The heartbeat of the Warriors leads the charge in game 2

The beat does not stop for the Warriors, who took a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals on Sunday with a dominant 110-77 win over the Cavaliers.

The game was lead by a revitalized Draymond Green, who was knocking down three's like Steph Curry. The Warriors took advantage of a lackluster Cavaliers defense that had no answer for the defending champs.

"The way they're guarding us, Draymond is open a lot," said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr in a postgame interview. "So he becomes our safety valve when there's pressure (...) good situation for him."

Cavaliers forward Lebron James was held in check offensively by the Warriors, scoring zero points in the first quarter and finishing with only 19 for the game.

The splash brothers Curry and Klay Thompson had a much better game and combined for 35 points.

The game came down to the ball handling skills of the Warriors over the Cavaliers. The Warriors kept moving the ball around on offense, always finding the open shooter. The Cavaliers had trouble moving the ball around the Warriors defense, committing 17 turnovers.

In the beginning of the game the Cavaliers came out firing, pushing the Warriors defense off and hitting constant mid range jumpers. But the Warriors ability to score on second chance opportunities on the offensive end kept them close.

Infographic by Kavin Mistry

However, despite the Warriors success on offense, Curry fell into foul trouble early and the Cavaliers looked to capitalize. Green did not let them. He filled in shooting the lid off the basket, finishing the game with 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

“Steph was on the bench in foul trouble and someone has to step up,” said Green in a postgame interview. “I don’t look at that situation and think ‘oh I need to take over offensively,’ but the shots were coming my way.”

The Warriors hit their offense stride in the second quarter after the Cavaliers went up by four, the Warriors countered with a 17-2 run to push ahead for good.

“We really stayed poised,” Green said. “We were up for a minute and then they went on that run, but everybody kept their poise and we continued to trust the offense.”

Cleveland had no answer from there. The combination of beautiful passing by the Warriors and inability to find any consistency on the offensive end, the Cavaliers kept falling further into a hole.

“They will play with a little more energy,” said Thompson in a postgame interview. “It’s natural when you go home, they might go big, but we will be prepared. I am just happy with the way we battled tonight.”

The Warriors pushed the lead to 20 at the end of the third quarter before slamming the door on the night in game 2.

"We know things will change when we go to Cleveland," Kerr said. "We know it won't be easy."

Golden State outscored Cleveland 58-33 in the second half.

"The only thing we did tonight was defend home court," Green said. "At the end of the day, it counts as one win."

All of the Warriors players said postgame that this game was only one and there is still a lot of work still in front of them if they want to win it all.

"We still have a lot of work to do," said Warriors center Andrew Bogut in a postgame interview.

Donskoi finishes off a thriller in OT

With 7:42 left in overtime, Sharks forward Joonas Donskoi sniped a turnaround wrist shot through two Penguins defensemen to get San Jose back into the series.

The Sharks snapped their winless drought in postseason overtime games with a key win at home. This Sharks avoided falling into a 3-0 hole against the Penguins.

Donskoi, to many an unlikely source of offense has been a huge part of the Sharks resurgence this season and postseason. He had a slew of chances throughout the game but was finally able to cap it off and send all the San Jose fans home happy.

Infographic by Kavin Mistry

“I think that I have had a lot of scoring chances throughout the whole finals and this was a good time to get one,” said Sharks forward Joonas Donskoi in a postgame interview.

The Sharks have now put themselves back into the series and now have a chance to tie it up before heading back to Pittsburgh for game 5.

“We feel good about ourselves,” said Sharks forward Joe Thornton in a postgame interview. “We got some real good chances, when we got the chances we really made them count.”

The Sharks started the night off to another rocky start. From the start the Penguins forwards were applying their fast paced game plan and an untimely turnover led to Pittsburgh striking first.

The Sharks found themselves in a familiar spot, having fell behind in the first two games in Pittsburgh. However this time they found the counterpunch.

Sharks defenseman Justin Braun blasted a slap shot from above the circle past a screened Penguins goalie Matt Murray who didn’t move before the shot hit the back of the net. Braun has now scored for the Sharks in back to back games, both coming when the team needed a spark.

“Just get the puck on the net, I’m not really looking for much more,” Braun said in a postgame interview. “We really wanted to put them in a more vulnerable position, that way we can push them back.”

Penguins forward, Patric Hornqvist, broke the tie in the second period on an unlucky break for Sharks goalie, Martin Jones, when he put it past the Sharks defense with under a minute to go in the period.  

The Sharks looked for the counter in the third and got it on the power play. Forward Joel Ward ripped a slapshot from the slot past Matt Murray that stunned the Penguins and the crowd.

“That was big, and we were pushing,” said Sharks captain Joe Pavelski in a postgame interview. “You see him wind up and it was great to get that goal.”

“Different guys have been scoring goals and Ward got that big second goal,” said Sharks forward Joe Thornton in a postgame interview. “We liked our game and we played our game tonight.”

