Golden State Warriors: 5 Takeaways From Game 2 vs. Blazers
5. Ezeli Needs More Time
After Game 1, we lamented the lack of minutes for Festus Ezeli. Lo and behold, Steve Kerr turned to Ezeli in a time of desperation in Game 2, with the Warriors trailing by 10. At the 4:09 mark in the third quarter, Ezeli subbed in for Andrew Bogut and by the time he checked out with 3:16 left in the fourth, Golden State had turned a 10-point deficit into a three-point lead.
During a game that easily could’ve slipped away from the Dubs, Festus Ezeli was the game-changer.
Steve Kerr on Festus Ezeli: "He changed the whole game w/ his pick-and-roll defense, his presence around the rim and the energy he gave us."
— Rusty Simmons (@JRustySimmons) May 4, 2016
In his 13 straight minutes of action, Ezeli tallied eight points, six rebounds, an assist and a block. He went 4-for-4 from the field, and with the Dubs’ backup center holding things down in the middle, the Warriors wound up outscoring Portland 34-12 in the fourth quarter.
It was odd that Kerr had been favoring Anderson Varejao over Ezeli in the rotation, and Game 2 provided a nice reminder of how useful Golden State’s backup can be in spot minutes. It was just a minor change made out of necessity, but here’s hoping the Warriors continue to find time for Ezeli moving forward.
Next: No. 4