Warriors vs. Jazz: Game 2 Takeaways

Looking to even the series at one a piece, the Utah Jazz were no match for the Golden State Warriors, as they continue to prove they are primed to win it all

The Golden State Warriors look ready for a deep playoff run and a shot at becoming NBA champions once again. The Warriors handled small Utah Jazz runs to take a commanding 2-0 series lead as they head to Utah, looking to put the series out of reach.

In a game where the stat sheet was relatively even, it was a game of runs that put Golden State on top.

The first quarter was once again a slow start for the Jazz as they shot 5-18 from the field and 3-10 from downtown. The Warriors cruised to 33 first quarter points as they were up a comfortable 18 points after the first 12 minutes.

More from Sir Charles In Charge

• LeBron James working to assemble super team for USA Basketball in 2024
• Dillon Brooks proved his value to Houston Rockets in the 2023 FIBA World Cup
• NBA Trade Rumors: 1 Player from each team most likely to be traded in-season
• Golden State Warriors: Buy or sell Chris Paul being a day 1 starter
• Does Christian Wood make the Los Angeles Lakers a legit contender?

Utah shook of the first quarter shock nicely as they outscored the Warriors in the 2nd quarter, however, were still down by 13 at the half.

A better defensive effort in the third quarter by Utah and an impressive Gordon Hayward performance kept the Jazz from getting blown out immediately in the second half. The Warriors just couldn’t pull away completely as Utah had two small third quarter runs to close the gap on Golden State’s lead.

Early into the third quarter the Jazz were able to reduce the Warrior’s lead to seven. A run lead by Kevin Durant gave the Warriors another double-digit lead as they went to the final quarter.

A quiet fourth quarter ended the hopes of the Jazz making a comeback once again only hitting seven shots in the entire quarter. The Warriors weren’t any more impressive as they only made six buckets. Kevin Durant scored 10 of his 12 fourth quarter points from the free throw line. In the end, the Warriors were too much for the Jazz, ending the game winning 115-104 and taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

Game Takeaways

• Warriors shot 49.6 from the field while the Jazz shot 45.2%
• Warriors made 14 shots from downtown, topping Utah’s 12 made 3’s
• Warriors won the board battle 50-46, after Utah took Game 1
• Jazz only had 19 assists, trumped by Golden State’s 33
• Both teams went to the stripe 20 times
• Fast break points were close at Warriors 19 and Jazz 18
• Points in the paint were even at 42
• Utah won the turnover battle committing 15 to Warriors 17
• Bench scoring was tied 30-30

Golden State Takeaways

• Draymond Green lead the way, hitting 5 3-PT (all in the first half), filling the box score with 21 Pts, 7 Rebs, 6 Asts, and 4 Stls
• Kevin Durant lead the team in scoring (25), rebounds (11) and assists (tied with Curry at 7)
• Durant hit 13 of 15 from the free-throw line
• Hit 14 shots from downtown (10 from Green and Curry)
• Zaza Pachulia logged only 9 minutes and Andre Iguodala logged 34 mintues
• Green left the game in the 4th after slight knee tweak
• Now 6-0 in the playoffs, a new franchise record for postseason winning streak

Utah Takeaways

• Starting point guard George Hill missed the game with a sore left toe
• Shelvin Mack started in Hill’s place
• Gordon Hayward bounced from a poor Game 1, scoring 33 in Game 2 on 11-21 shooting
• Rudy Gobert lead on the glass with 16 boards
• Utah overcame a 0-2 deficit against Houston in first round of the 2007 Playoffs

Must Read: What Should The Chicago Bulls Do This Summer?

The series now heads to Utah with the Warriors up 2-0. Utah was 29-12 this season in Salt Lake City, however, did lose the one matchup to the Warriors at home. Game 3 tips off Saturday, where the fans should be loud and the nightlife should be…average