Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final is scheduled for Monday between the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, with the Bruins leading 2-1 after their 7-2 rout of the Blues on Saturday. What can we expect in this critical matchup in St. Louis? Here's a little primer in today's Stanley Cup Daily.

Do the Blues have any hope here?

C'mon now, it's a 2-1 series. Remember how you felt after the Bruins' emphatic win after Game 1? And then the Blues came back and won Game 2 in overtime, and it was a brand new series? A split of the first four games of the Final is entirely possible.

Possible or probable?

Probably possible? Look, the reality for the Blues is they've been outscored 13-7 in the series, and an argument can be made that they've been thoroughly outplayed when all things are equal. There have been nine regulation periods in this series. The Blues have held the shot attempt advantage in five of them. But that includes two periods in Game 3 in which the Bruins had a four-goal lead and two periods in Game 2 in which the Bruins had five defensemen. Also concerning: The Bruins have scored five goals in the first period of the past two games. That can't continue to happen.

But the Blues have one big hope for Game 4: Jordan Binnington.

The same Jordan Binnington who was pulled in Game 3?

The same one. It was the first time in his brief NHL career that the rookie sensation was pulled, so no one can be exactly sure how he'll react. But after losses, Binnington has been money: 6-2 with a 1.84 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage in the postseason. If the Blues are going to bounce back in this series, it'll be with that kind of effort.

How hard is Craig Berube working the refs right now?

Beyoncé wishes she worked this hard at a live show. The Blues coach tossed off the idea that his team has played undisciplined hockey in the first three games of the series -- handing the Bruins 14 power plays on which they've scored six goals -- because the Blues aren't really the kind of team that takes penalties.

"We were the least penalized team in the league in the first three rounds, " he said." Now all of a sudden we've taken 14 penalties in one series. So I don't know. I don't buy into all of that, to be honest with you. I think that we could definitely be more composed after the whistle. I think we've let some frustration get in there where we maybe do too much after the whistle. So we'll clean that up, for sure. But like I said, we were the least penalized team in the league coming into this series. I don't agree with all of the calls."

Does he have a point?

At the risk of getting slammed by those who think the NHL is in the tank for Bruins owner and Gary Bettman confidant Jeremy Jacobs ... no. You have to work to earn your power-play chances in the playoffs, and the Blues haven't earned enough of those opportunities with offensive zone time. In Game 3, Berube had only himself to blame for the delay of game penalty born from their failed coach's challenge on Sean Kuraly's first-period goal, which David Pastrnak turned into a 4-0 lead 41 seconds into the second period on the ensuing power play.

It never hurts to work the refs, but we're not sure the Blues have a gripe here. The players, in fact, have been acknowledging that emotions (and the Bruins) are getting the best of them. "We've got to do a better job as a team playing whistle to whistle, playing hard from the whistle to not worrying about the stuff after," center Brayden Schenn said. "I feel like if we can do that, we're effective. If we're worrying about playing hockey and not that extra stuff, we've got to focus on that."

Ryan O'Reilly, meanwhile, was one of the first Blues players to use the F-word when considering the penalties: "fatigue."

How great is this Bruins power play?

Well, considering they scored four goals on four shots in Game 3, we'd say pretty good. Considering they are one of only two teams in Stanley Cup Final history to have a perfect night on the power play with at least four attempts (the other being the 1980 New York Islanders), we'd say historically good.

Why was it so good in Game 3?

Essentially, they stopped trying to force plays and took what the Blues were giving them. That included adding some movement to create seams for players such as point man Torey Krug (who had four points in Game 3) and shifting the power play's "bumper," Patrice Bergeron, from the half wall to higher in the zone, from where he deflected home the team's first goal. Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said the team worked on recovering pucks and supporting players in the attacking zone on the power play, which wasn't happening enough in Games 1 and 2. With these adjustments, a great thing got even better.

Any lineup changes to watch?

