Stephen Curry, who said he lost sleep after the Golden State Warriors' Game 1 collapse, can toss and turn less when he goes to bed Sunday night following the Warriors' 107-88 win in Game 2 of the 2022 NBA Finals.
Coming off a 34-point outing in Game 1, Curry once again showcased his devastating combination of long-range marksmanship and constant motion,
allying 29 points on 9-for-21 shooting from the field, 6-for-7 from the foul stripe and 5-for-12 from behind the 3-point line.
While it wasn't his most efficient game, Curry eluded a typically strong Boston Celtics defense in the half court. His handle and step-back off the dribble were well-tuned, and he initiated an unusual number of the conventional pick-and-rolls the Warriors generally forgo.
As has been tradition in their eight-season run, the Warriors staged their most vigorous rally in the third quarter, outscoring the Celtics 35-14, their best point differential in any Finals quarter in franchise history.
Whether it was a regression to the mean, the Celtics couldn't match their historic 21-for-41 performance -- including the eye-popping 9-for-12 fourth-quarter output that ignited their comeback in Game 1 -- from 3-point range, though they still shot at a healthy 40.5% clip.
The Celtics generated more turnovers (5) than successful field goals (4) in the third quarter. With more than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the Celtics trailing by 29 points, Boston coach Ime Udoka emptied his bench.
Though turnovers have long been an Achilles' heel of the Warriors, it was Boston that was infected in Game 2 by the turnover bug. Careless half-court passes plagued the Celtics, particularly in the first half,
Game 2 will not be placed in the Warriors' time capsule beneath one of the 32 private wine cellars at Chase Center. Their patented elegant offense appeared at times ordinary.
Fortunately, the Warriors' defense provided the margin in the win. If Golden State struggled with its accuracy at the rim, the Celtics didn't even show up.