The Raptors could not have asked for a better shot at taking a commanding NBA finals lead. During Game 2, the Warriors had to deal with various combinations of the following obstacles: no Kevin Durant; DeMarcus Cousins battling back from a torn quad; Stephen Curry struggling with the flu; Andre Iguodala hobbled; Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney leaving the game with injuries; a raucous home crowd; a 12-point second-quarter deficit; Drake; shooters unable to buy a basket in the final five minutes.
Yet none of it mattered. Golden State won Game 2, 109-104, to tie up the series at one game apiece as the team head to the West Coast. It would be unkind to say the Raptors blew it, but rarely are finals match-ups so weighted in one side’s favor. Only a vintage performance from the Splash Brothers, who accounted for 48 of the team’s points and added a further nine assists, could spur the Warriors to victory. Golden State ripped off an 18-0 run to open the third-quarter, putting them into a lead they retained for the rest of the game.
Talk of the Warriors’ lack of shooting depth – a source of discussion all season – grew after their loss in Game 1. Without Durant they were missing that third shooter, detractors claimed. It was hokum: having Curry on the court is like having three shooters. Having Klay is like having an extra two. No play better sums up the breadth of Curry’s range and the pressure that it puts on a defense than this:
I don't think any possession better sums up the lunacy of Steph Curry than this. It's like having three shooters on the floor. pic.twitter.com/Cr9O9rQP3n
— Ollie Connolly (@OllieConnolly) June 3, 2019
There were 34 seconds remaining in the third-quarter with a dwindling shot clock. Draymond Green hit Curry in stride, the shooter some 30-feet from the basket. For most, it would be just a hair out of range. Not Curry. Norman Powell rushed out to defend, and with just a hint of daylight, Curry rose, drilling a three. And, just like that, the lead was 10. Some shots are worth more than mere points: they drain the energy out of the opposition.
No one has the ability to demoralize an opponent in the way Curry does. He is the Warriors’ offensive fulcrum, and helps democratize the offense. Other superstars crave the ball in their hands. Get out of the way and let me do work. And that’s fine because it works – just look at Kawhi Leonard for Toronto. But Curry’s selflessness gives the Warriors extra zest.
Meanwhile, once Green or Iguodala or any other initiator of the offense gets the ball in his hands, the Warriors slip into pass-happy Warriorsgasms. You know the kind: Curry and Thompson darting here then there. The ball whipping around the court at a break-neck pace. It sows confusion. The Warriors leverage that confusion into easy baskets. Defenses jump up, then sag off, then play catch up. At that pace, with that level of intellect, the Warriors almost always find a good shot. The Warriors shot 38% from three-point range in Game 2, the Raptors 28%. Golden State made two more threes. It was the difference.
None of this is rocket science. Curry is the best shooter who has ever lived, whether you go by the numbers or the eye test. Thompson is in the top-five. Reasonable minds can disagree on where he falls in the pecking order, but he’s closer to the second spot than he is the fifth.
Now the Warriors return home for two games. Hold serve, and they will be one win away from a third-straight championship, their fourth in five years. “It was a great win. We got to go home and protect our home floor.” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game. “We’ll see about all the injuries, but I’m very proud of our team and in particular all the guys off the bench.”
Health looks to be the only thing that can hold Golden State back. How severe is Thompson’s hamstring injury? Even if he plays – and he says he will – will he be able to scoot around screens with the same kind of vigor we are accustomed to? What about Durant’s calf? And what about Looney’s chest?
Looney has into a fully-fledged NBA starter through the course of the season. On a team slammed up against the salary cap, that added depth has been invaluable. The Warriors can win at the highest level without Durant, they have proven that. But they can’t pull any of the other pieces out of this carefully constructed symphony. Their season teeters on a game-health Jenga: pull Thompson or Looney or Iguodala out of the line-up for an extended period of time and the whole thing could collapse. Golden State can withstand losing Durant because Curry, Thompson and Green are just that special. But to win the title they cannot afford to lose any more pieces.
