NBA Finals Game 2, Game 3 prediction

My game two prediction was pretty spot on. I said the Warriors would make defensive adjustments on Siakam and Van Vleet, which is exactly what happened. Their attempts were not as open, and they shrunk to the occasion. With that said, Kyle Lowry should not escape blame. He has underachieved offensively throughout the playoffs, and he totally disappeared Sunday night. He is supposedly a star, so he should be the second scorer behind Kawhi Leonard. Lowry is 34 years old, so maybe his age is starting to show. Leonard played a good game, but he needed to dominate in order to win. 

The Warriors did what the Warriors do; the played great team basketball. Of their 38 made field goals, 34 came off assists. I did not anticipate DeMarcus Cousins having the type of game he did, more due to his injury than talent. He played twenty more minutes than he did Game 1, and had a far bigger impact. He look more comfortable on offense, and he helped remedy the loss of Kevon Looney. In 28 minutes, Cousins finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.

If Klay Thompson is hurt for Game 3, that could change everything. I do not expect Durant to play, but I do think Thompson will, considering how durable he’s been in the past. He was critical in Game 2, making clutch shots until he left in the third quarter.

Golden State took control with one of their patented third quarter runs, just as I said they would. They went on 20-3 run to start the quarter. Toronto had their chance to take total control here, but they left the door open. As I said before, lack of Finals experience is hurting them. 

Steph Curry was upset that the Raptors played box-and-one defense down the stretch, but it worked actually. The only think that kept me from getting the final score right was that the Warriors couldn’t score for the last three minutes, until Iguodala hit the three with a few second left. That defense will only work if Thompson isn’t on the floor. I fully expect Toronto to employ this again if Thompson is hurt.

I think Game 3 will be another close one, around the same final score. I doubt the Raptors will start off well, considering they will be on the road. I think the Warriors will grab early momentum and never look back. Toronto will make runs to keep it close, but I believe the Warriors will make just enough key shots to win. Warriors win 110-107.