Game 1 between the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors was very intense, as the Spurs jumped out to a 25-point lead but blew it after Kawhi Leonard went down with an ankle injury and did not return. The Warriors escaped with an 113-111 win and come into Game 2 with all the momentum.
Injury report
The biggest factor in Game 2 is going to be the injury report, mainly for the Spurs. While Tony Parker is out for the season, Kawhi Leonard is doubtful to play due to his ankle injury suffered in Game 1. The Spurs showed their ability to win a playoff game on the road in Houston the last series without Leonard, but they are going against the hard-hitting Warriors and will probably have trouble beating them without their star player.
For the Warriors, they may be without key reserve Andre Iguodala, who is nursing a sore knee that kept him out of the second half in Game 1. Iguodala is officially listed as questionable, and his status will possibly be updated closer to game-time.
LaMarcus Aldridge will need to have a monstrous game
For the Spurs to have any chance of winning, LaMarcus Aldridge must have an enormous game. He would probably need to score about 30 to 35 points and grab over ten rebounds to keep his team afloat. In Game 6 against the Houston Rockets, Aldridge delivered with 34 points and 12 rebounds when Leonard sat out. Another performance of that sort is definitely needed for the Spurs.
Klay Thompson will play better
Klay Thompson had a horrible Game 1 offensively, scoring six points on 2-of-11 shooting. In Game 2, you can expect him to play much better, shoot more efficiently. Thompson was essentially missing good looks that he usually makes. That won’t be the case much longer. When Thompson is playing at a high level as well, the Warriors are nearly impossible to stop because teams don’t know who to leave open.
They simply become an extremely deadly team, with very little offensive flaws.
Role players for San Antonio
Without Leonard, Aldridge is going to become the focal point of San Antonio’s offense, but he is going to need a lot of resistance from the other guys. Patty Mills, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, and Jonathon Simmons must step to the occasion.
Gregg Popovich has plenty of trust in his role players and is not afraid to dig deep into his bench to find guys that would flourish in pressure situations. Dejounte Murray has shown plenty of promise, while Kyle Anderson, who should get more minutes in Game 2, is capable of handling heavy minutes. It’s going to be all about the role players for San Antonio since they are missing two starters.
Game 2 is set to tipoff at 9 pm Eastern Time on ESPN and will be at the Oracle Arena. It should be another entertaining contest, although without Leonard the Spurs may have trouble staying within striking distance.