Only one for certain, which is the return of Blues fourth-line center (and sorely missed penalty-killer) Oskar Sundqvist after his one-game suspension for an illegal check in Game 2. Defenseman Vince Dunn seems like he's inching closer to a return for the Blues, and injured forward Robert Thomas remains questionable. Berube spoke glowingly of center Zach Sanford's play in Game 3, so he'll be an option.

Finally, what can we expect from the crowd?

Good question. The Blues failed to capitalize on the emotions of the first Stanley Cup Final game in St. Louis since 1970. In fact, after they blew a power-play chance just over three minutes into the game and the Bruins scored on one of their own minutes later, that energy started to change from elation to consternation.

That said, the crowds have been awesome in St. Louis, and this atmosphere will be no different. The Blues just have to do what they can to make sure the game isn't out of reach after 21 minutes this time.

And now, a counterargument from the Honorable Brad Marchand:

"There's a lot of energy in every single building in the NHL. Stanley Cup Final, it's expected, it's been that way the entire playoffs. Vegas has more energy in warm-ups than any team in the entire league. Yeah, it's loud in here, it's fun. It's loud in every building in the playoffs. Again, when you get on the ice, [the fans] mean nothing. It means nothing. You play the game on the ice. They're not out there stopping plays or scoring goals. It's what's played on the ice. That's what we're worried about. We're worried about the team that we're playing. We're worried about our team in here and not how loud the rink is."

India A 269 (Bharat 117, Anmolpreet 65, Lahiru Kumara 4-53, Sandakan 4-64) and 372 (Chahar 84, Bharat 60, Anmolpreet 60, Fernando 3-68, Sandakan 3-87) beat Sri Lanka A 212 (Kamindu 68, Jayant 3-24) and 277 (Rajapaksa 110, Chahar 5-112) by 152 runs

India A completed a resounding 2-0 series rout of Sri Lanka A with a 152-run triumph in Hubli, thanks to legspinner Rahul Chahar's six-wicket match haul and a maiden fifty with the bat. Chahar's efforts were complemented ably by KS Bharat and Anmolpreet Singh, who contributed significantly with the bat in both innings.

Sri Lanka A lost the toss for the second time in the series, but resisted India's onslaught for longer than they had done in the first match that had lasted three days. In Hubli, the hosts were bowled out for 269 - of which wicketkeeper-batsman KS Bharat made 117 - thanks to Lahiru Kumara and Lakshan Sandakan, who picked 4 for 53 and 4 for 64 respectively. Tottering at 64 for 3, India A's innings found resuscitation through Bharat and Anmolpreet's 91-run stand. Anmolpreet chipped in with a knock of 65, studded with six fours and two sixes.

In reply, the visitors conceded a 57-run deficit as no other batsman, apart from No. 7 Kamindu Mendis, made a half-century. Mendis' 68 helped his side scrape to 212 as all six India A bowlers took at least a wicket each. Offspinner Jayant Yadav was the pick of them with 3 for 24 from his 12 overs while Sandeep Warrier and Shivam Dube took two apiece.

India A put on a more convincing show with the bat in their second dig, with the middle-order trio of Anmolpreet (60), Siddhesh Lad (53) and Bharat (60) leading the way. The 123-run eighth-wicket stand between Rahul Chahar and Jayant then built on this platform, taking India A past 350. Chahar hit a 109-ball 84 for his maiden first-class fifty, while Jayant made 53, having been dismissed for single-digit scores in the preceding three innings. The pair fell in a span of nine balls, but their partnership ensured India A amassed 372 to set Sri Lanka A a target of 430.

A score of 277 in 66.4 overs was all the tourists could get, despite Bhanuka Rajapaksa's rapid 110 at No 3 - his seventh first-class ton - and an enterprising 46 from Kamindu. Chahar played a big role in their undoing, snaffling 5 for 112, his sixth five-wicket haul at this level.

Welcome to ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of the match between England and Pakistan at Trent Bridge, we will keep you up to speed with all the relevant stats, graphics and chat as the day unfolds. (Don't worry, we still have regular ball-by-ball commentary, too.) If the blog doesn't appear, please refresh the page.

