With a key Game 2 win, the two-time reigning champions stole home-court advantage from the Toronto Raptors.
It was Andre Iguodala's clutch three from the wing that sealed the deal, and while the 18-0 in the third quarter blew the game open, it was their effort on the defensive end that set the tone, according to head coach Steve Kerr.
👌 Andre Iguodala seals the @warriors Game 2 road win in #PhantomCam! #StrengthInNumbers #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/99RZpjkP0j
— NBA (@NBA) June 3, 2019
"Well, I said yesterday and today that 109 points is plenty to win the game, which is what we had in Game 1, but we gave up 118," Kerr said post-game.
"So it was all about our defence and we held them to 37 percent and forced 15 turnovers and guarded the three-point line well. So it was championship defence and that's what it's going to take."
While the Warriors' shooting numbers were nearly identical in both games, the same can't be said for the hosts.
| Raptors' FG% | Raptors' 3P% | Warriors' FG% | Warriors 3P% | |
| Game 1 | 50.6% | 39.4% | 43.6% | 38.7% |
| Game 2 | 37.2% | 28.9% | 46.3% | 38.2% |
Raptors' head coach Nick Nurse believed the Raptors could have been better in their decision making on offence, but did give credit to the Dubs' defence.
"Well, they were obviously a little more aggressive and up in us a little bit, but again I think we have got to -- I thought we were just a little bit impatient and didn't hold enough composure just to either, A, get to a strong shot or, B, move it to the next one," Nurse said post-game.
Although the Raptors did get 34 points from Kawhi Leonard in Game 2 on 8-of-20 shooting, Pascal Siakam struggled to replicate his impressive Game 1 performance, scoring just 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting.
Draymond Green took responsibility for Siakam's breakout performance in Game 1 and despite holding the Raptors forward to 0-of-6 shooting when guarding him in Game 2, he told reporters post-game that it took a team effort on the defensive end to keep him quiet.
"I tried to do my job when I was on him and everybody else stepped in and did their job as well," Green said.
"I think getting back in transition was huge, but overall we threw several different bodies at him. So I can't be up here like, yeah, I took him out of the game. That's garbage. That was a complete team effort."
The Raptors' 104 points in Game 2 is the most they have scored in a loss this postseason, but the Warriors, despite being shorthanded were able to score just enough to win the game.
The defending champions will now carry the home court advantage to Oracle Arena as the series shifts to Oakland for Games 3 & 4.
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