Kevin Durant had 25 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, Stephen Curry had 23 points, and Draymond Green had 21 to help push the Golden State Warriors past the Utah Jazz in game two of their second round series.
Gordon Hayward did as best he could in this one, and after starting out 1 for 5 from the floor he quickly gained the hot hand and would finish with 33 points. Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 16 rebounds before he fouled out in the fourth quarter. Shelvin Mack came into the starting rotation as George Hill was out with a sore big toe. Mack had 14 points in his place.
Positives for Utah
It's easy to critique a team who just lost, but let's look at some positives from this Utah Jazz team. For one, the game was a lot closer than before. A Rodney Hood three-pointer pushed the game into less than a 10-point lead by Golden State, and although they couldn't get any closer than that, the team is making positive steps forward. Their transition defense was a lot better than in game one. The Warriors had 19 fast break points but the Jazz got out and moving more often and they had 18 fast break points.
Gordon Hayward found his stroke. This is crucial for any future games that they need someone to step up. Hayward struggled in game one and struggled in the beginning of game two, but would find a rhythm and end up leading all scorers.
Positives for Golden State
Where do you start with this team? The Warriors have been flat-out dominant in these first six games of the playoffs. Their ball movement has been incredible, as they assisted on 33 of their 42 shots. They are shooting well from beyond the three-point line and free throw line. They made 14 threes in game two and shot 45 percent.
What the Warriors are doing is starting to get to the point where the public is numb to it. Almost like how LeBron James should win MVP every year, but the majority of people are numb to his dominance so they give it to others. The Warriors are setting a standard and a high one at that on how basketball can be played at a fun and high level.
Of course, everyone loves the deep pull-up three-pointers by Steph Curry and the alley oops but their ability to just work the ball around and get paint touches into kick-outs is spectacular. Other teams are trying to mimic this and even the Jazz to an extent but the Warriors have the best balance. They've got guys who can shoot and are unselfish, and they've got incredible talents and four all-stars.
Game three will be played on Saturday at 8:30 PM EST.