HAGERSVILLE, Ontario — For Andrew Ranger, it was weekend of dominance.

The NASCAR Pinty’s Series winningest driver scored his 25th pole Saturday before dominating the rain-delayed APC 200 at Jukasa Motor Speedway. The 32-year-old driver from Roxton Pond, Quebec, led a race-high 82 laps, extending his series-leading win total to 25.

Ranger took his No.27 MOPAR/ Pennzoil Dodge to the lead on Lap 122, passing Peter Shepherd III. After surviving two late restarts, Ranger held off a hard charging Kevin Lacroix in overtime to claim his first win since Toronto in 2018.

“You know, we were a top 10 driver that could win here so I was definitely nervous,” Ranger said. “But again, we decided to do the restart on the inside and it worked pretty good for us and we exit here with a nice win.”

Last year’s race winner Kevin Lacroix used the late restart to his advantage to claim the runner-up spot. The finishing order was reversed from the season-opening race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, where Lacroix held off Ranger.

“The car is always good on long runs and we were hoping for the same today and that’s what happened,” Lacroix said. “We were able to have a good race and put the Bumper to Bumper car in second place and that’s good.”

Peter Shepherd III ran a solid race leading 25 laps and scoring his second podium finish since his return to the series last year.

L.P. Dumoulin and Alex Tagliani rounded out the top five.

The finish:

Andrew Ranger, Kevin Lacroix, Peter Sheppard III, L.P. Dumoulin, Alex Tagliani, Marc-Antoine Camirand, Mark Dilley, D.J. Kennington, Jason White, Donald Theetge, Brett Taylor, Shantel Kalika, Alex Labbe, Jason Hathaway, Julia Landauer, Anthony Simone, Brandon White, T.J. Rinomato.

The Premier League transfer window is open. You can click here to review all the latest transfers and keep up-to-date with all the latest gossip below.

When does the window open in Europe? | QUIZ: Which club should you join?

TOP STORY: Pochettino to be handed war chest

Despite heartbreak in the Champions League final, Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino is set to be backed heavily in the transfer market this summer, according to reports in the Daily Mirror.

The Spurs boss highlighted the financial muscle of his top-four rivals in the aftermath of their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday, and his club have already started to make moves for a number of summer targets.

Spurs have had offers turned down for Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele of Lyon, while Fulham winger Ryan Sessegnon remains a long-term target.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has faced criticism from fans in the past 18 months for a lack of signings at the club, but he is now ready to show Pochettino that he can match his manager's ambitions with substantial transfer funds.

LIVE BLOG:

09.00 BST: And just like that, we have a DONE DEAL! West Ham have announced that they will sign goalkeeper David Martin on a free transfer from Millwall when his contract expires at the end of the month. The 33-year-old, a boyhood Hammers fan, will act as backup to Lukasz Fabianski.

West Ham United. Born and bred ⚒#WelcomeMartin pic.twitter.com/jnecWLTfDj

— West Ham United (@WestHamUtd) June 3, 2019

08.30 BST: We're into June, so out-of-contract players in England can start signing precontract agreements with other English clubs. Will we find anything out today?

PAPER ROUND: (by James Capps)

Napoli target Real Madrid trio

Napoli are preparing for a busy summer in the transfer market, and Calciomercato claims that the Serie A runners-up have contacted Real Madrid regarding three of Zinedine Zidane's fringe players.

Zidane is keen to offload a number of squad members to fund a summer revamp of his own, and Napoli are believed to be interested in Dani Ceballos, Theo Hernandez and Marcos Llorente -- with all three being told by their manager that they don't have a future at the Bernabeu.

Los Blancos and the Italians enjoy a strong relationship, with three Real Madrid players making the move to the Stadio San Paolo in the past few years. Raul Albiol, Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon have all made the switch from La Liga to Serie A since 2013.

A move for Ceballos is believed to be the most complicated of the three, with a host of other clubs in the running for the former Real Betis midfielder.