The teams exchanged back and forth opportunities in the final 10 minutes of the third, but both came up empty. The game headed to overtime and Sharks fans held their breath. The Sharks came into the game 0-4 in overtime this postseason and lost a heartbreaker in game 2 in overtime.

“We have always felt good and we are always upbeat,” Ward said. “It was pretty chill and relaxed, we knew that we had to come out hard and play our game.”

Through the first 10 minutes of overtime both teams exchanged glorious chances to score but were just short of getting the puck past the goalies, until Donskoi became the hero for the Sharks and scored the game winning goal.

“They got a few good looks in overtime, but then Donskoi got the big goal,” said Sharks forward Logan Couture in a postgame interview. “I saw the puck go into the net and I tried to jump off the bench as fast as possible, ... It was a huge goal for us and it came at the best time.”

Jones came up with another stellar night in goal for the Sharks, continuing his incredible run in net this postseason.

“I just feel so much relief,” Jones said in a postgame interview. “We have put in a lot of work, everybody knows what’s at stake.”

The Sharks will look to tie the series in game 4 on Monday from SAP Center in San Jose.

“I think this was the best game by us so far,” Donskoi said. “A great effort by the whole team and we got a lot of scoring chances and it felt great for the team.”

Warriors bench dominates game 1

Game 1 of the NBA finals featured two of the best players in the game today, Steph Curry and Lebron James. Both stars took a back seat in Oakland on Thursday night.

Curry and Klay Thompson struggled the entire way, only accounting for 20 of the Warriors 104 points. But Golden State’s bench came alive, led by long time veteran Shaun Livingston and the rest of the team’s deep roster.

"Just really proud of the way everyone contributed,” said Curry in a postgame interview. “That's why we're here. Everyone having an impact on the game."

The bench was too much for the Cavaliers in this one, outscoring their bench 45-10. The Warriors leading scorer Livingston (20 points) had the hot hand throughout the game, knocking down tough midrange jumpers with ease.

“Just staying confident in my shot,” said Livingston in a postgame interview. “Staying confident in my game.”

While the splash brothers did struggle in game 1, James had a solid game of 23 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, but it was overshadowed by the Warriors stout bench performance.

"The one thing we always speak on is our depth, the depth of this team,” said Warriors forward Draymond Green. “And that showed tonight."

The beginning of the game gave Warriors fans a glimpse of what they saw against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team was struggling to hit shots and Cavaliers imposing their way into the paint to score points.

This time Golden State was up to the task. Instead of falling behind early and often, the Warriors got clutch performances from Green, Livingston, Andrew Bogut and Leandro Barbosa.

The Warriors lead for most of the game, keeping their offensive tempo high with key shots after playing stout defense. However the Cavaliers did not go away. They kept the game close in the first three quarters before letting the game slip away in the fourth.

A big reason for the Cavaliers struggles were turnovers, they turned the ball over 15 times while the Warriors only committed nine.

Last year’s finals MVP Andre Iguodala was a force for the defending champs off the bench, he pestered James throughout the night and contributed offensively with 12 points and seven boards.

“He’s a brilliant basketball player,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr in a postgame interview. “He does not get enough credit, (...) he always settles us down and knows exactly what is happening.”

Along with the game on the court, there were a few oddities during the game, after a 7-0 run by the Cavaliers, Kerr smashed his clipboard in his hands in frustration.

“Destruction tends to ease some of the anger,” Kerr said. “So I try to take it out on the board instead of a player.”

The Warriors will continue to push the pace in game 2 on Sunday, hoping for better performances from Curry and Thompson.

“We would like to take care of business and head on the road with a 2-0 lead,” Kerr said.

Sharks ousted again in Pittsburgh

The San Jose Sharks chances at ending a magical season with their first championship took another crushing blow Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.

Just 2:35 into overtime, Penguins forward Conor Sheary flipped a wrist shot past Sharks goalie Martin Jones, sinking the Sharks into an 0-2 hole in the best of seven Stanley Cup Final.

The overtime loss was just another heart-wrenching blow for Sharks fans, who have seen their team fall in all four overtime contests this postseason.

“It is what it is, that’s hockey,” said Sharks forward Matt Nieto in a postgame interview. “We are right there with them, we know that one more bounce the other way and we could get some wins.”

The Sharks started off the game slow, similar to game one, but this time it carried through the second period as well. San Jose only managed 11 shots through the first two periods.

“They are good on the forecheck and their back pressure,” said Sharks captain Joe Pavelski in a postgame interview. “We made some soft plays, up the wall and they have done a good job of knocking those down.”

The Sharks lone goal came late in the second period off the stick of defenseman Justin Braun, who buried a wrist shot from boards past Penguins goalie Matt Murray. The shot was aided by a timely screen set by Sharks forward Joel Ward, who blocked Murray’s vision of the puck. The goal came with 4:05 left in the third.

