Following a weird Game 2 in Toronto, the NBA Finals are tied 1-1 going back to Oakland. Diving into the postgame stats, the biggest differences between the first two games were on the Toronto Raptors' side -- most specifically their shooting numbers.

Simply put, the Raptors' failure to convert shots cost them Game 2. With Kevon Looney out indefinitely and Klay Thompson questionable for Game 3 (Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET on ABC), can Toronto's offense find a new rhythm on the road against a Golden State Warriors team facing real depth questions?

The Warriors scored 109 points in both games. But after dropping 118 points on 77 shots in their Game 1 win, the Raptors managed only 104 points on 93 shots in a disappointing Game 2 defeat. That's 14 fewer points despite 16 more shots. Not good, eh?

Toronto's shot quality was almost identical in the two games, but its shotmaking was not. Based on the nerdy details of their shot profiles including shot locations, shot types and defender distances, the Raptors were expected to shoot a 51.5 effective field goal percentage (eFG) in Game 1 and 52.1 eFG in Game 2. But the Raps shots 7.6 percentage points better than expected in the first game and 9.1 percentage points worse in the second, according to Second Spectrum tracking.

Toronto's offense actually created more uncontested 3s in Game 2, but the shooters couldn't make them:

• In Game 1, Toronto shot 5-of-6 on uncontested 3s (83.3 percent)

• In Game 2, Toronto went 3-of-10 (30 percent)

The Raptors' jumpers just wouldn't fall on Sunday. In Game 1, Toronto shot 23-of-56 (41.1 percent) away from the rim. That slipped to 17-of-64 (26.6 percent) in Game 2. In a game eventually decided by five points, those 47 missed jumpers proved fatal for a team trying to upend a dynasty built around reliable jump-shooters.

Nobody was more disappointing than Pascal Siakam, the best player on the floor in Game 1 (14-of-17 shooting, 32 points). On Sunday, Siakam regressed to the mean in brutal fashion, shooting just 5-of-18 and scoring only 12 points. He shot an atrocious 1-of-11 outside of the restricted area and went scoreless from beyond the arc.

His struggles away from the rim were a microcosm of his team at large. In Toronto's seven playoff losses, Siakam is shooting 6.3 percent on 2.3 uncontested 3s per game. He missed both such looks in Game 2. In his team's 13 playoff wins, Siakam is converting 44.4 percent of his 1.5 open triples, per Second Spectrum. Siakam is the enigmatic bellwether of these Finals thus far, and his 1-of-7 performance in the third quarter set the dismal tone for his team in that key frame, which began with a defining 18-0 Warriors run that changed the tone of the series.

The weirdest part of an NBA game is the first few minutes of the third quarter. As the second half begins, much of the home crowd is still in the concourse getting drinks and hot dogs. Even Finals games can suddenly exhibit a lack of crowd energy in these moments. This is exactly when the Warriors stole the game, and when Toronto started flailing. The Raptors made just 14 of their 48 second-half shots, and Kawhi Leonard and Siakam combined to go 6-of-22.

Speaking of Leonard, both Thompson and Andre Iguodala have been terrific at slowing him down. Out of the 29 NBA players who have matched up against Leonard at least 50 times this season, Iggy and Klay rank Nos. 1 and 2 in suppressing Leonard's individual scoring activity. But Iguodala was nursing an injury in his Achilles tendon area heading into Game 2, and now Thompson is questionable for Game 3 with a mild hamstring strain.

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It's anyone's guess who will play for Golden State on Wednesday or how coach Steve Kerr will adjust his rotations. According to a report by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Warriors are optimistic that Thompson will suit up after two days of rehab.

When healthy, the Warriors start three of the world's best jump-shooters. Two of those dudes are also awesome defenders, especially in this matchup. But as of Tuesday, both Thompson and Kevin Durant have injury concerns with unknown severity, which translates to uncertainty on both ends.

Thompson and Durant are wildly important on offense, of course, and if they can't play, the Warriors won't score as easily, potentially relieving some of the pressure on Toronto's shooting. Their absence would enable Toronto to hone in on Curry defensively. Heck, after Thompson left Game 2, we already saw the Raptors break out the crazy box-and-one, a tactic Toronto could've never even tried against a healthy Golden State squad.

Thompson and Durant are both key to Golden State's defensive identity as well. If they don't play, the Warriors' perimeter defense takes a real hit. Less Thompson, less Durant and less Looney means more DeMarcus Cousins, more Andrew Bogut and more Alfonzo McKinnie.

That's less versatility and athleticism to throw at Toronto's attack, so wing scorers such as Leonard won't have as much to worry about. The Raptors should be able to create a few more open jumpers on the edges, but it doesn't mean they'll make them.