Trippier set to join Sarri at Juventus

The Daily Mirror reports that Juventus are ready to rekindle their interest in Tottenham right-back Kieran Trippier.

ESPN FC sources have confirmed that Juve are set to name Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri as their new manager in a matter of days, and the Serie A champions are believed to be keen on adding the England international too.

After discussions with the Chelsea hierarchy, Sarri has made it clear that he wants to leave Stamford Bridge after just a year in charge, despite Europa League success and a third-place dfinish in the Premier League.

Juventus have been long-term admirers of Sarri following his successful spell as Napoli boss, and they are confident about tying their No. 1 target to a £19 million, three-year contract.

News of the Bianconeri's interest in Spurs full-back Trippier comes after Napoli appeared to cool their interest in the former Burnley man, but Juve are monitoring him as a potential replacement for Portugal international Joao Cancelo, who has endured a difficult first season in Turin.

Tap-ins

-- Sergio Reguilon has been told by Real Madrid that he is surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu, and AS is reporting that Alaves have become the latest club to show interest in the 22-year-old. Borussia Dortmund and Leganes are also believed to be keen on a move for the Spaniard.

-- The agent of Inter Milan goalkeeper Ionut Radu has revealed that Arsenal have been in contact with the Italian club regarding a deal for the 22-year-old. The Daily Mirror claims that the Gunners must fight off competition from Lyon for the Romanian's signature.

-- AS claims that Valencia are keen to thrash out a deal for highly rated Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez. The Uruguayan notched 13 goals in La Liga this season and could be tempted by the Champions League football on offer at the Mestalla.

Wales record try scorer Shane Williams has called on Ospreys and the Welsh Rugby Union to sort out the future of Alun Wyn Jones.

The 33-year-old triple British and Irish Lions tourist is out of contract after the 2019 World Cup, when his national dual contract comes to an end.

Negotiations are ongoing with a new pay banding system for next season.

"I would urge the WRU and Ospreys, please sort this guy's contract out," said former Wales wing Williams.

"I think everyone in Wales, especially within the Ospreys region, would want that done.

"The Ospreys are doing everything they can to keep Alun Wyn at the Ospreys and that is the right thing to do.

"The fact they are signing other players shows the long-term commitment the Ospreys are putting in.

"All the talk about the region and forming with the Scarlets and Blues has gone, thank God, and they can start concentrating on the season."

Jones, who has won 125 Wales caps and played nine Lions Tests, has been a one-team man since making his Ospreys debut in 2005.

He has captained his region, Wales and the Lions and was named the 2019 Six Nations Player of the Championship as Wales claimed the Grand Slam.

Williams, 42, who scored 58 tries for Wales, played alongside Jones at both regional and international level.

Cristian Penilla and Teal Bunbury each scored a goal to give head coach Bruce Arena his first victory with his new club as the visiting New England Revolution held on for a 2-1 victory Sunday over the LA Galaxy.

The Galaxy got a spectacular bicycle-kick goal from Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 84th minute, his 11th of the season, but LA could not complete the comeback. The Galaxy's Diego Polenta nearly scored in the closing seconds, hitting hit the crossbar on a long-distance shot.

Arena, who took over as New England head coach and general manager on May 14, delayed his move to the bench as interim coach Mike Lapper ran the team. His debut on the sideline coincided with his team's visit to a venue he knows well.

Arena guided the Galaxy to three MLS Cup titles during his tenure from 2008-16, leaving to take over the U.S. Men's National Team in its failed bid for a 2018 World Cup berth.

The Revolution defense has now held its opponents to just three goals in their last four games, all after former head coach Brad Friedel was fired. In Friedel's last two games with the Revolution, they were outscored 11-1.

The Galaxy lost their third consecutive home game, getting outscored 5-1 in those contests.

Penilla scored his third goal of the season just before halftime. He received a pass from Carles Gil just outside the penalty area to the left of goal, moved in unmarked and blasted a shot through goalkeeper David Bingham's attempted save from a sharp angle for a 1-0 lead.

