The worst three-point shooting team in the NBA showed a completely different side in San Francisco.
The Toronto Raptors set a new season-high in points with a 145-127 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Chase Center. Toronto’s previous season-high was 141, which was set on Dec. 28, also against Golden State. The Raptors, who were the worst three-point shooting team by percentage in the NBA (33.6%), shot 21-for-34 from deep. That feat marked the 10th-highest three-point percentage by a team that made at least 21 threes in a game in NBA history (via StatMuse).
It’s rather ironic that the Raptors had their best shooting game of the season against the team and player (12-time All-Star Stephen Curry) who revolutionized the three-point shot. The Warriors, who rank ninth in the NBA in three-point percentage, shot just over their average of 36.7% by going 16-for-43 (37.2%).
Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) | © David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Postgame, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic gave his thoughts on the excellent shooting performance.
“The shooting was great tonight,” said Rajakovic. “We’ve talked about it. I have no doubt in this team that we can shoot the ball, and we were due to have a game like this. I believe that we’re going to continue shooting the ball really well because I see how much our guys pride themselves in putting the work in, and how many reps they get, and how much they trust each other.”
While six players all shot over 40% individually to amount to 21-for-29 from deep, there is no question who carried the load tonight. Frequently mentioned in trade talks over the past few weeks, 26-year-old guard Immanuel Quickley put on a show in San Francisco.
The former No. 25 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft recorded 40 points and 10 assists on 11-for-13 shooting and 7-for-8 from three-point range. The unbelievable performance granted Quickley the most efficient 40-point game in NBA history, with 112.1% true shooting, and he is just the second player in league history to record 40 points and 10 assists on 80% shooting, joining Naismith Basketball Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain, who achieved it three times.
Quickley tied his career-high for points in a game, which he originally set as a member of the New York Knicks on Mar. 27th, 2023. Previously, he had only scored 30 or more points in a game four times as a Raptor, and his season-high before Tuesday night was 31. The type of production on display in San Francisco has likely been assumed of the former Kentucky Wildcat by the Raptors, largely due to the five-year $162.5 million contract they signed him to in 2024.
Not to mention, before Toronto acquired Quickley via trade from New York, potentially the best game of his young career was against the Raptors on April 10th, 2022, when he contributed 34 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds. He has recorded just two in his career, and they came within a week of each other (via Land of Basketball).