Klay Thompson and Draymond Green made sure the reporters knew after Game 1 that it was a race to four wins, not one. After losing their lead in the fourth quarter of Game 1, Golden State sealed a Game 2 victory with a dominant third quarter that put the game out of reach. With the series tied 1-1 as they head to Boston for Game 3 on Wednesday, the Celtics will have to rebound from this performance to try and maintain the home court advantage that they stole. Let’s recap Game 2 and a few other notes from around the league!
Golden State 107, Boston 88
Stephen Curry didn’t hit six triples in the first quarter like he did in Game 1, but he did hit five of them over the course of the game as he scored a game-high 29 points. He lit it up in the third with 14 points and three triples in the period while the Warriors finished the period on a 19-2 run that allowed them to take a 87-64 lead into the fourth. They then scored the first six points of the fourth to practically lock up the win. Curry added in six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. He reached 70 3-pointers in a postseason for the 5th time in his career. According to NBA PR, this was the third time that Curry has had at least 25 points and five triples in back to back Finals games. The only other player to do that is Klay.
Jordan Poole finally got things going after a poor first game and a half of this series. He scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half, finishing with five triples and two steals. He became the youngest player to hit at least five 3-pointers in a Finals game, according to NBA PR. He also seemingly took the torch from Curry in terms of hitting deep buzzer beaters.
HALF-COURT POOLE PARTY 💦 pic.twitter.com/iKmG8lX8Bg
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 6, 2022
Poole finding success was key to Golden State taking control of the game. However, they’re going to need their other elite shooter to get things going in Boston. Klay was decent in Game 1, but he couldn’t buy a bucket in this one. He finished with 11 points on 4-for-19 shooting, including hitting just one of his eight attempts from beyond the arc. Klay talked about needing to be more aggressive after Game 1. Hopefully he’ll keep up the aggressiveness in Game 3, except he’ll hit shots like we know he can.
Draymond got an early technical foul, which allowed him to be a little more bold with the referees. He even said after the game that he’s earned “differential treatment”. He set the tone early by forcing a jump ball just 13 seconds into the game. It was clear from that moment that the Warriors were going to make a statement. Draymond finished with nine points, five rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block.
After not playing in Game 1, Gary Payton II played 25 minutes in this game. He finished with seven points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Kevon Looney only played 21 minutes, but he hit all six of his shot attempts on his way to 12 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Andrew Wiggins only shot 4-for-12, but he still chipped in 11 points, six rebounds, and two 3-pointers.
steph is so proud of jordan poole lol pic.twitter.com/2ZzYzxPg6o
— Chris Montano (@gswchris) June 6, 2022
Jayson Tatum may have been the only Celtic that got anything going in this game. Unfortunately, it was mostly in the first half. He scored 21 of his 29 points in the first half as he finished with six rebounds, three assists, and six triples. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep things going in the second half, which is when his team faltered. He did reach 500 points in this postseason. He joined Larry Bird, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce as the only Celtics to accomplish this, with Tatum being the youngest to do so, per NBA PR.
Jaylen Brown got off to an incredibly hot start before going ice cold. He hit his first three shots in the first three minutes to jump out to nine points. He finished the first quarter with 13 points on 4-for-6 shooting. Then he shot 1-for-11 over the final three periods, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
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Brown wasn’t the only one who struggled. Al Horford followed his 26 point performance in Game 1 with just two points in Game 2. Marcus Smart also had two points and added in five turnovers. After such incredible performances in Game 1, it was shocking to see such a lack of production in Game 2.
Derrick White chipped in 12 points off the bench on 4-for-13 shooting. His shot wasn’t there like it has been since the birth of his child, but he did play solid defense and accounted for a steal and two blocks.
Robert Williams tweaked his knee again. He’s been dealing with this left knee injury since tearing his meniscus in late March. The recovery process has been sped up so that he could help Boston make this run. However, he’s had a lot of trouble with it along the way. He did manage to block two shots in 14 minutes before exiting.
29 PTS | 6 REB | 4 AST@StephenCurry30 had himself a night ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/yBZtDc0j56
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) June 6, 2022
News and Notes:
- Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Quin Snyder has stepped down from his position as head coach of the Utah Jazz. After eight years at the helm, he said he believes that the team needs a “new voice” to take the next step. Snyder made the postseason in his final six seasons as the coach of the Jazz.
- Woj also reported that with Snyder’s departure, Donovan Mitchell is “unsettled” on his future. There have been rumors of either Mitchell or Rudy Gobert being moved this off-season, so we’ll see if the coaching hire impacts Mitchell’s desire to remain in Utah.
- Shams Charania reported that the Jazz are interested in Terry Stotts to replace Snyder, as well as a list of assistant coaches from around the league. Stotts interviewed for the Lakers’ job recently before they decided on Darvin Ham.
- Darius Garland told Heavy.com that he hopes to be part of Cleveland’s long term plans, and that he wants Collin Sexton to stay with the team next season. After making his first All-Star Game, the Cavs are set to build around Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. Sexton is a restricted free agent who only played in 11 games last season. We’ll have to see whether Cleveland decides he’s worth the big contract or if they’ll let him walk. Detroit and Indiana are seen as the two teams that are most likely to steal Sexton from Cleveland.
