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Danny Green knows the Toronto Raptors let slip away a golden opportunity to go up 2-0 in the NBA Finals against the defending champion Golden State Warriors, falling victim to an 18-0 storm in the opening minutes of the third quarter that saw them clunk shot after shot, unable to find the net.
“It just seemed like we were kind of sloppy and kind of forgot how to play basketball for a second, playing pickup,” said Green, who included himself in his criticism, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic.
“We have to be more on point, a lot sharper and trusting each other, thinking that we can do it all at once by ourselves, playing hero ball. If we continue to trust the system, I think we’ll be OK.”
The Raptors went away from their free-flowing offense, suffocated by a Warriors' blitzing defense that constantly closed spaces and forced players into the illusion of a good look, soon surrounded by a wave of players challenging the shot.
“I thought we hit an action and something would be there and they would cover it up with some help defense,” said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.
“Well, when there’s help, there’s got to be somebody else probably open on the other side of the floor, and I thought we kind of shot a few too many into multiple defenders or two defenders around the basket, where those probably should have been maybe swung to the other side.”
It was that 18-0 run that ultimately swung the momentum of the game in the Warriors' favor, one they used to hold onto a win despite being decimated by injuries.
The Raptors will have to keep their style of play present in mind during the next two games, or risk going down in the series after having home court advantage snatched from their grip on Sunday.
