NBA Finals Game 2: Protecting Home Court!
NBA Finals Game 2: Protecting Home Court!
Draymond Green's 28 points helps Golden State take a 2-0 lead as they head to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4.
Draymond Green's 28 points helps Golden State take a 2-0 lead as they head to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4.
Source: nba.com
Well that was quick.
The Golden State Warriors are now only 2 wins away from winning back to back NBA Championships after blowing the Cavaliers out of Oracle Arena by a score of 110-77.
In Game 1, the Splash Brothers were almost non-existent and Shaun Livingston stepped up to score 20 points. Tonight, Curry and Klay played better but they were still not splashing like they normally do. They did each shoot 4-8 from beyond the arc but it was the play of Draymond Green that won Game 2 for the Warriors.
Green scored a game-high 28 points and connected on five big shots from downtown, giving real meaning to his "Treymond" nickname. Green was asked after the game about his Steph-like shooting and he had a perfect response.
"Don't tell me that, Steve Kerr won't like you if you tell me I'm channeling my inner Steph Curry."
On top of all the scoring, Treymond added 7 rebounds and 5 assists, with only one turnover.
The Warriors actually started the game horribly, as they committed 6 turnovers to Cleveland's 1 in the 1st quarter, but thankfully, their 2nd quarter was much better.
The Cavaliers defense came unglued and the Warriors went on a 6 minute, 20-2 run that saw Green knockdown three triples. He even scored an and-one layup as Kevin Love lay underneath the basket, clutching his head. Love was hit in the back of the head by an inadvertent Harrison Barnes elbow and was diagnosed with a concussion after the game. However, the Cavaliers did go on a 7-0 run to end the 1st half and were only down eight as both teams headed to their locker rooms.
And then the 2nd half happened.
The Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 58-33 in the final two quarters and forced a lot of their fans to leave early, something that almost never happens at Oracle. But hey, when you blow someone out this badly, even in The NBA Finals, crazy things happen.
Crazy thing #1: Lebron James was called for TWO TRAVELS. Oh yeah, on back to back plays too!
Crazy thing #2: Draymond Green hit a dribble-pull up three! (Chef Green???)
Crazy thing #3: 35 year-old Richard Jefferson was the Cavs' second-leading scorer with 12 points and he didn't even start!
Crazy thing #4: Ian Clark and Brandon Rush each played 7 minutes, as the game had basically 8 minutes of garbage time!
Crazy thing #5: The Warriors now hold the largest combined margin of victory in the first two games of an NBA Finals at +48!
Lebron James had another near triple-double, with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists but it was his 8 turnovers that doomed him and his team (17 team turnovers). Kyrie Irving had another off night shooting (5-14 and 0-3 from deep) and Kevin Love left the game in the 3rd quarter after trying to play through the 2nd quarter elbow to his head. Love will now enter the NBA's Concussion Protocol and will hope to play in Game 3 on Wednesday.
With two games in the books, the series now shifts to Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers were 33-8 during the regular season and 7-0 in these playoffs. They will need their home crowd to lift their intensity up a few notches if they want to keep this series close.
The Finals MVP standings have shaken up a bit after tonight. Lebron now falls to number three, even with his 2nd near triple double (those 8 turnovers, yikes) and Shaun Livingston's top spot from Game 1 has now been taken over by Draymond Green.
Green's 2016 Finals averages: 22 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, on 52% shooting and 50% shooting from three.
When asked about Draymond's shooting in Game 2, Kerr said something similar to his Game 1 postgame comments regarding Steph and Klay's presence on the floor.
"The way they're playing defense against our guards, Draymond is going to be open all day."
The Warriors do have a pair of Splash Brothers that can shoot teams out of the building but those two will gladly share the wealth and be decoys for their team if it means winning another Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Source: nba.com
Well that was quick.
The Golden State Warriors are now only 2 wins away from winning back to back NBA Championships after blowing the Cavaliers out of Oracle Arena by a score of 110-77.
In Game 1, the Splash Brothers were almost non-existent and Shaun Livingston stepped up to score 20 points. Tonight, Curry and Klay played better but they were still not splashing like they normally do. They did each shoot 4-8 from beyond the arc but it was the play of Draymond Green that won Game 2 for the Warriors.
Green scored a game-high 28 points and connected on five big shots from downtown, giving real meaning to his "Treymond" nickname. Green was asked after the game about his Steph-like shooting and he had a perfect response.
"Don't tell me that, Steve Kerr won't like you if you tell me I'm channeling my inner Steph Curry."
On top of all the scoring, Treymond added 7 rebounds and 5 assists, with only one turnover.
The Warriors actually started the game horribly, as they committed 6 turnovers to Cleveland's 1 in the 1st quarter, but thankfully, their 2nd quarter was much better.
The Cavaliers defense came unglued and the Warriors went on a 6 minute, 20-2 run that saw Green knockdown three triples. He even scored an and-one layup as Kevin Love lay underneath the basket, clutching his head. Love was hit in the back of the head by an inadvertent Harrison Barnes elbow and was diagnosed with a concussion after the game. However, the Cavaliers did go on a 7-0 run to end the 1st half and were only down eight as both teams headed to their locker rooms.
And then the 2nd half happened.
The Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 58-33 in the final two quarters and forced a lot of their fans to leave early, something that almost never happens at Oracle. But hey, when you blow someone out this badly, even in The NBA Finals, crazy things happen.
Crazy thing #1: Lebron James was called for TWO TRAVELS. Oh yeah, on back to back plays too!
Crazy thing #2: Draymond Green hit a dribble-pull up three! (Chef Green???)
Crazy thing #3: 35 year-old Richard Jefferson was the Cavs' second-leading scorer with 12 points and he didn't even start!
Crazy thing #4: Ian Clark and Brandon Rush each played 7 minutes, as the game had basically 8 minutes of garbage time!
Crazy thing #5: The Warriors now hold the largest combined margin of victory in the first two games of an NBA Finals at +48!
Lebron James had another near triple-double, with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists but it was his 8 turnovers that doomed him and his team (17 team turnovers). Kyrie Irving had another off night shooting (5-14 and 0-3 from deep) and Kevin Love left the game in the 3rd quarter after trying to play through the 2nd quarter elbow to his head. Love will now enter the NBA's Concussion Protocol and will hope to play in Game 3 on Wednesday.
With two games in the books, the series now shifts to Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers were 33-8 during the regular season and 7-0 in these playoffs. They will need their home crowd to lift their intensity up a few notches if they want to keep this series close.
The Finals MVP standings have shaken up a bit after tonight. Lebron now falls to number three, even with his 2nd near triple double (those 8 turnovers, yikes) and Shaun Livingston's top spot from Game 1 has now been taken over by Draymond Green.
Green's 2016 Finals averages: 22 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, on 52% shooting and 50% shooting from three.
When asked about Draymond's shooting in Game 2, Kerr said something similar to his Game 1 postgame comments regarding Steph and Klay's presence on the floor.
"The way they're playing defense against our guards, Draymond is going to be open all day."
The Warriors do have a pair of Splash Brothers that can shoot teams out of the building but those two will gladly share the wealth and be decoys for their team if it means winning another Larry O'Brien Trophy.