Toronto Raptors: Five takeaways from win against Golden State Warriors

The Toronto Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors in a potential NBA Finals preview. What did we learn from Thursday’s matchup? Here are my five big takeaways.

The Toronto Raptors are the best team in the NBA according to record. The Golden State Warriors are the best team in the NBA according to reputation. So when these two teams faced off, no matter the circumstances, you knew the game was going to be a big deal.

A possible NBA Finals preview is an exciting matchup, even if one of the teams is playing shorthanded. Without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the Warriors needed to rely on their other two All-NBA-level talents (What a problem to have).

The result was a 131-128 overtime thriller. It’s only November, and the Warriors were playing without their full complement of All-Stars, but we were still able to learn valuable information from this game. Here are my five big takeaways:

Kawhi Leonard, like anybody, can’t guard Kevin Durant

Kawhi Leonard is on a very short list of players that you want to guard Kevin Durant. There might not be a better matchup in the entire league for Kevin Durant than Kawhi Leonard. But in the NBA, good offense trumps good defense, and last night reminded us of that.

Durant dropped a smooth 51 points last night, scoring efficiently from every spot on the court. He shot 58-percent from two, 57-percent from three, and 11-12 from the free-throw line. Not only did he dominate Leonard, he vaporized every Raptor that tried to defend him.

Kawhi Leonard is two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and one of the best perimeter defenders of all-time. When Durant is locked in like that, it doesn’t matter. The best scorers of all-time are unguardable when they get it going. And that is exactly what Kevin Durant is, one of the game’s all-time best.

Kawhi can hopefully slow him down and get a few stops when the game matters most, but don’t expect him to cancel Durant out anytime soon.