NBA Finals 2019: 3 Talking points from Golden State Warriors vs Toronto Raptors - Game 2
Coming into this one, the Warriors knew very well that they'd have to outplay the Raptors on both ends of the floor in order to have a chance. In the backdrop of a shocking Game 1 loss on away soil, Curry and Co. were anything but nervous, after having seen it all across their Finals appearances in five consecutive years. And expectedly so, they willed past the surging Toronto squad and took Game 2 via a 109-104 win before heading back to Oakland for Games 3 and 4.
One of the highlights ocurred when Andre Iguodala nailed a dagger three in the dying moments of the game to seal the deal for his team in what was a tough night to go through in all aspects. This was their seventh straight game playing without the services of their leading scorer in Kevin Durant but the defending champs managed just fine. Raptors center Marc Gasol summed up Golden State's flow of basketball in Game 2 aptly,
"They moved the ball really well and were running freely, Once they run freely, everything opens up for them," said Gasol.
Let's take a look at a few key takeaways from this resilient bounce back win by the Warriors to even the series at one apiece.
#1 The Warriors exhibited a Champion's heart in a game marred by injuries
It has been proven time and again that the Warriors house tons of heart and resolve which takes over whenever talent and luck runs out on them.
To kick things off, Curry's body language did not show positive signs - the cause was later revealed by Coach Kerr to be 'dehydration' - as his team shot a miserable 8-28 to start the game. During the course of the game, backup center Kevon Looney found himself heading to the locker room due to a left chest contusion (did not return for the entire second half), followed by Klay Thompson coming down awkwardly on a three-point attempt down the stretch in the fourth as well.
Meanwhile, Iguodala had also crashed into an illegal screen set by Gasol and took some time off before returning to the court. Needless to say, Golden State kept fighting through consistent hits throughout the night. Despite the apparent hardships, the Splash Brothers led the team in scoring and made sure the job was done before they could tend to the wounded.
Much to the delight of the GSW camp, Cousins stepped up to contribute 11 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists during the 28 minutes he was on the court.