Raptors at Warriors
The rematch of the 2019 NBA Finals lacks a little luster with the series MVP gone and the top three players from the losing side battling through injuries, but at least one of those players could make it back for the meeting. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is "definitely a possibility" to return when his team hosts the Toronto Raptors on Thursday.
Curry was the only one of the Warriors' three All-Star perimeter players left standing at the end of the NBA Finals last season as Kevin Durant went down with an Achilles tear before leaving in free agency and Klay Thompson suffered a torn ACL. Durant is now sitting out the for Brooklyn Nets and Thompson is out for the season but Curry, who suffered a broken hand in the fourth game of the 2019-20 season and hasn't played since, scrimmage without issue with G League Santa Cruz on Monday and reportedly will make his return for NBA-worst Golden State on Thursday. The Raptors no longer have series MVP Kawhi Leonard but remain contenders in the Eastern Conference and snapped a rare three-game slide with a 123-114 victory at Phoenix on Tuesday. "Rumor has it that Curry's going to make his debut - or whatever it is, re-debut," Toronto coach Nick Nurse told reporters. "I would imagine they will be energized, and the place will be excited, and I hope we can get some rest and figure out a defense to stop him."
TIME: 10:30 p.m. ET. TV: TNT, TSN 1/4
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (43-18): Toronto is visiting a different arena than the one in which it celebrated the 2019 championship after the Warriors moved across the bay to San Francisco, but the fans there will probably still remember Pascal Siakam, who scored 26 points in 46 minutes during the decision Game 6 and averaged 19.8 points in the series. Siakam went 6-of-21 from the floor in a 133-118 loss at Denver to start the road trip and shot 36.2 percent during the three-game slide before busting out of the slump with 33 points on 12-of-20 shooting in Tuesday's victory. The All-Star forward is averaging 23.7 points and 7.5 rebounds and was one of three players to score over 25 on Tuesday along with Kyle Lowry (28) and Norman Powell (26).
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (14-48): Curry will return to a different team than the one he left. The two-time MVP is coming back this season in part to give the team a look at how well the other pieces Golden State picked up this season play alongside the star, including small forward Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins collected 22 points and 10 assists as the Warriors rallied for a 116-100 victory at Denver on Tuesday and is averaging 20.1 points on 46.5 percent shooting, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in nine games since coming over in a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves at the deadline.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Raptors C Serge Ibaka (knee) sat out the last three games and is day-to-day.
2. Warriors PFs Draymond Green (knee) and Kevon Looney (hip) are both questionable.
3. Toronto took all three games at Golden State in the Finals and won its regular season visit during 2018-19 as well.