Warriors vs. Raptors, Game 2: Trying to even up the NBA Finals

The Warriors will look to bounce back from their Game 1 loss to the Raptors.

It’s easy to lose perspective after a loss in a high stakes situation like Game 1 of the NBA Finals, especially during an up and down season in which the Golden State Warriors’ focus has wavered.

Although it should be obvious to Warriors fans that a title is not guaranteed after the first game of the NBA Finals, it’s really hard not to see this game as valuable not only for maintaining pace but also for taking home court advantage away from the Toronto Raptors. Thankfully, we have the wisdom of five NBA Finals’ worth of Klay Thompson to keep us grounded.

Of course, the Warriors will have to do something different to get themselves headed toward four wins in the 2019 NBA Finals. Kevin Durant’s return seems to still be up in the air, which means they will have to gain a foothold in this series without the help of one of the league’s most lethal weapons. So that leaves the starting lineup as the next most obvious change that the Warriors can make, even though Steve Kerr has said starters don’t matter that much.

While Andre Iguodala will definitely start again, the question has been whether Jordan Bell would. But he entered the arena rocking a Ducks hockey jersey so maybe that’s all that really matters.

In any event, let’s hope it goes a little bit better tonight than it did in Game 1.