Golden State Warriors: 3 keys for Game 2 of the 2019 NBA Finals

After losing a wire to wire Game 1 against the Toronto Raptors, the Golden State Warriors must make adjustments to secure a Game 2 victory on the road.

After a nine-day layoff from their last playoff game, the Golden State Warriors were unable to shake off the rust from the stretch of inactivity and fell victim to a well-balanced attack from the Toronto Raptors in a 118-109 Game 1 victory.

The surprise of Game 1 was undoubtedly Pascal Siakam, who turned up the heat and led the Raptors in scoring with 32 points, with superstar Kawhi Leonard chipping in 23 points, albeit on 5-for-14 shooting. Along with a strong showing from Siakam, five total Raptors scored in double digits.

From the Warriors standpoint, their depth proved to be an issue. Stephen Curry led the game in scoring with 34 points, proving to the world that he can carry an offense in the playoffs. Curry’s running mate Klay Thompson delivered 21 points but faded throughout the game and Draymond Green was able to chip in a triple-double of 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, albeit an inefficient one, with six turnovers on 2-for-9 shooting.

Although the Warriors were able to go on second-half runs to cut the lead to four points at various parts of the game, Toronto was able to score consistently down the stretch, something they have struggled to do in the Masai Ujiri era.

With Game 2 ahead of us, let’s look at some key adjustments the Warriors have to make in order to tie up the series.