TORONTO — The Warriors have a team full of unhealthy All-Stars.
The Warriors’ identity, though, does not just hinge on their star players. It also rests on having a championship fabric that can absorb many tugs without getting ripped.
The Warriors finished with a 109-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, despite nursing varying injuries to Stephen Curry (undisclosed illness), Klay Thompson (left hamstring tightness), Kevon Looney (left chest contusion) and Andre Iguodala (head injury). Oh yeah, and Kevin Durant missed his seventh consecutive game because of a strained right calf.
That left the Warriors encouraged they could tie the series, 1-1, while stealing home-court advantage before returning to Oakland for Game 3 (Wednesday) and Game 4 (Friday). That also leaves the Warriors with plenty of question marks on their health.
Thompson limped off the court with 7:59 left in the game after finishing with 25 points while going 10-of-17 from the field and 4-of-6 from deep. Looney missed the entire second half after colliding earlier with Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard, who had 34 points while going 8-of-20 from the field and 16-of-16 from the free-throw line.
While nursing an undisclosed illness, Curry finished with 23 points while going 6-of-17 from the field and 3-of-10 from deep after missing his first six shots. Iguodala left for the final 3:34 of the first half after his head landed on the floor following a Marc Gasol screen. The Warriors have not determined Durant’s availability for Game 3, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr said it is “feasible” he would only need to practice once before returning. The Warriors practice on Tuesday, leaving the door open for Durant to return in Game 3.
The Warriors surely need it for obvious reasons. Before injuring his right calf against Houston in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on May 8, Durant had averaged a league-leading 34.2 points per game. The Warriors might also have to play Game 3 without Thompson and Looney.
The Warriors prevailed in Game 2, however, mindful they have survived other tests during three NBA title runs in the past four years.
“We have been through everything together,” Kerr said beforehand. “There’s a really strong bond of faith and trust in one another. So the players trust the staff and vice versa. The players trust each other. There’s no finger-pointing.”
Instead, there is problem solving.
After Danny Green made a 3 to cut the Warriors’ lead to two with 26 seconds left, Iguodala answered with his own 3 for a 109-104 lead with 5.9 seconds left. The Warriors outscored the Raptors, 34-21, in the third quarter, punctuated with an 18-0 run. Draymond Green came close toward recording his ninth career triple double and fifth in this postseason with 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. In his second game since returning from a left quadricep injury, DeMarcus Cousins compensated for foul trouble (five) and a poor shooting night (3-of-8) with 11 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and goading the Raptors’ frontcourt into foul trouble.