VANCOUVER -- Kevin Durant finished with nine points, including an uncontested dunk for his first basket with the Warriors, but Golden State fell 97-93 to the Toronto Raptors in the pre-season opener for both clubs Saturday.
Durant, who played most of the first half, signed with Golden State this summer as a big-money free agent, joining an already star-studded lineup that includes two-time reigning NBA MVP Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
The Warriors are coming off an NBA-record 73-win season that ended with a blown 3-1 series lead and a gut-wrenching loss in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers that denied them back-to-back titles.
Toronto, meanwhile, set a new franchise mark with 56 wins in 2015-16 on the way to making the Eastern Conference final for the first time.
Both teams went with their strongest lineups to start, with Curry, Durant, Green, Thompson and Zaza Pachulia going up against Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas, Jared Sullinger and DeMarre Carroll for Toronto.
Durant started the game 1 for 6, but his first points for Golden State -- which opened last season on a record-breaking 24-game winning streak -- came by way of a dunk that had the energetic crowd at Rogers Arena on its feet.
Fans were also wowed later in the half on a DeRozan dunk before Curry set up Andre Iguodala on an alley-oop.
The Warriors rested their stars after halftime, giving fans just a peek at what will no-doubt be the league's most high-power lineup this season. The Raptors followed suit as the third quarter wore on.
The game sold out in minutes after tickets went on sale, and there was a buzz around the venue more than 90 minutes before the opening tip. Support seemed evenly split, with both Raptors and Warriors jerseys, along with a number of others from around the NBA, dotting the crowd.
There were also a few supporters wearing gear of the Vancouver Grizzlies, who moved to Memphis in 2001 after six miserable seasons.
Warrior head coach Steve Kerr played against the Grizzlies in Vancouver as a member of both the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs, and recalled those road trips fondly.
"I remember taking half of the Spurs team up in a sea plane the day before the game," Kerr said prior to the game. "I was sitting in the Pan Pacific hotel, staring at these sea planes taking off like, 'Man I gotta get on one of those.' I called the concierge and we set it up. I didn't tell (San Antonio coach Gregg Popovic). He would not have been happy, half of his team up in a sea plane above Whistler. Loved coming here, beautiful city."
Prior to Saturday's opening tip, Toronto players and staff locked arms during the "Star-Spangled Banner" and "O Canada," with some bowing their heads.
The Raptors said earlier in the week they planned to join the growing chorus of pro athletes speaking out against police brutality and racial injustice in the United States.
The Warriors stood at the opposite end of the floor during the anthems, but didn't appear to be taking part in any type of protest.
San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick has refused to stand for the U.S. anthem, a protest that has spread across the NFL. The NBA has a rule that players and coaches must stand during the national anthems, although it wasn't mentioned in a recent letter to players.
Notes: The Raptors continue the pre-season Monday in Calgary against the Denver Nuggets. ... Golden State hosts the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
