The Golden State Warriors, behind Draymond Green’s big night, take a 2-0 lead over the Utah Jazz. Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Warriors’ Game 2 win.
The Warriors remain undefeated in the playoffs, after defeating the Jazz in Game 2, 115-104. This has been the Draymond Green show, proving why he’s so valuable to the Warriors. On given nights, when his 3-point shot is falling, he feels like the best player on Golden State’s roster. Green led all scorers with 15 points at the half, shooting a blazing 5-for-7 from the 3-point line. He came out firing and his teammates kept finding him. He set the tone and the Dubs never looked back.
Although there are no emotional victories, especially in the playoffs, the Utah Jazz should take some solace in this loss. Gordon Hayward played more like himself in Game 2, after scoring 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting in Game 1. He consistently made plays one-on-one in the third quarter to keep Utah in the game. Hayward finished the game with 33 points on 11-for-21 shooting, to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Rudy Gobert seemed to be back in form, even though he seemed a bit slow on the defensive end, especially when the Warriors went with their “Hamptons’ Five” lineup.
Here’s the Game 2 Box Score:
But a win is a win in the playoffs and the Dubs will be happy to be taking a 2-0 lead to Salt Lake City. Here are the three biggest takeaways from Game 2.
Three Takeaways
The “Hamptons’ Five” lineup is unstoppable for the Utah Jazz. What’s better than “Hamptons Five” for a lineup in the NBA? The “Hamptons Five” which refers to the Warriors’ group of players, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, who went to recruit Kevin Durant. When the Jazz were making a run in the third quarter, head coach Mike Brown immediately turned to Iguodala instead of the bigger Zaza Pachulia. The seven-point lead when Iguodala entered swelled to 15 points in a span of five minutes.
It was a lineup that Jazz’s big man Rudy Gobert couldn’t keep up with on the defensive end. Jazz head coach Quin Snyder immediately turned to Derrick Favors in favor of the bigger Gobert. The Warriors brought their “death lineup” over the past few years whenever they needed a boost, but now they turn to an unstoppable “Hamptons Five” lineup that’s even more dangerous.
The Jazz need George Hill for Game 3 … badly. The Jazz missed their starting point guard, George Hill, in Game 2 due to toe soreness. He was dearly missed, as Shelvin Mack got the start instead. In his absence, Mack scored 14 points on 4-for-11 shooting. Backups Rodney Hood and Dante Exum weren’t much better, combining to score 15 on 6-for-19 shooting.
Utah will need its starting point guard back for Game 3 if they want any chance of trying to climb back into this series. Mack was good defensively, but wasn’t able to help the Jazz offensively make the comeback over the Warriors. Hill wasn’t great in Game 1, only scoring 7 points on 3-of-9 shooting, but his veteran presence and postseason experience is invaluable for a young Jazz team.
This is the Draymond Green’s world and we’re just living in it. As I alluded to earlier, Draymond Green was fantastic for the Warriors. He was an all-around thorn in the side of the Utah Jazz, hitting shots on the offensive end, dishing dimes and also stopping the Jazz on the defensive side of the floor. He finished the game with 21 points, on 7-for-13 shooting and 5-for-8 shooting from three-point range, to go with seven rebounds, six assists and four steals.
He was fantastic on the defensive side, proving once again why he should be the Defensive Player of the Year. Consistently, he played free safety, roaming around taking away passes and lobs from the Jazz players. His attitude and intensity carried the Warriors to this win and prove why he’s likely the most valuable piece on this entire team.
Next: Wizards wallop Celtics in Game 3, 116-89: 3 takeaways
The Jazz will head home down 2-0 in this series, looking to find a way to climb out of this hole. Utah played better in Game 2, even though the score may not necessarily show it. Hayward had himself a game, but his teammates need to join the party if they want to make a comeback here. For now, as they head to nightlife-less Utah, the Warriors are up 2-0.
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