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Ex-England and British and Irish Lions prop Graham Rowntree will join Munster as forwards coach after this year's Rugby World Cup on a three-year deal.

Currently in the same role with Georgia, Rowntree, 48, will replace Jerry Flannery, who left the province at the end of the season.

He previously spent eight years as England's forwards and scrum coach.

He won 54 England caps and three for the Lions, and went on three tours as part of the Lions coaching set-up.

Last month Flannery and attack coach Felix Jones declined to sign new contracts with Munster.

For the second consecutive season Munster exited both the Pro14 and European Champions Cup in the semi-finals.

"I'm delighted to be joining such a prestigious club," Rowntree said on Tuesday.

"Although fully committed to Georgia until the end of the World Cup, I'm really looking forward to working with [head coach] Johann [Van Graan] and his team."

Georgia will begin their World Cup campaign against Six Nations Grand Slam winners Wales on 23 September.

INDIANAPOLIS — GESS Int’l and Capstone Turbine Corporation will serve as the primary sponsor of the Andretti Autosport No. 27 driven by Alexander Rossi in two NTT IndyCar Series events.

The No. 27 entry will carry sponsorship from both brands this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway and again in August at Pocono Raceway. The partnership builds off the associate sponsorship across all four Andretti Autosport entries.

The relationship between the championship-winning team and GESS Int’l began during the Month of May, where the GESS logo appeared on each of Andretti Autosport’s four Indy cars for the IndyCar Grand Prix and it’s five-car line up during the 103rd edition of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

“GESS Int’l is excited to expand its partnership with Capstone Turbine Corporation and Andretti Autosport with Alexander Rossi, the driver of the No. 27 Indy car,” said Shaun Lee, president of GESS Int’l. “As leaders in the renewable natural gas (RNG) industry, GESS looks to promote the use of RNG Biogas. GESS continues to raise awareness of carbon negative emissions and green energy.”

Capstone Turbine Corporation, a strategic partner of GESS Int’l, is committed to improving the efficiencies of energy needs around the world, while simultaneously reducing the global emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. Capstone’s systems help end users improve their impact on the environment, while still meeting power and reliability needs. To date, Capstone has shipped over 9,000 units to 73 countries and last year alone saved customers an estimated $253 million in annual energy costs and 350,000 tons of carbon.

“We are very excited about this partnership opportunity with Andretti Autosport in support of Alexander Rossi as Capstone Turbine looks to further the brand awareness of its high-efficiency, low-emission energy solutions,” said Darren Jamison, President and Chief Executive Officer of Capstone. “Despite saving customers millions of dollars annually and helping save the planet by reducing tons of carbon, it’s still surprising how many people are still not aware of Capstone’s innovative, clean and green microturbine products. I’m confident that our sponsorship with the world-renowned Andretti Autosport will help us raise awareness of our new disruptive energy technology.”

“We are thrilled to grow our partnership with GESS Int’l and welcome Capstone to Andretti,” said Andretti Autosport CEO Michael Andretti. “Our partnership was first highlighted with Alexander Rossi when he drove to a second-place finish in Indy. We’re happy to welcome GESS back in a larger capacity and look forward to continue growing our on-track success.”

ST. LOUIS -- Jack Hughes picked up the stick and examined it outside the St. Louis Blues locker room. The 18-year-old phenom, expected to be the first overall pick in this month's NHL draft, had seen all manner and sort of hockey stick, including during the recent IIHF world championships.

But none like this.

"Ryan O'Reilly's stick is pretty cool. Straight curve, and then it has something pretty weird going on at the toe," said Hughes, who visited the Blues and Boston Bruins before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, a game in which O'Reilly would score twice.

Upon first glance, O'Reilly's stick looks like a manufacturing error. The blade's curve is nearly flat, but the end of it features a harsh toe hook, looking very much like the wood was warped.

"It's a little weird," O'Reilly said. "I think everyone hates it. But it works for me."

Calling his stick "unique" would be underselling it. As far as O'Reilly can tell, he's the only one with a stick like this. Others have tried to use his style. Inevitably, they reject it for a more traditional curve.

O'Reilly created the toe hook by heating up a plastic template sent to him by Warrior, who manufactures his sticks, and sending it back. He said the basis for the curve was the stick used by former NHL great Jeremy Roenick, but he added the hook at the toe.

"I've been using it for, like, 10 years now. Just gives me a little more control. I use a pretty long blade, and I just had the idea of putting the toe in to make it easier to handle the puck in certain areas," he said.

It's one of the most unusual blades in the NHL, and Hughes wasn't the only prospect marveling at it on Monday.

Dylan Cozens, a center who expected to go in the top five, said the blade struck him as weird.