Jones had another strong showing in net for the Sharks, despite giving up the two goals, Jones rose to the occasion several times, making key saves to keep the team in the game.

“He’s playing great, he’s played great,” Nieto said. “No fault on him, he plays his heart out.”

A few players postgame said they are impressed with the goaltending of Jones so far in this series, they just need to turn up the tempo on offense.

“It’s up to us to find more ways to score and not turn the puck over,” said Sharks forward Logan Couture in a postgame interview. “I thought we created some chances there in the last couple minutes to give ourselves a chance to win.”

The Penguins first goal came after a defensive breakdown by the Sharks in the second period, which led to a tip in goal for Penguins forward Phil Kessel into an empty net.

Through two games in this series, the Pittsburgh defense has given San Jose fits in the offensive end, causing quick exits from their zone whenever the Sharks are trying to attack.

“They swarm a lot,” Couture said. “They put five guys in one quadrant and it’s up to us to break it, the biggest thing is you got to move your feet to get out of there.”

Pavelski said the team has not reached its full potential yet and there is still a lot more this team has to prove before this series is over.

“In the first part of the game they had the puck a little more,” Pavelski said. “They had their couple chances and we had ours, ... I think we still have another level.”

The Sharks came into the game 5-1 this postseason in games following a loss, with the only other back to back losses coming in the first two road games of the Nashville series in round two.

“It is important for us to establish our game early,” Nieto said. “It’s our turn to win a few at home.”

The Sharks will look to regroup the next couple days at home before game 3 on Saturday at SAP Center in San Jose.

“It’s a tough building to play in for other teams,” Nieto said. “We are excited to get back there and ‘The Tank’ should be rocking.”

The heart of a champion

Fast forward to Monday, May 30, Thunder forward Kevin Durant looks at the jumbotron in Oracle Arena, Warriors 96, Thunder 88.

The crowd is in hysterics, the Warriors have just reached a goal only achieved by three other teams in the history of basketball, coming back from down three games to one to win a division or conference final series.

The game was won by riding the backs of guards Klay Thompson (6-11) and Curry (7-12), who combined for 13 three pointers and 57 points overall.

“We were not just down 3-1, we got blown out, everything started with game 5,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr postgame. “We reestablished our game. Game 6 was magically, Klay basically put our team on his shoulders.”

The first half was dominated mostly by the Thunder, who controlled the tempo throughout the game, pushing the pace and getting to the Warriors inside. The Thunder outscored the Warriors 22-16 in the paint and outrebounded them 29-24.

However, like in game 6, the Thunder could not separate from the Warriors and held a slim six point lead heading into halftime.

In the second half the Warriors hit their stride offensively. Aided by the Thunder’s inability to grow its lead when it had the chance, the Warriors carried a double-digit lead through the middle of the fourth quarter.

However, the Thunder were not going down without a fight. With 1:40 left in the fourth, Kerr was forced to call a timeout after Durant cut the Warrior lead down to just four points.

“They gave us all that we could handle,” said Warriors guard Shaun Livingston in a postgame interview. “Testing our resilience.”

Curry then answered the bell for the Warriors. He was fouled shooting a three with 1:18 left to play by Serge Ibaka, he nailed all three shots from the line to seal it.

“We knew it was going to be a dogfight,” Curry said in a postgame interview. “For us to overcome that early deficit and claw our way back and the way that we did it, everybody having an impact.”

The Warriors knew before the playoffs that it would not be easy for them to get back to the finals for the second time in a row. In fact, analysts such as Skip Bayless from ESPN counted out the Warriors once they went down 3-1 in this series.

The team knew if they were to reach the pinnacle in back to back seasons they would have to fight the odds and rally together.

“They were counting us out a week ago,” said Warriors center Festus Ezeli in a postgame interview. “If anybody could do it it’s this team, so far we have fought through so many odds to get to this point and we never lost hope and never lost the confidence.”

With the win the Warriors have now defeated the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and the Oklahoma City Thunder enroute to their second NBA Finals in a row.

“This whole playoff run has been a roller coaster ride,” Curry said. “We haven’t lost confidence and every game is played with fearlessness.”

The Warriors will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in a rematch of last year’s NBA Finals, but this year the Cavs will boast a stronger and healthier lineup than a year ago.

“We are now four wins away from our goal and that is a pretty big accomplishment,” Curry said.

For the Thunder, they will head home, facing the task of having to get over blowing a 3-1 series lead they could not finish.

“We are all upset, we wanted to play for a championship,” said Kevin Durant in a postgame interview. “Give credit to them, they came out and played, they won the last three games, so give credit to them.”

Durant, now a free agent, will have to answer the tough questions that lie ahead of a long summer that awaits him and the Thunder back in Oklahoma City.

“I am proud that with all we have been through this season that we were able to get this far,” Durant said.

The Warriors now have a quick turnaround. The team has 48 hours to prepare for game one of the NBA finals which begins Thursday night at Oracle Arena.