Getty Quinn Cook #4 of the Golden State Warriors speaks to head coach Steve Kerr in the second quarter against the Toronto Raptors during Game One of the 2019 NBA Finals at Scotiabank Arena on May 30, 2019 in Toronto, Canada.
The Toronto Raptors jumped on the 2-time defending champion Warriors Thursday, taking Game 1 of the NBA Finals with a comfortable 118-109 victory. It now puts Golden State near a position it hasn’t been in 12 years.
Should Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam and company seize Game 2, as well, it would be the first time the Warriors have trailed 2-0 in a playoff series 2007, well before the recent dynasty began. As the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, head coach Don Nelson rode Baron Davis to a first-round upset of the Dallas Mavericks before bowing out 4-1 to the Jazz in the following round.
The Warriors wouldn’t make the postseason again until the 2012-13 season behind the burgeoning play of Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. The trio have only trailed by two games in a series one other time: the 2016 Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Trailing 3-1 against Russell Westbrook and future teammate Kevin Durant, Curry fueled three straight wins with over 30 points in each contest. Golden State eventually blew a 3-1 series lead in the Finals to the Cavaliers.
What are the chances the Warriors find themselves in a 2-0 hole? Let’s quickly preview Sunday night’s Game 2 (8 p.m. EST, ABC).
Warriors Raptors Game 2 Preview & Pick
The Warriors will need to pay extra attention to Siakam, who scored a playoff career-high 32 points on 14-of-17 shooting on Thursday. Meanwhile, Leonard is due for a bounce-back after a somewhat disappointing opener (23 points on 14 shots, eight rebounds and five assists).
Frontcourt play has been an issue for Golden State against teams that could take advantage of it. Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell tallied 75 points over three games in the first round (45 in the other three). Portland’s Meyers Leonard erupted for 30 points in the conference finals-clinching Game 4 victory over the Trail Blazers.
DeMarcus Cousins’ absence until Game 1 forced extra minutes from 34-year old Andrew Bogut, as well as promising but raw youngster Kevon Looney. Bogut is not the All-NBA Defensive Team player he was in 2015, while Looney is a work in progress on rotational defense. 7-foot-1, 255-pound Marc Gasol also pushed them around to the tune of 20 points and seven boards.
In addition, the Warriors will be missing Durant for yet another game. Brad Botkin of CBS Sports reports that the All-Star could “feasibly” return in Game 3. At the same time, Chris Haynes from Yahoo Sports states:
Barring a setback, Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant is expected to return from a right calf strain at some point midway through the NBA Finals, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
There’s some optimism within members of the organization that a Game 3 arrival could be viable, but there’s a stronger possibility that Game 4 is the most logical option, sources said.
To return to Oakland with the series tied, the offense has to put up better numbers than 12-of-31 from behind the arc. Curry and Thompson accounted for 7-of-15 of those, so someone in the supporting cast has to provide quality minutes.
Playing in front of an emotional crowd with a bigger, stronger team, Toronto has a very real chance of grabbing the 2-0 lead. With Leonard also probably due for an outburst of points, I’m calling a double-digit blowout before the series gets back on track for Golden State back at ORACLE Arena.