Los Angeles (AFP)

The Raptors gave the Warriors a historic beating on Friday, which they beat 130 to 77 for the biggest NBA victory in their history, during an equally memorable evening for Evan Fournier, author of 23 points and of a convincing first performance in Boston.

In Tampa, where Toronto is playing this season due to health restrictions, the Canadians were carried by Pascal Siakam who celebrated his 27th birthday with dignity by scoring 36 points.

The Raptors even were up to 61 points ahead of Golden State Warriors orphaned by injured Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, before letting go late in the game.

"Did you see that? They just destroyed us, humiliated us, not much to say more," conceded the coach of the defeated Steve Kerr, after the match between the two finalists of the 2019 season (the title had gone to the Raptors).

In defense of the Warriors, Green's package was added a few hours before the match that of their star Curry, including the tailbone injury - which had already cost him 5 matches before his return in the last two -, woke up.

As for the Raptors, they experienced a real resurrection, they who were dying, remained on four defeats and had won only one of their last fourteen matches.

Golden State only existed a quarter-time, the first, before cashing a resounding 81-30 in the next two, the biggest difference in just two quarter-times in the history of the NBA!

To drive the point home a little more, this is the fourth time in the last 25 seasons in the NBA that a team has lost by more than 60 points.

The evening was much better for Evan Fournier: for his third game with the Celtics, the French scored 23 points, almost four times more than in his first two games (0 points against New Orleans, 6 against Dallas) .

Fournier, who had an excellent shoot success rate (8 of 13 including 7 of 11 with 3 points) "bounced back with authority on Friday night, with the best performance of his career on three-point shots," said congratulated Boston on his Twitter account.

Another Frenchman was particularly illustrated: Theo Maledon who, drifting from Oklahoma City to Phoenix, floated by exploding his points record: 33!

Rudy Gobert was also to his advantage: the inside Utah Jazz, hard-working Chicago winners 113-106, grabbed 13 rebounds and scored 19 points.

- The Greek pearl still shines -

The performances of Toronto and the French could almost make you forget that during this eventful evening, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek pearl of Milwaukee, scored 47 points with an insolent shooting success rate - 18 shots out of 21 - - and intercepted 12 rebounds, guiding the Bucks to 127-109 victory in the Portland Trail Blazers hall.

Milwaukee, 3rd in the Eastern Conference, stopped the good streak of Portland, 6th in the Western Conference, which remained on four successes and concedes its third loss only in its last ten matches.

In New York, the Dallas Mavericks finished very strong, with a unleashed Luka Doncic in the last quarter won 27-17 by his team where he scored half of his 26 points, to come and surprise the Knicks 99-86.

The Mavericks had traveled without their coach Rick Carlisle, who tested positive for Covid-19 despite having been vaccinated in January: Carlisle will therefore not have been able to coach his 1,500th NBA regular season game on Friday.

Charlotte won without firing a shot on the floor of the Indiana Pacers (114-97), whom she almost dominated from start to finish, and consolidates her 4th place in the Eastern Conference.

Phoenix, solid 2nd in the Western Conference, corrected in Arizona Oklahoma City 140-103 by knocking out the Thunder in the first quarter (43-13).

The Lakers, with a Kyle Kuzma at 30 points, returned to victory after their home loss to Milwaukee, going to dominate Sacramento 115-94.

They keep their 4th place in the West.

© 2021 AFP