Bunbury extended the advantage to 2-0 in the 60th minute. His first goal of the season came after he took a pass from Gil at the top of the penalty area and chipped a shot over the approaching Bingham.

While the victory was the first for Arena with the Revolution, he how has 203 victories in his career as an MLS head coach and is one of just two head coaches in league history (Sigi Schmid is the other) to amass at least 200 victories.

Max Walters, Queensland Cricket's chief executive, has become the third state supremo to resign in a little more than 12 months, joining the former Victoria chief Tony Dodemaide in quitting at a time of internal squabbles over club cricket in their state.

The New South Wales chief executive Andrew Jones also vacated the field earlier this year, though Walters' exit appears to share more in common with that of Dodemaide and the former Cricket Victoria chairman Russell Thomas in 2018.

Having joined Queensland in 2016, after the CA Board director Michael Kasprowicz temporarily stepped in as caretaker CEO in place of Geoff Cockerill, Walters and his chairman Sal Vasta have run into difficulty over the task of dividing up money raised by the state association off the back of strategic funding handed over by CA's Board in the recent past.

It is an issue being debated at several levels of Australian cricket, also including the fund delivered by the Australian Cricketers' Association following the hot-tempered 2017 pay dispute over the current MoU between the players and CA.

There, as in Queensland, the debate centres on how the money will be distributed, whether on a strategic case-by-case basis - much as the money was handed from CA to Queensland - or via uniform grants applied to every club. With Vasta also believed to be under pressure, Walters informed QC staff of his decision to quit in an email on Sunday night.

"The past three years working at Queensland Cricket have been extremely rewarding and enjoyable. I originally committed to a three-year contract at QC, and with that period nearing its conclusion, now is the right time for me to move on," Walters said.

"I hope people will agree that Queensland Cricket has made positive steps forward during my tenure. There is now a solid launching pad for success into the future, both on and off the field. I wish every good fortune to Queensland Cricket, and would like to thank the army of tireless volunteers in all the Clubs, big and small, across our great State that keep cricket moving."

Dodemaide and Thomas both departed Cricket Victoria in 2018 following a series of disagreements over the shape of Premier Cricket and the governance of clubs in the state - Dodemaide facing criticism from his own club, Footscray, amid the arguments.

Walters, meanwhile, has overseen considerable work on Queensland's sustainability, both in terms of infrastructure funding and sponsorship levels. It was during Walters' tenure that the Gabba's traditional standing as the venue for the opening Test of summer came under strain, missing out in both 2016 and 2018. Next summer it will host Pakistan and was recently confirmed as hosting the opening Ashes Test in 2021. However India's 2020 visit remains shrouded in uncertainty after the BCCI preferred to commence last summer's home series in Adelaide.

"Max Walters returned to Queensland Cricket in 2016 with the objective to make QC the State's leading sporting organisation and to ensure that our strategy revolved around delivering outstanding life experiences for Queensland communities anywhere, anytime," Queensland's chairman Vasta said. "He has delivered in spades.

"Corporate entities such as CUA and Betta, all three levels of government and the Queensland community at large all recognise the professionalism and expertise of QC that has been achieved under Max's stewardship.

"Our strategic plan is the envy of other sporting organisations and clearly allows fans, sponsors and the Queensland Cricket family at large to see and understand our priorities. Max has been front and centre over the past three years and leaves QC well positioned to make even greater strides in the future."

TORONTO -- When Game 2 of the NBA Finals began at Scotiabank Arena between the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors, Kevin Durant was watching in street clothes. By the time the game ended, Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney had joined him.

And yet, despite the Warriors losing three of their six best players to injury, despite the Raptors leading by 14 midway through the second quarter at home, and despite Kawhi Leonard going for 34 points and 14 rebounds in 39 minutes, Golden State managed to emerge with a 109-104 victory Sunday night, evening this best-of-seven series at a game apiece.

"We're in the same boat they kind of were in coming here," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. "We got to go out there and get one.

"That's all we got to do is get one. And we can do that."

