley, TOR31.2 Fantasy Points31.2Fantasy Points
16.5 Points16.5Points
3.5 Rebounds3.5Rebounds
26.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts26.5Pts+Rebs+Asts
22.5 Pts+Asts22.5Pts+Asts
20.5 Pts+Rebs20.5Pts+Rebs
9.5 Rebs+Asts9.5Rebs+Asts
Brandon Ingram, TOR39.2 Fantasy Points39.2Fantasy Points
23.5 Points23.5Points
33.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts33.5Pts+Rebs+Asts
27.5 Pts+Asts27.5Pts+Asts
29.5 Pts+Rebs29.5Pts+Rebs
10.5 Rebs+Asts10.5Rebs+Asts
Scottie Barnes, TOR43.3 Fantasy Points43.3Fantasy Points
20.5 Points20.5Points
5.5 Assists5.5Assists
9.5 Rebounds9.5Rebounds
35.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts35.5Pts+Rebs+Asts
26.5 Pts+Asts26.5Pts+Asts
29.5 Pts+Rebs29.5Pts+Rebs
14.5 Rebs+Asts14.5Rebs+Asts
Sandro Mamukelashvili, TOR26.3 Fantasy Points26.3Fantasy Points
12.5 Points12.5Points
20.5 Pts+Rebs20.5Pts+Rebs

DFS PICKEM


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