By ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Immanuel Quickley matched his career high with 40 points and added 10 assists, and the Toronto Raptors ran away from Golden State early Tuesday night, Jan. 20, for a 145-127 win in the Warriors’ first game since losing star guard Jimmy Butler to a season-ending right knee injury.
Quickley shot 11 for 13 and made all 11 of his free throws, while Scottie Barnes added 26 points and 11 assists in the Raptors’ highest-scoring game and the Warriors’ worst defensive performance this season.
Buddy Hield had season highs of 25 points and six 3-pointers — making all of his attempts from deep — while Stephen Curry scored 16 points and Draymond Green added six points, six rebounds and five assists.
Hield’s 3 with 5:02 remaining cut Toronto’s lead to nine points but Brandon Ingram immediately hit from deep moments later.
With Butler out, Golden State coach Steve Kerr turned to Jonathan Kuminga for the first time in 17 games and the high-flying forward finished with 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting and five rebounds in 21 minutes. He has requested a trade given his status so deep on the bench, but now it’s unclear if the Warriors will move him by the Feb. 5 deadline. He and Kerr spoke last week.
Curry missed his initial five 3-point tries before connecting with 25 seconds left in the second quarter and the Warriors fell behind 70-50 at halftime after shooting just 39.6% — 6 of 23 from long range.
Ingram contributed 22 points, five rebounds and five assists and Toronto’s 70 points by the break tied the most surrendered by a Warriors opponent in the first half this season.
Meanwhile, Luka Doncic had 38 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to beat the Denver Nuggets, 115-107.
LeBron James, who was not voted an All-Star starter for the first time since his rookie season, scored 19 points for Los Angeles, which played the second half without center Deandre Ayton due to a left eye injury.
Jamal Murray scored 26 of his 28 points in the first half for Denver and added 11 assists, but shot just 1 for 5 in the second half.
With Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II sitting courtside, the short-handed Nuggets led by 16 in the third quarter despite missing four rotation players, including Nikola Jokic, who has missed the last 12 games with a hyperextended left knee. Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson scored 18 apiece for the Nuggets.
Earlier, Coby White scored 27 points and hit six of Chicago’s franchise record-tying 25 3-pointers, and the hot-shooting Bulls beat the surging Los Angeles Clippers, 138-110.
White had the touch again after hitting a season-high seven 3s in Sunday’s blowout win over Brooklyn, and the Bulls made 25 of 47 from beyond the arc.
Matas Buzelis added 21 points, Ayo Dosunmu scored 18 and Kevin Huerter added 14. All three players made four 3s.
Nikola Vucevic added 19 points and eight rebounds, and the Bulls had their way with a team that came in rolling. The Clippers had won six straight and 13 of 15 since a 6-21 start.
