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NBA Finals: Don’t Expect Game 2’s Poor Shooting To Continue

ByMark Vandeusen|
Jun 7, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) during the first quarter in game two of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 7, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) during the first quarter in game two of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

On Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off an unexpected 95-93 overtime victory over the Golden State Warriors to even the NBA Finals at one win apiece.  Before I get into the stats, here’s a subjective explanation of why Cleveland’s Game 2 triumph isn’t as shocking as it seems.

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After taking Game 1 and seeing Kyrie Irving lost for the season, the Warriors relaxed.  Everyone thought the series was over.  It’s no surprise that they didn’t put forth their best effort in Game 2.

On the other hand, the opposite is true for the Cavs.  They were counted out and eager to prove people wrong.  Cleveland stepped up in the aftermath of losing an All-Star and played with the desperation you’d expect from a team with its back against the wall.

Even so, the Cavaliers were extremely fortunate to come out on top considering their lack of offensive production:

Cleveland actually shot 32.2 percent (29-for-90) on Sunday.  To put that in perspective, over roughly 1,300 NBA games in 2014-15, this was only the third time the winning team shot so poorly.  The Cavs also managed to outscore Golden State in OT despite going just 1-for-8 from the floor in the extra period.

Although Mathew Dellavedova deserves some credit for his outstanding hustle on defense, Cleveland can’t expect Stephen Curry to put up another dud like he did in Game 2:

Curry went just 2-for-15 on three-point field goals Sunday, setting a new record for missed threes in an NBA Finals game.  It was also the most long-range misses of Curry’s career, two more than his previous high of 11.  His 13.3 shooting percentage from beyond the arc was among the five worst of his career in games where he’s made at least one three-pointer.

Overall, Curry connected on just five of 23 field goal attempts.  It was the first time in his career that he took at least 23 shots and made five or fewer.  His 21.7 overall shooting percentage ranked among the 10 worst of his career (minimum 10 FGA) and was the lowest of his 2014-15 MVP season.

It’s unlikely the Cavs will again shoot as badly as they did in Game 2, but it’s even less probable that Curry will repeat his awful performance.  And with the series heading back to Cleveland tied 1-1, the Warriors will be the team playing with desperation in Game 3.

Next: Ranking Every Point Guard MVP In NBA History

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