Despite two blistering 30-plus-point performances in the first two games of the NBA Finals, Kevin Durant is still looking forward to the Golden State Warriors putting their full potential together in this series.
The Warriors won Game 1 with an excellent display of discipline at the defensive end, staying home on the Cleveland Cavaliers outside shooters and forcing turnovers while limiting theirs to a playoffs all-time best four turnovers of their own.
Game 2 featured their known outside prowess, making 18 threes through a 42 percent clip, but they turned the ball over a whopping 20 times, but still proved enough for a 19-point win.
“We’re just trying to just stay in the moment,” Durant said in his post-game press conference, per Joe Garza of Yahoo! Sports. “But for the most part we just try to play hard and try to play smart every possession down. Can we do that? We could play hard every possession, but can we play smart? That’s the question sometimes.”
If Golden State can channel their stingy defense with some discipline and efficiency at the offensive end, they can finally see what they are capable of when they're firing in all cylinders.
Thus far, doing one or the other has proved enough to handle a helpless Cavs team that is still searching for those players to help out star LeBron James, who has been carrying the load all postseason long.
Even with an impressive display of offensive firepower, Durant was ultimately praised by the job he did at the defensive end, salvaging a night where Draymond Green dealt with foul trouble.
“I thought that Kev’s defense was unreal, and it was probably the key to the whole game,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “His defense was amazing, and we needed it. Especially with Draymond out [because of foul trouble].”
The Slim Reaper totaled 33 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and five blocks — dominating the game all over the floor and being every bit of the two-way superstar the Warriors expected him to be.
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