All it took was two minutes. The Warriors and Thunder were playing a normal, competitive game, then they weren't. Stephen Curry got hot for two minutes and that was all it took as Golden State rolled away to a 118-91 victory in Game 2 on Wednesday night.
NBA playoff scores 2016: Stephen Curry’s 2-minute takeover sinks the Thunder
OKC couldn’t contain Steph all night long.
The series is now tied, 1-1, and it’s because of a close game that Curry turned into a blowout.
The MVP finished Game 2 with 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting in 30 minutes, but it’s what he did for a brief stretch in the third quarter that left a real mark. The Thunder were never going to shake the shell shock after Curry torched them for 15 points in 1 minute and 58 seconds, an incredible run that put the Warriors up by 20.
You know you’re in trouble when Steph stops watching his shots go in (and of course this one went in):
One of the big successes for the Thunder in Game 1 was keeping Curry largely under wraps. He nearly had a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, but he shot just 9-of-22 and never quite put together the kind of dominant stretch that defines his game. For OKC, preventing those hot streaks is key to avoiding big deficits and forcing the Warriors to work harder for every bucket. When OKC can limit the Warriors’ flow and drain their energy on both ends, like it did in Game 1, it can win.
But Curry remains a core variable that Oklahoma City will never be able to fully tame. In fact, the Thunder have done a pretty solid job of containing the star guard for much of the first two games. It’s just that the margin for error with Curry is so small, and when you leave even the smallest opening, you can find yourself giving up 15 points before you’ve even gotten a handle on things. And really, there are only so many adjustments you can make to stop a guy from hitting contested three-pointers off the pick-and-roll.
This was far from Curry's greatest effort, but for a couple minutes in the third quarter, we got the premium experience with all the bells and whistles. And Curry's best two minutes tend to top what a good majority of players can offer in a whole game. Only two players -- Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, no less -- topped the 15 points that Curry had in his best two minutes.
In many ways, this night was very normal. Steph’s box score looks unremarkable (at least for him) and the Warriors won another lopsided game. And yet, in the aftermath of Game 1, and in the way he took over for two minutes, Curry made sure his impression was left. The best stars always bring the theatrics, and with the MVP, they’re worth watching even if they come and go.
2 other things
Serge Ibaka needs to produce
There's been a lot of talk about the breakouts of Steven Adams and Enes Kanter, but the Thunder's other prominent big man is struggling. Ibaka had just three points on 1-of-6 shooting in Game 2 and continues to be absent offensively when he could be a key source of secondary scoring. The lack of production continues to be a worrisome trend for Ibaka, who struggled to close out the San Antonio series, too.
Over the past five games, he's averaged just 6.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in over 31 minutes a night. He's failed to draw a free throw in seven of the past eight games, which is almost unthinkable for a player of his size and role. That's never been his game, but a more productive Ibaka on the offensive end would be huge for the Thunder given his defensive versatility. Right now, he's just not showing confidence on that end of the floor, and OKC is going to have to find some ways to try to get him going a bit more.
Steven Adams’ hex didn’t work
The Thunder big man tried to conjure the power of dark magic in order to take a 2-0 lead over Golden State. Tried.
Unfortunately, he failed to remember that Steph practices some magic of his own. Or maybe he just didn’t wiggle his fingers hard enough.
Play of the night
THAT SPIN IS MAKIN' ME DIZZY. Amazing layup by Andre Iguodala.
1 fun thing
Scores
Warriors 118, Thunder 91 (SB Nation recap | Golden State of Mind recap | Welcome To Loud City recap)
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The Warriors’ deadliest play
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