The NBA Finals are back after a far-too-long break between Games 1 and 2. The Raptors took Game 1 fairly handily, 118-109, and looking in control for much of the contest. The Warriors got excellent performances from Steph Curry and Draymond Green, but their defense looked out of sorts and lazy for much of the evening, and the absence of Kevin Durant was felt on both ends of the court.
The Raptors, meanwhile, got monster outings from Marc Gasol and Pascal Siakam, as well as another standout showing from Fred VanVleet off the bench. They looked as coordinated and ferocious as ever on defense, and whipped the ball around offensively. While the Warriors can certainly up their game, the Raptors look really, really dangerous right now.
For Game 2, the Raptors will have OG Anunoby active for the first time in months, but he’s unlikely to play any real minutes due to how out of game shape he’s in. The Warriors will have Andre Iguodala and DeMarcus Cousins, but Kevin Durant remains out, and Cousins looks far from 100%. If they don’t get more scoring from either of those guys, the Warriors could be in trouble. At the same time, Steve Kerr could help himself a lot by trimming the rotation down further, and playing his key players more minutes. Look for a hungry, confident Warriors squad in Game 2.
Game 2 will start at 5 PM PT on ABC, with the call, as usual, going to Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson. Comment on the game below!