Warriors win with defense after scary Steph Curry fall

Jimmy Butler blocked Jamal Shead in the final seconds to preserve a 117-114 win over the Toronto Raptors. The Warriors didn't make a field goal in the final four minutes, but they blocked two shots and got a steal in the 2:24 to hold off the Raptors while making their free throws.

Golden State did it without Curry for the final 15 minutes. He left the game with what was later diagnosed as a pelvic contusion after a hard fall late in the third quarter — no foul was called on Jonathan Mogbo.

Curry had scored the Warriors' last seven points before his injury, finishing with 17. The Warriors star was held out of Tuesday's win for rest purposes, but this injury could sideline him as Golden State heads on the road.

Butler couldn't replace Curry's shooting, going 4-for-15 from the field. But he and Draymond Green did everything else. Butler finished with a triple-double of 16 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. He added two steals and two blocks. Green scored 21 points with four steals and drained five 3-pointers. He's made 66 this season, his highest total in seven years.

Another Warrior who took on Curry's outside shooting role was center Quinten Post. The Dutch rookie made six threes, the most in his young career, on nine attempts.

Since Butler joined the team on Feb. 8, the Warriors have the NBA's second-best defensive rating and lead the league with 10.3 steals per game (13 on Thursday night). Despite playing the 6-foot-6 Green at center and a frontcourt of the 6-foot-7 Butler and 6-foot-5 Moses Moody, the Warriors have given up the second-fewest points in the paint during that span.

That's why the team can survive losing Curry for the stretch, though scoring points was a struggle against Toronto. They hope his contusion doesn't linger, but this newfound defensive excellence allows them to win even without their signature late-game threes.