Draymond Inexperienced offers Golden State Warriors ‘angle adjustment’ in dominant Sport 2 win

SAN FRANCISCO — Eleven seconds into Sport 2 of the NBA Finals, Draymond Green tied up Al Horford to pressure a bounce ball earlier than the Golden State Warriors pressured a turnover.

Inexperienced was intent on sending a message, to not the Boston Celtics however one to his personal group. Setting the tone by harassing Celtics ball handlers and speaking loads of trash, Inexperienced gave the Warriors the “angle adjustment” they wanted to even the collection with their 107-88 Game 2 win on Sunday at Chase Heart.

Stephen Curry scored 29 factors, and Jordan Poole acquired free for 17 factors, as the 2 Warriors outscored the Celtics 20-14 by themselves in a game-changing third quarter to assist Golden State go on a 41-14 run out of halftime.

“It was undoubtedly an angle adjustment,” Inexperienced stated.

“They’re who we thought they had been. So we knew we needed to maintain our foot on the gasoline pedal and never let up, and we did that.”

One recreation after watching Boston make 9 of 12 3-pointers within the fourth quarter to steal Sport 1, the Warriors held the Celtics to 37.5% capturing in Sport 2. Whereas Jayson Tatum hit 6 of 9 3s and scored 28 factors on Sunday, Golden State contained Tatum’s supporting solid.

Horford, Marcus Smart and Derrick White mixed to shoot simply 6-for-23 from the sphere in Sport 2. In Sport 1, that Boston trio alone buried 15-for-23 from 3-point vary.

The Warriors tweaked some issues by having Inexperienced defend Jaylen Brown and Klay Thompson begin on Horford. Brown shot 5-for-17 and scored 17 factors, however Horford was held to 2 factors.

“Guys comply with me on that facet of the ball,” Inexperienced stated of setting the tone defensively. “If I am not sending a message, who’s sending that message?”

Curry stated Inexperienced truly started setting the tone for the Warriors minutes after their 120-108 loss in Sport 1. Requested when he knew he would see an amped-up Inexperienced on Sunday, Curry replied, “About 5 minutes after Sport 1. That is all I wanted to see and listen to.”

“I assumed everyone was extra engaged,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr stated following Sunday’s contest. “It was fairly apparent, simply our degree of pressure and physicality was ramped up fairly a bit, and it needed to be.”

The Warriors solely led 52-50 at halftime of Sport 2. However they outscored Boston 35-14 within the third quarter and would push their result in 93-64 with 10:45 left within the fourth.

Curry scored 14 of his factors within the third quarter, hitting three treys whereas additionally taking Inexperienced’s lead and taking part in stable protection.

“Steph was breathtaking in that quarter,” Kerr stated. “Not simply the shot-making however the defensive effort.”

Poole, who was held to 9 factors in Sport 1, buried two 3-point bombs within the remaining 30 seconds of that backbreaking third quarter, together with a 39-footer that got here two steps previous the half-court line, close to the “R” within the Chase Heart emblem on the court docket.

“That was clearly an enormous shot to get the gang into it,” Curry stated. “Put type of a dagger on that nice third quarter that we had.”

Now, the Warriors head to Boston not solely “in an excellent psychological house,” as Inexperienced stated, however with the boldness that they know what it takes to win on the highway within the playoffs.

Golden State has received no less than one highway recreation in an NBA-record 26 straight postseason collection.

“We put ourselves proper again in place to take management of the collection,” stated Inexperienced, who completed with 9 factors, seven assists and 5 rebounds. “Now we’ve not taken management of it but. However we now have put ourselves in place to go and take management of it.”