Steph Curry and Warriors ranked in Game 2 of NBA Finals

It’s safe to say that for Dub Nation, Game 2 of the 2022 NBA Finals was much better than Game 1.

Just like in Game 1, the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics were neck and neck in the first half. And, just like in Game 1, the Warriors used a dominant third quarter to build a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. But unlike Game 1, the Dubs didn’t waste it in Game 2 and head home with a 107-88 win, a tied streak, and a plane ticket to Boston, where things are about to take off. become very interesting, very quickly. .

We will discuss this more in the days to come. Until then, let’s rate the Warriors players based on our expectations for each.

Note: The league average true shot percentage (TS) this season was 56.6%.

Draymond Green

35 minutes, 9 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 2 for 3 shots, 0 for 3, 5 for 7 free throws, 74.0% TS, +9

Despite Green consistently filling every column of the box score, he is a player with a reputation for doing far more than the box score can accurately describe.

And my God, it was on Sunday.

Draymond was a thorn in Boston’s side. He confused him with Jayson Tatum. He confused him with Jaylen Brown. He confused him with Marcus Smart. He blended in with the whole team.

He got reactions from them. On a tiebreak, the Warriors were trying to get the ball in and Tatum was keeping Green close. Dray was getting so physical with the Celtics’ star forward that the refs had to separate them three or four times before starting play…only for Tatum to foul Green in bounds.

There’s no better way to describe Dray’s performance than Marcus Thompson II in this tweet:

Box score stats are good. But leadership, tenacity, mind games and 4D chess are the things that really make Draymond a superstar for this team.

And I can’t help but think that we’ll feel the impact of his performance in Game 2 throughout the series.

Rating: A+

Post-match bonus: Led the team in assists.

Andre Wiggins

31 mins, 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 4-for-12, 2-for-3 3, 1-for-2 free throws, 42.7% TS, +19

Wiggins had some huge shots in this game, although his overall offensive production was pretty poor.

But it’s still a high mark in my book, simply because his defense on Tatum was very impressive. Tatum had a good game scoring the ball, but Wiggins really made him work for it.

Grade: B+

Kevon Looney

21 minutes, 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 2 fouls, 6-on-6 shooting, 100.0% TS, +24

Looney had 12 points. Al Horford and Robert Williams III combined to have 4 points. Looney made 6 shots. Horford and Williams combined to shoot just 5 times. Looney had 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Horford and Williams had 10 rebounds and 2 assists.

His superb playoff run continues.

Looney also played a huge role in the team’s offensive success in the first quarter.

Rating: A

Post-match bonus: Led the team in rebounds, tied for team leader over/under.

Steph Curry

32 minutes, 29 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 9 for 21 shots, 5 for 12 threes, 6 for 7 free throws, 60.2% TS, +24

The main reason the Warriors won this game was Curry’s gravity. There is simply no way around it. The way Boston defended the two-time MVP is what allowed the team’s offense to flourish…they had four-on-three with Dray in the lead, they moved the cutters to the basket with a defense limited help, and they had a lot of an open shooter.

This is Curry’s biggest impact. But they also won in large part because of his excellent defense.

If the Warriors can find a way to win three more games, Curry — who should be on anyone’s top 10 list by now, but is somehow still disrespectful — will add a fourth ring and an MVP trophy to the game. final.

And then maybe, just maybe, people will start to realize that he’s not just an all-time great, but an all-time great. playoffs player too.

Put some respect on the man’s name. He’s one of the best to ever do it, on this stage and on all stages.

Rating: A

Post-match bonus: Led the team in points, tied for team leader over/under.

Klay Thompson

30 minutes, 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 4 of 19 shots, 1 of 8 threes, 2 of 2 free throws, 27.7% TS, 0 over/under

There’s no way to water this one down. It was a really tough match from Klay.

It lacked beauty. He forced the wrong looks. He didn’t do much else, although he had good defensive possessions.

He’s going to have one of those ridiculous games he’s known for, and it’s going to be amazing when it happens.

Rating: D-

Nemanja Bjelica

11 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-for-4 shooting, 75.0% TS, -7

Bjelica got some rather surprising minutes at the start of this game, and…. he was excellent.

But above all, he was excellent in defense.

And more particularly than that, he was excellent in defense on Jayson Tatum.

Bjelica had plenty of possessions where he was placed on an island and asked to defend the All-NBA star, and he was up to the task. Three faults in 11 minutes is the only stain on an exceptional game. We’ll see more of him this series.

Rating: A

Post-match bonus: The worst plus/minus of the team.

Jonathan Kuminga

4 minutes, 0 points, -5

Kuminga remains out of the rotation, but the Dubs got a good chunk of foul time in this game.

Rating: Incomplete

Otto Porter Jr.

15 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 foul, 1-for-1 shooting, 3-for-1, 150.0% TS, +24

Porter couldn’t play much of the minutes, but was turned off for the minutes he did. He was a threat on defense, did the little things on offense and was on the court when the Warriors played their best basketball. Partly because of what he was doing.

Rating: A

Post-match bonus: Tied for team leader over/under.

Juan Toscano Anderson

4 mins, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnovers, 0 for 1 shot, 0 for 1 three, 0.0% TS, -5

It was bad weather for JTA, but he did some great things while he was there.

Rating: Incomplete

Damion Lee

4 minutes, 0 points, 0-for-1 shot, three 0-for-1, 0.0% TS, -5

Trash time for Lee. Nothing to note.

Rating: Incomplete

Gary Payton II

25 minutes, 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 fouls, shooting 3 for 3, 3 for 1, 0 for 2 free throws, 90.2% TS, +15

Payton gets a perfect score here, simply because he returned to the court for the first time since fracturing his elbow in the Western Conference semifinals, in an injury that seemed destined to put him on the line. away until next season. It was amazing to see him there.

But he also gets high marks for playing basketball brilliantly at both ends of the court. What a difference it is to have it back.

Rating: A+

Jordan Poole

23 minutes, 17 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, shooting 6 for 14, 5 for 9 threes, 60.7% TS, +7

Poole picked up where he left off in the first half, with some struggles that made you think. But then he activated it in the second half, which was highlighted by an unforgettable streak at the end of the third quarter that seemed to be the game’s biggest moment, turning a comfortable lead into a fatality by making a DEEP three followed by a DEEP three.

A lot of his damage came after the outcome was decided, but he still gets high marks for those monumental shots and much improved defense.

Grade: B+

Moses Moody

6 minutes, 2 points, 1 for 1 shot, 100.0% TS, -3

Moody could still find himself playing significant minutes at some point in this series. But it wasn’t in this game.

Rating: Incomplete

Sunday idlers: Andre Iguodala, James Wiseman