By The Numbers: Green a constant for Golden State

Kevin Durant hasn’t played yet this series. Klay Thompson left Game 2 injured in the fourth quarter and didn’t return. Kevon Looney also left early and is out indefinitely. Even Steph Curry didn’t look 100 per cent at times.

But one of Golden State biggest constants during the Finals – and the playoffs as a whole – has been Draymond Green.

Green finished one assist shy of a triple-double in Game 2 (17 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists) as the Warriors defeated Toronto 109-104 to even the series at one game apiece. That snapped Green’s streak of three straight triple-doubles dating back to the Western Conference Final. He’s one of three players to accomplish the feat in the postseason, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Russell Westbrook.

His five triple-doubles during the playoffs – the highest single-year total in Warriors’ history – are the most since Magic Johnson had five for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. Green is also the eighth player in NBA Finals history to record multiple triple-doubles. The others? LeBron James (10), Magic Johnson (eight), Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Walt Frazier and Bill Russell (all with two apiece). 

He’s taken his game to another level during the playoffs, increasing his scoring average by 6.2 points per game and has raised his shooting percentage from 44.5 per cent to 50.5. He’s also bumped his per-game average in rebounds, blocks, steals and free-throw percentage.

But it isn’t just his offence. Green came up huge on the defensive end in Game 2, holding Pascal Siakam in check after a team-high 32-point performance in the opening game of the Finals.

Siakam went 0-for-6 from the field when guarded by Green Sunday and scored just 12 points on the night despite seeing a game-high 40:56 of action. Green also has a league-high 56 deflections this postseason and has led the NBA in each of the past two playoffs.

His playmaking has been front and centre as well. The 29-year-old has created 267 assist opportunities this postseason, the most in the NBA and third-most over the last three years in the playoffs. The Warriors are shooting 56 per cent off his passes during these playoffs, compared to their team total of 49.1 per cent during the regular season.

Needless to say, Game 3 in a series tied 1-1 goes a long way toward determining the champion. With the series even at one game apiece, teams that win Game 3s go on to win the championship 81.6 per cent of the time (31-7).

A key for the Raptors will be finding a way to slow the Warriors in the third quarter. They did it in Game 1, but Golden State’s 20-0 run spanning the second and third quarters in Game 2 was the longest run in an NBA Finals game since the 1976-77 merger according to ELIAS. The previous record in that span was a 19-0 run by the San Antonio Spurs against the New Jersey Nets in Game 6 of the 2003 Finals.

Their 18-0 run to start the third quarter was the longest to begin any half in a Finals game since the merger. That run ended up being the difference as the Raptors entered Game 2 with a 56-5 record when leading at the half this season, which was the best record in the NBA.

Game 3 will go Wednesday night from Oracle Arena in Oakland.