SAN FRANCISCO, Fla. — The Boston Celtics tried Kevon Looney seven times in Game 2 of the NBA Finals Sunday.
Jayson Tatum tried to drive past him on the perimeter.
He failed.
Al Horford tried to post up the Warriors’ center and shoot a baby hook over him.
He missed.
Daniel Theis tried to shoot a 3-pointer in his face.
Clank.
Celtics point guard Marcus Smart had the bright-eyed idea to dribble past Looney and score an easy layup.
Blocked.
In Looney’s 42 defensive possessions in Game 2, he didn’t allow his primary mark to make a basket. In all, the Celtics scored 0.8 points per possession when he was on the floor.
Translation: Looney was spectacular on defense in a game where the Warriors needed to bring it on that end of the floor.
And while Sunday’s performance was special amid a postseason to remember for the Warriors’ seventh-year center, Looney dominating in the paint and leveling the playing field between the longer, stronger Celtics and the Warriors has become a theme of these nascent NBA Finals.
So far in this series, Celtics players have tried Looney 19 times.
They have four made field goals.
In all, Boston shot 12-for-30 when they paid Looney a visit at his office — the paint — in Game 2. It was a huge aspect of the Warriors’ 107-88 blowout win.
But we’re just getting started.
How about this? Celtics shooters are shooting 25 percent worse than their average when attacking Looney through two games.
This, to go with seven “stocks” — that’s blocks and steals combined because NBA scorekeepers can’t ever seem to figure out the difference — has made Looney a dominant force for all of his minutes.
An even better omen for the Warriors? Looney’s offensive awakening — the Loonaisance, if you will — that started in the early rounds of the playoffs has carried into the Finals, too.
How good has Looney been on offense? How does 6-for-6 from the floor in Game 2 play?
Wait, did Looney have a perfect game on Sunday?
Here’s a better question: Where would the Warriors be without the Loon?
The Warriors’ center — their only true center — has proven indispensable this postseason, but it’s a question they might need to ask next season given his play. Looney is a free agent at the end of the season, as his three-year, $14.4 million contract (yes, that’s total) expires.
The Warriors can match any offer and can even give Looney a raise through a couple of different mechanisms, but with luxury tax concerns and what should be a solid external market this offseason, the center’s return to San Francisco will remain in question until he actually re-signs with the Dubs.
In the meantime, the Warriors are happy to continue reaping the benefits of having Looney on the team in the here and now.
Yes, Steph Curry is initiating the offense and drawing defenders, and Draymond Green is bringing the force on the defensive side. But Looney, the perfect role player, is playing a big, well, role on both sides of the floor, turning in unmistakably professional performances in a series where professionalism could well prove to be the difference between these two teams.
Like any good role player, Looney was aggressively deferential to the Warriors’ star player in his post-game news conference.
But here’s how you know Looney is a one-of-one in this league: Despite his possibly perfect game, none of his teammates mentioned him in their post-Game 2 news conference. (I didn’t ask as to not taint the experiment.)
There’s no taking Looney for granted, though.
Warriors fans have recognized it in recent weeks. Those are not “boos” you are hearing echoing through Chase Center — it’s a collective chant of “Loon,” a new addition to the Dubs’ gameday experience.
And on the court, the Warriors would be lost without his interior presence, particularly in Game 2, when they were keen to re-establish themselves as the more physical team in the series.
Looney is arguably the strongest man on the floor, so the effort to physically dominate Boston would’ve gone nowhere without him.
The same will be true in Game 3 on Wednesday, when the Celtics will no doubt try to counterpunch in front of their home crowd.
The perfect player to have in a situation like that is one that will just go about his business with a stoic demeanor and ruthless efficiency.
So, in short, Looney.