"With that little toe hook at the end. You don't see that with too many players. It's crazy," he said. "It must be pretty good for toe drags or something. But it works for him."

"It's something that I've never seen," said Kirby Dach, a center projected to be drafted in the top 10. "It's something that you do with a mini stick, where you heat it and curve it right at the toe. It was cool to pick his brain on that."

O'Reilly said the comments from the prospects reminded him of his experiences as a young player, when he first spied the stick of Alex Ovechkin.

"In juniors, when I saw Ovechkin's curve, I saw how much of a hook that was. It's just a big hook," he said. "I remember being obviously impressed with how he plays it."

When it comes to NHL stars and their sticks, there's no one size that fits all.

"He said it works for him," Dach said. "I mean, guy put up 80 points this year. It seemed to work."

Was there any doubt that this series was going to be a long one? After laying an egg in Game 3, the St. Louis Blues bounced back with a 4-2 win in Game 4 that left the home crowd singing along to "Gloria," and the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins tied at two games apiece.

Here's everything you need to know about how Game 4 played out in this edition of ESPN Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily.

Jump ahead: Last night's game | Three stars
Play of the night | Social post of the day

About last night ...

Game 4: St. Louis Blues 4, Boston Bruins 2 (series is tied 2-2)

Boston goalie Tuukka Rask called St. Louis the more desperate team on Monday, and he's probably right. The Blues benefited from some lineup maneuvering by coach Craig Berube -- Vince Dunn, making his Stanley Cup Final debut returning from injury, and Zach Sanford, a nice boost on the second line, both assisted on the first goal -- as St. Louis scored 43 seconds in (thanks, Ryan O'Reilly), then weathered some attacks from Boston, including a short-handed goal. (If you're looking to criticize something about the Blues' game, look to their power play, which was rough to watch.) In the end, it was O'Reilly who scored again for the game winner. The veteran center, who had just three playoff goals entering this game, buzzed all night.

The Blues, with renewed discipline, have now scored in the opening two minutes of a game six times in the playoffs, and at least once in all four rounds. They're 5-0 so far when doing so. Rask, by the way, looked vulnerable for the first time in a while. It was the first time he allowed three goals in regulation since the second round against Columbus. And once again, Jordan Binnington and the Blues prove they rule the ice when rebounding after a loss this postseason.

Three stars

1. Ryan O'Reilly, C, St. Louis Blues. O'Reilly did something only three players had done previously: score in the opening minute of a Stanley Cup Final game and later score the eventual winner in the same game. (The others: Fernando Pisani in 2006 for the Oilers, Bernie Geoffrion in 1958 for the Canadiens and Sid Smith in 1951 for the Maple Leafs.)

2. Alex Pietrangelo, D, St. Louis Blues. The captain had two assists, and was 23 seconds shy of playing a ridiculous 30 minutes while taking a whopping 34 shifts.

3. Zach Sanford, LW, St. Louis Blues. Stanford drew into the lineup in Game 3 thanks to Oskar Sundqvist's suspension. He played so well, Blues coach Craig Berube promoted Sanford to the second line in Game 4. He did not disappoint, adding a nice boost to the line.

Play of the night

Ryan O'Reilly with a stellar wraparound goal and the @StLouisBlues take an early lead in Game 4! ��#StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/KjSCxw1slc

- Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 4, 2019

The crowd went absolutely berserk after this goal, just 43 seconds into the game.

Dud of the night

The Bruins losing captain Zdeno Chara in the second period after a puck deflected to his face and he bled profusely. Chara could miss Game 5, which is especially troublesome considering the team is already without top-four defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (concussion protocol). Chara got some stitches and may need dental work later, according to coach Bruce Cassidy. If he cannot go for Game 5, the Bruins will turn to either Steven Kampfer (two games of playoff experience this spring), or a fellow left-handed shot like Urho Vaakanainen or Jeremy Lazon, who both have limited NHL experience.

Social post of the day

Sports: they bring people* together.

*Brett Hull's face and a chinchilla named Boris

(photo is a screengrab from a @YoungPageviews video) pic.twitter.com/BVeqXrKAU9

- Joan Niesen (@JoanNiesen) June 4, 2019

Once again, the crowd in St. Louis was ... a scene.

Quotable

"He's a guy who wants to be out there. He wants to battle and be with the guys. He wasn't gonna miss that opportunity. He doesn't get back on the ice, but he's a warrior. If there's any chance for him to be back, he'll be back. If not, it'll be next man up again. Whoever our next guy up is will have to fill that role admirably -- and they're big feet to fill." -- David Backes on Zdeno Chara returning to the bench to sit with teammates in the third period, even though he was not medically cleared to play.