2019 NBA Finals: 5 takeaways from Game 1

2. Splash Bros. have to be better

Stephen Curry came out throwing fireballs, racing out to 11 of his team’s first 17 points by making three of his first six attempts from long range. From that point at the 4:37 mark of the first quarter, however, he went cold the rest of the half.

At the break, Curry had just 13 points on 3-of-10 shooting, with his only two points in the second period coming at the foul line. He and Klay shot a combined 7-for-22 in the first half, and Curry was a team-worst -12 at the break.

The Dubs can’t afford these kinds of dry spells, which resulted in a 19-8 Raptors run to close the first half, in this case. That’s especially true if Klay doesn’t have it going either.

To be fair, the two-time MVP responded in the third, putting up 13 points in the frame by making three of his four shots and taking advantage of being in the bonus by drawing fouls to get to the line. Curry still finished his night with a 34-5-5 line on 4-of-9 shooting from deep, including 14 trips to the foul line.

However, he also didn’t have the kind of vintage Chef Curry performance his team needs, and neither did his fellow Splash Brother. Without Kevin Durant, without home-court advantage, and facing perhaps the best defense they’ve ever seen in the playoffs, the days of being able to have good but not great games are behind them.