The Warriors’ 18-0 run to start the third quarter helped them to a Game 2 win to even the series.
TORONTO — The champions cranked into overdrive with such ferocity and cold-blooded efficiency, it was as if the Toronto Raptors were unsuspectingly mugged in a dark alley after midnight.
Never mind that the Golden State Warriors implemented the theft of these NBA Finals under the bright lights of the Scotiabank Arena in front of 19,800 incredulous witnesses wearing red shirts and the stupefied daze of a crowd that just had their wallets swiped. This is what coach Steve Kerr’s team does when it discovers its collective rhythm, feeding off a savage defense that clamps down with impunity, extracts turnovers and transforms them into transition artistry that douses the spirit of even the most resilient opponent.
Find everything you need to know about the NBA Finals here.
• Schedules, matchups and more
• Two big questions heading into Game 2
• Warriors need the security of KD
• Nick Nurse’s unconventional journey
• ‘Strength in numbers’ in Game 1 win
• Predictions: Favorites and likely MVPs
• What’s next for eliminated teams?
Golden State returns to the Bay Area having stolen home-court advantage with a 109-104 Game 2 victory. The soul-crushing 18-0 run to begin the third quarter highlighted every weapon in the Warriors’ arsenal: the aforementioned crippling defense, devastating 3-point shooting and the kind of deft passing that keeps the ball moving and the defense guessing. It transformed a 59-54 halftime deficit into a commanding 72-59 lead that altered the tenor of this series.
“When we started [on that run], I was saying, ‘Oh, this is good,'” Andre Iguodala said. “That’s the only time I’m really happy, when I can say, ‘Oh, we’re doing it.’ And we were doing it.”
For context, understand that the Warriors trailed by 12 points in this game, on the road, and they were, again, playing without the services of Kevin Durant. They started DeMarcus Cousins, who is still working his way back from a torn quad muscle, and asked him to log 27.
