Getty Moses Moody battles for a rebound with Malik Beasley during Game 2 of the Golden State Warriors' second-round playoff series against the LA Lakers.
Just two days after their heartbreaking Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors managed to flip the script on their second-round series with LeBron James and his crew. And, as was the case when the Dubs have been at their best throughout the campaign, they did so on the back of a total team effort.
Led by Klay Thompson, who scored a game-high 30 points and rained down eight three-point bombs, six Warriors players — and all five starters — finished in double figures. Meanwhile, the club racked up 38 assists and cleared 50% from the field and from deep en route to a 127-100 shellacking in Game 2 at Chase Center.
Amid the bounce-back effort and the many hands that contributed to it, second-year wing Moses Moody had one of the better postseason games of his career.
In 26 minutes off the bench for head coach Steve Kerr, Moody scored 10 points, hitting two of his three attempts from deep and adding seven rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot.
After the game, a former teammate of Moody’s — 2022 NBA champion Juan Toscano-Anderson — offered up a ringing endorsement of the former No. 14 overall pick.
Former Warrior Juan Toscano-Anderson Wants His Kids to Be Just Like Moses Moody
Golden State Warriors’ Moses Moody celebrates his dunk at the end of the 3rd quarter given the Warriors a 30-point lead during Game 2 of NBA Western Conference semifinals. @sfchronicle photo by @ScottStrazzante
While appearing on the NBC Sports Bay Area postgame broadcast, Toscano-Anderson was asked what makes Moody so mature and if he was surprised by the poise shown by the 20-year-old during Game 2. As the ex-Warrior sees it, everything begins with Moody’s strong foundation.
“I think it’s his experiences, his parents,” Toscano-Anderson opined. “I’ve gotten the chance to really know his parents — they’re great people. Moses is a true professional. If, one day, I ever have kids, I would love for my kids to grow up and be like him. The way he comes to work every day, the way he conducts himself.”
Regarding Moody’s Game 2 output specifically, JTA was similarly enthusiastic.
“I’m not surprised by his performance… 26 minutes almost after seeing a lot of DNPs and a lot of limited minutes. That’s great, especially from a young guy who’s [in his] second year in the league… I’m most impressed by the seven rebounds; that’s big time.”
Stephen Curry Embraces Different Role Amid Game 2 Win
While Thompson was the pace-setter from an offensive standpoint on Thursday, it has been Stephen Curry‘s penchant for getting buckets that has gotten the Warriors to this point. Heading into Game 2, the GOAT candidate was averaging a cool 32.9 points per contest and rocking an effective field-goal percentage of 58.2.
On this particular night, though, it was another aspect of his game that stood out. Namely, his court vision and ability to make plays for others.
Curry dropped a game-high 12 dimes — the most he had logged in a playoff game since he assisted on 15 buckets during a first-round bout with the LA Clippers way back in 2014. It was also just the 14th time in 142 postseason games that he had hit double-digit assists.
“It was a point of emphasis to try and get the ball in my hands a little bit more to start,” Curry said of his pass-first mindset, as relayed by 95.7 The Game. “That’s the beauty of what we can do, playing a lot of different ways.”