Nurse is right, of course. And the Raptors already found themselves down 2-1 in the second round to the Philadelphia 76ers and 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals against the Milwaukee Bucks before rebounding to win both of those series to make it this far.

Still, it was impossible not to watch this game unfold and feel like it was one enormous missed opportunity to lay a massive blow to the two-time defending champions.

The injuries had Golden State reeling, and struggling to score. Over the final few minutes of the fourth quarter, Nurse -- with his high school coach and multiple teammates watching from the stands -- went to a defense he may have used in those days, a box-and-one, on Curry, the lone remaining scoring threat at Golden State's disposal.

Until Andre Iguodala hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining, the Warriors didn't score against it. Meanwhile, though, the Raptors shot just 2-for-12 in the same stretch, failing to do just enough to reclaim a game they had looked on their way to winning at times in the first half.

That all changed, though, when Golden State opened the second half with an 18-0 run, during which Toronto missed all eight shots it took, and committed five turnovers to boot.

"We made a ton of mistakes," Kyle Lowry told ESPN. "That's one thing. We made a lot of mistakes we can fix, and I think that's the one thing we'll take from this.

"We will watch the film and get better, and that's all we can do right now."

That introspection will have to start with Lowry himself. Toronto's star point guard had a second straight bad game, scoring 13 points on 4-for-11 shooting and fouling out with 3:52 remaining on a bad reach-in on DeMarcus Cousins 92 feet from Golden State's basket.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Raptors other than Leonard didn't fare much better. Toronto shot 37.2 percent overall and 11-for-38 (28.9 percent) from 3-point range. Early foul trouble appeared to leave Toronto much more hesitant to play the kind of aggressive defense that has swarmed over each of the Raptors' opponents in the playoffs -- including Golden State in Game 1.

And the two players who were instrumental in Toronto's victory in the series opener, Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol, were missing in action Sunday. Siakam shot 5-for-18 and scored 12 points after going 14-for-17 and scoring 32 in Game 1, while Gasol followed up a 20-point, seven-rebound showing by scoring six points and shooting 2-for-7 in 31 minutes.

"I think I missed a lot of layups and floaters and stuff like that that I usually make," Siakam said. "I think for the most part, it was that. I just couldn't get in a rhythm offensively.

"But that's basketball. You make shots one day, you miss some the other day. I take those shots all the time."

And, for all of the mistakes Toronto made, it still found itself with a chance to win. And after scrambling to trap (and foul) for most of Golden State's final possession, which began with 26.9 seconds remaining, the Raptors were perfectly fine with the ball winding up in Iguodala's hands -- after Leonard very nearly got a steal -- for a 3. Toronto didn't attempt to contest his shot, and, had he missed, the Raptors would've had a chance to either tie or win the game with a few seconds on the clock.

But, like most things that took place over the final 30 minutes of Game 2 for the Raptors, Iguodala didn't miss. Instead, he ended the game right there.

"We weren't disrespecting anybody," Nurse said. "We were up guarding hard, and we put two on Steph and he almost threw it right to Kawhi, right? It was pretty good defense -- they were scrambling around, running around like crazy.

"And they found Iggy, right, and they found him, and like I said, if he's going to take that and give us a chance to get the ball back and win the game, we're going to probably live with that. It wasn't like we were disrespecting him and not trying to guard him. We were in a trap and rotating out of there, and again, I would like to go back and try that again about 10 times, and see if one of them doesn't go our way."

Nurse likely would put the same percentages on the way the entire game played out. So many things were breaking in Toronto's favor -- the injuries, home court, a strong game from their star, a hot start and a double-digit lead in the first half. It looked like the Raptors were on their way to a 2-0 lead in this series.

But while Toronto didn't get the job done Sunday, there wasn't a feeling of hopelessness emanating from the Raptor locker room. Yes, Toronto let the game get away. But this team has bounced back in each of the past two rounds, and it expects to do so again.

"I think we are in a good spot," Lowry told ESPN. "We gave ourselves a chance. I think we have a lot of room to grow. We are in a position where we feel like we can do some things and we can make more plays, and if we make some shots in the third quarter, it's a different game."

