Toronto Raptors: 5 takeaways from big win over Golden State Warriors

4) A night of reflection

It’s one thing to withstand an offensive show from a red-hot Durant. The guy is a special talent who is capable of going off against any opponent.

However, on a night where it is easy to get caught up in an enthralling win, it is important to be objective and also look at the cons. And there are several to consider.

The first is the fact that the game was so close. As crazy as it sounds when you’re going up against a team which has won three of the previous four NBA Championships, the Raptors really should have put the Warriors away earlier than they did.

Golden State entered the night short-handed; a bit of an understatement given they were without Steph Curry and Draymond Green. Fair or not, it makes you wonder how differently the game would have turned out, if even one of these All-Stars had played.

Another reason why it was conceivable the game wouldn’t be so close, was the Warriors’ road form. They entered the evening with a four-game losing streak on their travels, and while the Raptors did eventually prevail, you again have at least some concern that it took overtime to get the job done.

The final aspect we’d like to look at, is the Raptors’ rebounding effort on the night. When Jonas Valanciunas isn’t having an impact on the boards — and he often struggles to against the Warriors — it carries over to the rest of the team.

This is not to say the Raptors don’t have other players more than capable of stepping up to grab rebounds, with Leonard, Siakam and Serge Ibaka being prime examples. However, when Valanciunas isn’t on his game, more often than not it is painfully noticeable for all concerned, as it was on Thursday night.