The Toronto Raptors lost Game 2 109-104 to the Golden State Warriors.
While the Raptors led for most of the first half, the Warriors exploded in the third quarter, outscoring Toronto 34 to 21.
Thanks to Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors came back in the fourth quarter bringing it to single digits. Danny Green’s three-pointer at 26 seconds remaining made it a two-point game.
On the ensuing possession, Andre Igoudala converted a three-point dagger, sealing the win for the Warriors. It was reminiscent of Igoudala’s 2015 NBA Finals performance, where he won the Finals MVP in the Warriors’ first title of the decade.
IGUODAGGER! pic.twitter.com/ITJGt4yyge
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 3, 2019
It was now a brand-new series, tied at one. Even in defeat, the Raptors showcased a blueprint that propelled them to succeed for the rest of the Finals.
Their team defense.
Midway through the second quarter of Game 2, the Raptors held the Warriors to just nine field goals. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, two of the most prolific shooters in basketball, combined to shoot 11-of-20 from the field in the first half.
Thank the age-old “Box-and-One” defense for limiting the Warriors backcourt. Raptors head coach Nick Nurse introduced this adjustment in Game 1, laying the groundwork for the remainder of the series.
Fred VanVleet guarded Curry, playing man-to-man while the rest of the four players executed a zone defense under the basket. In the 33 possessions that VanVleet defended Curry in Game 1, the Warriors point guard scored just one field goal. Even when Curry did not occupy the ball, VanVleet still chased the two-time Warriors MVP, due to his effectiveness to navigate screens.
“You just got to try to be as physical as you can, slow him down and keep the contest,” VanVleet said. “A guy like that, who is a really good shooter against contest, you can’t give him free looks and let him feel free and easy.”
In the final 5:39 of the fourth quarter before Igoudala’s clutch three, the Warriors did not score. Curry was once again dealing with VanVleet’s “Box-and-One” defense.
The result: Curry shooting 0-for-0 from the field during that stretch.

“In ninth grade, a team played one against me,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said on the “Box-and-One” defense. “Very proud to announce that. I had a box-and-one, just like Steph. So janky defenses have been going on for a long time.”
What Kerr calls “janky” is “conventional” to Coach Nurse.
Whether it’s a “Box-and-One” or other innovative defensive adjustments, Nurse will coach with courage, doing what it takes to win.
Despite the Raptors falling in Game 2, their defense showed the potential to wreak havoc on a Warriors team, not used to this physicality.