The Raptors didn't make those shots, though -- and, thus, it wasn't a different game.

TORONTO -- Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins wasn't supposed to play in this year's NBA Finals after he suffered what many within the organization feared was a season-ending quad tear on April 15. On Sunday, after scoring 11 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out six assists in 28 minutes during a 109-104 Game 2 victory over the Toronto Raptors, Cousins got the last laugh on his doubters, delivering the most important performance of his brief tenure with the group.

"He was great," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "We came in thinking, all right, he can maybe play 20 minutes, and he gave us almost 28. There was only one time in the game when he needed a rest, which was mid-fourth, and we gave him a couple minutes and then got him back in the game. But he was fantastic, and we needed everything he gave out there -- his rebounding, his toughness, his physical presence, getting the ball in the paint and just playing big, like he does. We needed all of that. So I thought he was fantastic."

After coming off the bench in Game 1 and playing only eight minutes, Cousins was inserted into the starting lineup prior to Game 2, and he helped close the game down after a slow start. He provided a stabilizing force for the offense while clogging the Raptors' lane and adding two blocks on the defensive end. It was exactly the kind of production the Warriors envisioned when they stunned the basketball world by signing him to a one-year, $5.3 million deal last summer.

"It feels great," Cousins said. "I've leaned on my teammates throughout this moment and throughout this whole process, and this was an incredible moment for me. But I'm not satisfied, and I'm looking forward to Game 3."

The moment clearly meant a lot to Cousins, who got hugs from Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and other teammates after the game.

"He was special," Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. "Obviously you get more comfortable, more minutes and playing aggressive when he's out there, puts a lot of pressure on their defense. And even on our defensive end, making his presence felt blocking shots, being in the right place at the right time. It's a big lift for us. I know he's been waiting a long time to be on this stage. Obviously, with his injuries, he's taken the challenge of inserting himself and making that transition smooth. So it's been fun to watch. More to come."

Cousins, who didn't play for the Warriors until Jan. 18 after spending almost an entire year rehabbing from an Achilles injury, told Kerr that he would be ready for whatever came his way. Thursday's Game 1 marked the first time in 33 games that Cousins came off the bench this season. He found more of a comfort zone after replacing Jordan Bell in the starting lineup on Sunday.

"I told Steve coming into this, whatever he needed from me, I was OK with," Cousins said. "If it's coming off the bench, if it's starting, if it's playing eight minutes or 40, I'm cool with whatever. So I just want to come in and help the team with whatever's needed."

Cousins' performance gave an emotional lift to the rest of his teammates. On a night when the Warriors were playing without Durant, lost Thompson and Kevon Looney to injuries and dealt with dehydration issues for Curry, it was Cousins who provided an unexpected pick-me-up at the right time.

"DeMarcus hasn't played much basketball over the course of the last 18 months," Warriors forward Draymond Green said. "So the more he plays, the better feel he gets. Tonight he was huge for us. Putting him in the starting lineup, I think it was big. Obviously, they want to attack him on the defensive end, but you watch the film, he didn't give up much on the defensive end in Game 1. Similar to tonight, he was great on both ends as well. So it allowed us to play through him some in the post. They got to honor that, or we know what he's capable of if they don't."

For Cousins, the opportunity to produce on basketball's biggest stage is what he was hoping for all year. He kept working hard when his body broke down for the second time, refusing to believe that his season was over. Now all that hard work has paid off in the form of an increased role on a team that suddenly needs him more, given the injuries that continue to pile up.

"I want to be on this stage," Cousins said. "This is what I've worked for my entire career, to be on this stage, to have this opportunity to play for something. But once they told me I had a chance, a slight chance, of being able to return, it basically was up to me and the work and the time I put in behind the injury, it was up to me ... I've told y'all before, I don't take any of this for granted. I've seen how quick this game can be taken away from you. So every chance I get to go out there and play, I'm going to leave it on the floor."