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Warriors vs. Raptors Game 2 TV Schedule, Live-Stream Guide for 2019 NBA Finals
June 1, 2019
The Toronto Raptors were able to pull off something the Cleveland Cavaliers were not able to do in four years against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
Toronto took the first game of the series from the two-time defending champions at Scotiabank Arena, but now it has to hold serve on its home court in Game 2.
Golden State should be able to produce a better performance than it did in Game 1, which makes the Raptors' task even harder Sunday night.
The good news for the Raptors is they are riding a fantastic wave of form with five consecutive wins, and the confidence and momentum gained from that will help them deal with the pressure produced by the Warriors.
NBA Finals Game 2 Information
Date: Sunday, June 2
Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Live Stream: Watch ESPN or ESPN app
Toronto's plan for success at the start of the postseason relied on Kawhi Leonard performing at the highest possible level in every single game.
But over the last few contests, the Raptors have turned into much more of a balanced scoring team, which helped them take control in Game 1. Pascal Siakam led the Raptors with 32 points, and Marc Gasol chipped in 20 points of his own in a game in which Leonard only scored 23 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
If the Raptors continue to hit the Warriors from all angles, they will make life easier on Leonard, who will not have to force shots and overwork himself in order to get the victory.
The scoring diversity of the Raptors puts additional pressure on the Warriors defensively since one of their best defenders will always be on Leonard.
Not only does Golden State need to improve on stopping the Raptors' supporting cast in the scoring department, it must also work on its own scoring woes to head back to Oracle Arena with a win in hand.
In Game 1, the Warriors made 12 of their 31 three-point attempts and shot 43.6 percent from the field, which in most games would be good enough numbers. However, the Raptors shot 50.6 percent from the field and made 13 three-point shots to pull off the victory.
Golden State only had three players reach double digits, one of which was Draymond Green, who totaled 10 points.
Eleven different Warriors scored in Game 1, but none of them made a significant impact to support Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Some of that production could come from DeMarcus Cousins if he begins to feel more comfortable on the court after playing eight minutes Thursday. The more realistic option to step up could be Andre Iguodala, who has 11 double-digit performances in the last five NBA Finals.
An improvement in scoring from Green could even be a boost to the Warriors, but it is going to take more than three players to hit double digits to defeat a Raptors team that is firing on all cylinders.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.