NBA Finals Game 2 Preview: Warriors aim to take a 2-0 lead against the Cavs

There wasn’t a ton of hype going into these NBA Finals as it was what we expected at the beginning of the season. Warriors Cavs part four. Many have grown tired of this matchup wanting something new and refreshing.

Well, if game one was any indication, this NBA Finals still has the same level of drama and tension between the two teams. There may be a larger disparity in level of talent, but the tension is still there.

Game 2 Details

WHAT: Warriors vs. Cavaliers, Game 2

WHEN: Sunday, June 3, 5:00 p.m. PST

WHERE: Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA

WATCH: ABC

LISTEN: 95.7 the Game, ESPN Radio

Enemy Blog: Fear the Sword

Injury update:

Headed into game two, Andre Iguodala is listed as doubtful and is expected to miss his sixth straight game in the playoffs. It’s hard to say whether Iguodala will even return at this point in the postseason.

During game one, Klay Thompson suffered a leg contusion when J.R. Smith thought the game was over slipped and slide tackled Thompson, nearly snapping Klay’s ankle. Thankfully Thompson came back from the locker room fairly quickly and had a big impact in the second half.

Klay Thompson is currently listed as questionable as the pain has seemed to have gotten worse after a few days. If Thompson is unable to go, we might just see Nick Young inserted into that starting lineup.

With Kevon Looney possibly starting at Center and the chance Nick Young starts at shooting guard (if Thompson is unable to go) this may be the first time in NBA Finals history where cousins will be in the starting lineup. For the record, Kevon Looney and Nick Young are first cousins.

Will the Cavs be able to rebound from game one loss?

The Cavs played just about as good as they could have in game one with a historic performance from LeBron James. In the end, it was the supporting cast that led to the Cavs ultimate demise. Headed into game two, the question is who will step up and elevate their game to give the Cavs a chance against the Warriors?

LeBron James will get his and Kevin Love will as well. After that, it’s really just a rag tag team that has to collectively step up. Will J.R. Smith right his wrong and come up big in game two?

Will the loss of Thompson & Iguodala level the playing field against Cleveland?

During the Western Conference Finals, the loss of Iguodala was clearly felt throughout games four and five. Iguodala has functioned as one of the better defenders on LeBron James in past Finals and maybe a key reason why James was able to go off in game one. Without Klay Thompson as well, the Warriors will be missing two of their best defenders as well as a huge part of their offense.

This will really come down to the Warriors ability to limit their turnovers and just continue to play their style of offense. If Cleveland can find a way to force the Warriors offense to become more stagnant and slow down the pace of the game, we might see a tighter than expected affair.

What can we expect in game two?

LeBron James had a historic performance, to expect that two straight games may be a bit much. Game one was their’s to steal and they let it fall through the cracks. The Warriors will come out firing in game two and this might just get ugly. Kevin Durant left a lot to be desired in game one as he continued to resort to isolations late in the game. The Warriors play much better when Curry has control of the offense.

I think we see a more efficient game from Durant especially if Klay Thompson is out the lineup. The Warriors will need Curry and Durant to balance the offense with the Warriors already functioning with a short rotation.

I expect a blowout, but it’s probably because the refs rigged this one too right?

Prediction: Warriors 124 - Cavaliers 96