NBA Playoffs 2017: Warriors thrash the Spurs in Game 2: 3 takeaways
The Golden State Warriors blow out the San Antonio Spurs, who were without Kawhi Leonard in Game 2. Here are three takeaways from the Dubs’ win.
Did you watch the San Antonio Spurs tonight? It seemed like the Golden State Warriors were having a shootaround by themselves tonight in Game 2 of the West Finals. From the start, the Spurs had mailed in the game and decided that they were going to be as effective as Kawhi Leonard — he didn’t play in Game 2, by the way.
Over the past few years, the Warriors have been known for one thing: they self-create a chip on their shoulders and take it out on the opponent. This time around, they didn’t even need to. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich eviscerated Warriors’ Zaza Pachulia for being dirty on Monday. The NBA world called the Warriors’ road to the Finals lucky after Leonard’s injury (cough cough, Skip Bayless). Golden State was going to come in and send a strong message to the Spurs in Game 2.
Oh, did Golden State send a message. Stephen Curry and the West’s No. 1 seed led by 17 points after the first quarter and 28 points after halftime. The final score ended not even being close, 136-100. They started out fast, kept pouring it on and didn’t take their foot off the gas pedal. It was so bad, Popovich didn’t have anything more to say than “we didn’t score,” during his usual post-first quarter interview with Doris Burke. To make things worse, ESPN announcers Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, were debating over desserts in the second quarter to fill in time.
Curry led the way for the Warriors, scoring 29 points in 30 minutes of play on 13 shots for a plus-24. The Warriors were a complete team tonight behind Chef Curry, with six others scoring in double figures. They shot nearly 56 percent from the field and 48 percent from three-point range. There’s likely only one team in this league that can compete with the Warriors when they do that and it isn’t the Spurs.
Jonathon Simmons was the only one that got on the bus for the Spurs tonight, I think everyone else stayed behind at the hotel in San Francisco. He had 22 points on 8-for-17 shooting, filling in the void left by Leonard. LaMarcus Aldridge needed to step up with Leonard out and he shrunk under the lights. He had eight points on 4-for-11 shooting and was a minus-20 in 26 minutes of play.
Here’s the box score from Game 2 at Oracle Arena, to go along with my three takeaways.
3 takeaways
Stephen Curry continues to splash away. Have a game, Stephen Curry! This isn’t new for the two-time MVP, who’s been in the last two NBA Finals. He’s used to playing on the big stage, but he hasn’t thrived like this before. He came out on fire in the first quarter and set the tone with 15 points and five three-pointers. Even though Curry doesn’t have his partner-in-crime, Klay Thompson, splashing with him, Curry has been phenomenal so far. He was efficient, shooting 8-for-13 from the field and 6-for-9 for three. In the first two games of the series, Curry is 13-for-25 in this series from long range. He’s been playing at MVP level these first two games and it’s been downright scary. The highlight was when poor Dewayne Dedmon and his ankles felt the full brunt of Curry’s powers in the third quarter. I said this after Game 1 and I’ll say it again: Curry has arrived and put the rest of the NBA on notice.
Andre Iguodala who? Patrick McCaw’s here. What a luxury for the Warriors. Andre Iguodala misses Game 2 with a knee injury and Patrick McCaw steps in his role and plays beautifully. The rookie hasn’t been a part of the rotation in the playoffs, but he stepped in and the Warriors didn’t skip a beat. In 26 minutes of play, McCaw had 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting while shooting a scorching 75 percent from three-point range. To go with that, he had five assists and three rebounds to finish as a plus-19. McCaw’s defense and play in the first half gave Draymond Green a well-needed and extended rest. McCaw likely see more minutes in these playoffs, and when Iguodala becomes a free agent this summer, the Warriors have his replacement ready to roll.
LaMarcus Aldridge continues to shrink in the lights. Aldridge was going to be leaned on heavily if the Spurs wanted to even up this series against the Warriors. They needed Aldridge from Game 6 in Houston for this game against the Warriors. Yet, he stayed at the hotel and wasn’t even at Oracle Arena. The Spurs forward missed his first two jump shots and the night didn’t get any better from that point on. He finished the game with a measly eight points on 4-for-11 shooting. He only grabbed four rebounds when that’s an area of the game that he should be absolutely dominating. The Spurs need Aldridge to be a max contract guy tonight and he didn’t seem like he was a worth a penny of that contract.
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San Antonio is heading home with its backs against the wall. It’s not a must-win Game 3, but their season is on the line Saturday night at the AT&T Center. If Kawhi Leonard plays, the Spurs can find themselves in a tight game and right back in this series. If he doesn’t, the Spurs should start looking forward to the summer. Regardless, the Warriors destroyed the Spurs tonight and it was over before it even started.