The Golden State Warriors clawed their way to a Game 2 road win in the NBA Finals, knotting affairs at 1-1 with the Toronto Raptors, but limping their way to escape Scotiabank Arena with a 109-104 victory. While the result plays in their favor, bodies are dropping precipitously after two key players were injured and remained out for the game, raising the question: will the defending champions have enough to limp their way to their third straight title?

These are five interesting points to take away from Game 2.

The proverbial third quarter

If the Warriors are to go down as one of the select few dynasties in NBA history, they will undoubtedly be one renowned for their incandescent third-quarter runs — putting up a further example on Sunday, as they cracked the Raptors with an 18-0 run to start the period.

Including a pair of late first half free throws, the Warriors scored 20 uncontested points to drastically swing the momentum of the game, quickly mounting a 13-point lead while keeping the Raptors scoreless until the 5:40 mark of the third quarter.

Golden State has had many of these type quarters, but to have such a perfect storm in an NBA Finals game only speaks to the strength of their core and unmatched ability to flip the switch at a moment's notice, especially when half-time adjustments are made.

It was this run that eventually sealed the game in their favor, and if the Warriors wind up taking control of the series after two game at home, make sure to rewind to this six-minute sequence of masterful defense and free-flowing offense as the run that started it all.

With this Game 2 win, the Warriors have now won a road game in 23 straight playoff series, extending their own playoff record.

Andre Iguodala, Warriors

Protecting his legacy

Andre Iguodala hit the biggest shot of the night with an open left wing 3-pointer to put the Warriors up five with 5.9 seconds left, one that would eventually seal the Warriors' victory in regulation.

In a desperate high trap situation, it was Shaun Livingston who had perhaps the most non-shooting vital play of the game, catching a poor-guided pass and keeping it from Kawhi Leonard's mitts, then firing a sure-handed pass to Iguodala for the clutch uncontested three.

After the game, Iguodala was quick to acknowledge he's playing through these NBA Finals visibly hurt to be a pillar of strength for his teammate, Stephen Curry.

“I like Steph,” said Iguodala. “He's a good dude. Good guy to be around. That's really the only reason why I like playing basketball. That's the only way I'll play.”

“I've never seen such a good person get such backlash from his peers, because they're so jealous of what he has. So this is kind of sticking it back to them. I'm trying to do whatever it takes to protect his legacy. I'm all for it.”

Iguodala has been clearly laboring through this series and has now very visibly coming up lame in his last three games, dating back to Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, where the infamous flip of the bird took place.

However, Curry has done some of the heavy lifting to prove he's worthy of this stage. After starting the game a horrid 0-for-6 (only four points in the first quarter), Curry went on to bury his next four shots, including two 3-pointers, finishing the half with a respectable 16 points.

Curry was light-headed and was dealing with dehydration upon starting the game, according to head coach Steve Kerr, hence his somewhat low-energy play in the first quarter (took only three shots).

The Warriors' star snapped a streak of six straight games scoring 30 or more, scuffing his way to 23 points on 6-of-17 shooting from the field, yet coming out on top in Game 2 gives him a huge opportunity to earn his much-eluded Finals MVP with two strong performances at home, which could ultimately validate his efforts in the NBA Finals.

Klay Thompson, Warriors

Klay Thompson's key first half

As much as the defending champions missed Klay Thompson's contributions at both ends of the floor after his sudden injury in the early portion of the fourth quarter, it was his first-half attack that kept the Warriors in the game through Stephen Curry's struggles.

As it is, this team has a thin margin for error, relying on both backcourt stars to have big games to pull one off on the road — yet it was Thompson who kept Golden State afloat until Curry made his first shot with 3:53 left in the second quarter.

Curry had made at least one field goal in each half of his 23 NBA Finals appearances, but that streak seemed to soon come to an end as the clock wound down.

Thompson scored the first nine points of the game and kept it going, finishing the half with 18 points.

The 6-foot-7 shooting guard has stepped up to the plate and carried the load admirably when he has had to, not only forced to create for himself, but also split time guarding Kawhi Leonard, one of the toughest covers in the league.

The Warriors moved the ball all game long, assisting on 34 of their 38 made field goals on Sunday (89.4%). They had posted an assist percentage better than 85% only once in playoff history — Thursday's Game 1.

That 89.4% assist percentage is the third-highest in any game in franchise history, the second-highest under coach Steve Kerr, and the highest in Warriors' playoff history.

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The Boogie game

DeMarcus Cousins didn't show much upon his return to the court in Game 1, playing only eight minutes after sitting out for six weeks after suffering a torn quad. Steve Kerr's decision to start him for Game 2 seemed like a way to keep a trusty cog in Kevon Looney in the same role with the second unit, but the need for bodies ultimately made him indispensable.

Cousins picked up two early fouls in the opening two minutes of the game, and he would eventually be forced to flirt with foul trouble after Looney went down in the first half.

Cousins played 28 vital minutes, putting up 11 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks against the Raptors — but most importantly, he gave the Warriors a much-needed stabilizing presence on defense when they needed him the most.

The big man played a pivotal role being the last line of defense in that key third quarter run, allowing Draymond Green to roam free and harass players on the perimeter, show on incoming screens, and patrol the weak side with more freedom.

A big body capable of blocking shots, rebounding, and pushing the ball up the court, Cousins' talents were invaluable, especially in extended minutes — minutes no one would have expected from him after he tore his quad in the opening minutes of Game 2 of the Warriors' first-round matchup against the L.A. Clippers.

A limp to the finish line

Only three games away from reaching their third straight title, the Warriors might just have to claw and drag themselves to that point, as the pile of injured bodies just keeps getting bigger.

Put aside Kevin Durant and his impending, yet shockingly frantic return, and Golden State is dealing with even more issues with their depth. Game 2 saw Andre Iguodala go down yet again, this time for the third straight game as he deals with plenty of lower-body wear-and-tear.

Earlier in the game, Kevon Looney suffered a chest contusion and a sprained collarbone after this barreling drive from Kawhi Leonard, which forced him to land awkwardly. While Looney stayed in the game, he put up no field goal attempts in his 10 minutes of floor time, likely as a result of the injury. He was soon declared out for the game following half time.

Adding to the pile of bodies on the infirmary list was Klay Thompson, who came up limping in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter with a hamstring issue.

Thompson was limping badly after leaving the game and would not return for the remainder of Game 2. Forever the optimist, Thompson expects to be ready to play in Game 3.

“Klay said he'll be fine,” said coach Steve Kerr after the game. “But Klay could be half dead and he'd say he's fine. We'll see. He pulled his hamstring. Said it's minor.”

Thompson has an iron man reputation, somehow finding his way back to the court inexplicably after sustaining significant injuries. He has yet to miss a game in the postseason, but it remains to be seen if he will indeed be ready for Wednesday's tilt in the Bay Area.

With a slew of bodies in questionable shape, Kevin Durant's return looks all the more pressing in this instance. Kerr said that it's likely the Warriors' leading scorer could need only one successful practice before returning to the floor, but it's unlikely that the coach will thrust him for the 40-plus minutes he was playing against the Houston Rockets.

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Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether the Warriors can limp to the finish line and make the most of their remaining healthy bodies to carry them to a title. While KD's return would surely ameliorate some of the concerns, this is the unfortunate downside of making deep runs in five straight postseasons and keeping the same core, as bodies have worn down over time and forced them to claw their way to a three-peat.