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Tuesday evening was a busy night for the NBA. All non-playoff teams were paying close attention to the NBA Draft Lottery with a few playoff teams in the running as well. And Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals was right after.
It proved to be a more eventful Draft Lottery.
Warriors Thrash Spurs
Golden State made a thunderous comeback after Kawhi Leonard got hurt in Game 1 to beat San Antonio. In Game 2, without Leonard, the Spurs simply could not keep up with the Warriors as they won, 136-100.
Steph Curry led the way for Golden State, finishing with 29 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds. The two-time reigning MVP was 8-13 from the field and an impressive 6-9 from beyond the arc.
The Warriors as a whole came out with a sense of urgency to get out ahead early against the Leonard-less Spurs. Once again, they finished with over 30 assists in the game and were 18 for 37 from three as a unit.
Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson finished in double figures. Three bench players also finished with double figures in Patrick McCaw, Shaun Livingston, and Ian Clark. Understandably so, Golden State finished with a season-high 63 bench points as their starters barely sniffed the floor in the second half.
No Kawhi, Big Problem
Spurs head coach Greg Popovich didn’t want his team to feel sorry for themselves after losing Leonard in Game 1. They should though.
After being challenged by their head coach to come out strong against the Warriors in Game 2, the Spurs did the exact opposite.
San Antonio attempted 100 shots in the game, 11 more than Golden State, and they lost by 36 points. LaMarcus Aldridge, their Game 2 centerpiece with no Leonard, only had eight points and four rebounds.
If the Spurs want to get back in the series, they either need to step up without their star player or hope to get him back.
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NBA Draft Lottery
Before last night’s Game 2, the NBA Draft Lottery took place with three of the biggest franchises in the top of the order.
- Boston (from Brooklyn)
- LA Lakers
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Sacramento
- Orlando
- Minnesota
- New York
- Dallas
- Sacramento (New Orleans)
- Charlotte
- Detroit
- Denver
- Miami
The Lakers were in jeopardy of losing their first round draft pick if they fell out of the top three. Now, they are in prime position to draft Lonzo Ball, a rumored favorite to go to LA. The Celtics entered the night with the best odds to get the top pick and that’s exactly what happened.
Boston acquired the pick from Brooklyn with the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett trade several years ago. Pierce took to Twitter to take credit for Boston’s fortunes.
And look what I leave behind for the Celts on my way out #1 pick😂👌🏾🙏🔥
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) May 17, 2017
Up Next
The NBA Draft will be on June 22. The Western Conference Finals shifts to San Antonio with Golden State up 2-0. The Eastern Conference Finals begins tonight against the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
