TORONTO – The Warriors have found new hope beyond their injuries within the starting rotation and the bench. On Sunday, the Golden State Warriors took Game 2 from the Toronto Raptors 109-104 to even up the series at one.
The Warriors relied on the strong play of Klay Thompson to push the team forward, putting up 25 points in 32 minutes while shooting 10 for 17 in the field. However, he did not play the second half of the fourth quarter as he went down with a strained hamstring. Nonetheless, the Warriors held on and withstood a Raptors comeback in the final five minutes of the game behind a game-clinching three pointer from Andre Iguodala.
After watching the game, it was evident that the Raptors relied on controlling the shooting and ball movement of Stephen Curry rather than watching for the open opportunities outside the perimeter. Curry’s shooting was not great as he finished with 23 points while going 6 for 17 in the field. Knowing he was not playing his best, Curry did the right thing and fed the ball outside to his teammates so they could create scoring opportunities that would become the difference maker for the Warriors.
This victory may have came at the cost of Thompson and Kevon Looney, who will miss the rest of the finals with a fractured collarbone. Thompson should be good to go for Game 3 but he will not be 100 percent, and the same can be said for small forward Kevin Durant. Game 3 will depend on the health of both Thompson and Durant since they have been the main contributors to the Warriors dominance.
At the moment, Durant’s status is uncertain and Thompson is listed as questionable for the next match up. The series is dependent on health and when you are missing key role players who put up MVP-worthy numbers, you will feel the pain of not having them available.
Heading back to Oracle Arena, this is the perfect time for Golden State to take advantage of the series since they have one of the best home records in the NBA. In a perfect scenario, Durant and Thompson come back Game 3 and put up amazing numbers with Curry and dominate the Raptors for Games 3 and 4 to take a 3-1 lead, putting them in prime position for the Finals victory. However, if Durant or Thompson are missing, you will see a team lacking the scoring ability they had when the players were active.
The good news is that the Warriors still have Green and Cousins, two massive forces on the defensive side of the court. If they can hold down the paint and balance out the guards up front to take care of the outside shooters, they should be alright. Home-court advantage will be crucial for the Warriors since their home crowd is the most explosive and engaging in the NBA. This series is now in the hands of the Warriors, simply because they won a game in Toronto.
The Raptors are in trouble and its going to take more than just Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam to take back the series. Lowry must step up and perform in high-stress scenarios like in the Eastern Finals when he and Brook Lopez decided to have a three-point contest in Game 1. Danny Green needs to prove he was worth the trade from the Spurs and make plays happen inside. Marc Gasol has to maintain his big man title and grab the offensive rebounds, a category that could have cost them the series against Milwaukee in the Eastern Finals.
This is Golden State’s series to lose. To lose it all, they would have to allow the Raptors to take a game in Oracle. Design the rings and polish the O’Brien Trophy because the Warriors are looking to take this one home for the fourth time in the last five years.
BAM Sports Blog 