The AltRaps Blog

Jackson’s auspicious return / Defense, team-high 17 points help Warriors win second in row
Golden State’s defense had been bleeding points, giving up more than 118 per game entering Sunday’s matinee, and it looked as if Toronto was going to reach that average with T.J. Ford dicing up the defense for an 88-80 Raptors lead entering the fourth quarter.

Then something out of the ordinary happened. The Warriors, with Jackson on All-Star Chris Bosh and everyone else staying with the Raptors’ three-point shooters, turned up their defensive intensity and shut down Toronto.

The Raptors missed nine of 10 three-point tries down the stretch, and, in another strange twist, also missed five of their final six free-throw attempts after making 14 straight to open the game. Ford took only two shots in the final period, clanking both, and finished with 29 points and nine assists.

“If he gets 30, we’ll live with it,” said Jackson, who led the Warriors with 17 points, five assists and two blocks. “He can get to the paint on almost anybody, so we just wanted to make it difficult for him and take everybody else out of the game.”

That included Bosh, who spent most of the day clanking jumpers or losing the ball against Jackson’s stifling defense. Bosh committed six turnovers - five in the third quarter - and had only three points in the fourth period. He shot 4-for-12 from the field and finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds.