Third-year lottery picks shine again as Golden State Warriors continue road streak

Despite a nightmare road schedule that didn't see them arrive in Toronto until Friday morning, the Golden State Warriors have overcome a slow start to beat the Raptors 120-105 at Scotia Bank Arena.

The Warriors fell behind early much to the frustration of an animated Steve Kerr in the first-quarter, but the visitors found their groove with a 59-41 second-half that moves them up to 32-27 on the season.

Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody shone again, combining for 41 points and 11 rebounds in the Golden State Warriors' 15-point win

Making his third-straight start in the absence of Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody had the first seven points for Golden State in another strong showing from the third-year wing. Having been praised for his defensive performance against the New York Knicks on Thursday, Moody displayed his offensive talent with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.

Just as was the case against the Knicks, Moody finished a team-high +17 in his little under 32 minutes. The 21-year-old also added five rebounds, two steals and two blocks, continuing his long-awaited surge after holding a limited role for most of the season.

It was all about the 2021 lottery picks for the Warriors, with Jonathan Kuminga adding another 24 points, six rebounds and two assists after his 25 point, eight-rebound performance against the Knicks.

Kuminga continued his detonation at the rim with a number of thunderous dunks, while Stephen Curry added the perimeter touch with another seven threes on his way to a game-high 25 points to go with six rebounds and six assists.

Chris Paul continued his strong return over the last three games, adding another 13 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals in just over 24 minutes. The Warriors shot less than 45% from the field but made 18 of their 44 (40.9%) three-point attempts, while the Raptors were held to less than 43% shooting from the floor and 26.7% from beyond the arc.

In a move sure to please Golden State fans, Trayce Jackson-Davis saw the primary backup center minutes in the second-half. The rookie big responded with nine points and four rebounds, finishing a +8 in his 16 minutes.

Toronto struggled without former Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes after he was injured in the second-quarter, though his loss was somewhat mitigated by the absence of Wiggins and Warrior rookie Brandin Podziemski who was out with knee soreness.

The Warriors are now 13-3 over their last 16 games, retaking the Western Conference's ninth-seed from the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of a marquee matchup against the Boston Celtics on Sunday.