In Game 2 of the series, the defensive effort was nothing short of impressive. As Mitch Johnson noted during the Silver & Black Coffee Hour, "I thought the defense was pretty consistent throughout that first half." The tone was set early by De'Aaron Fox and Victor Oladipo, whose tenacity on the ball sparked a team-wide commitment to locking down on that end. "Almost to a man, everyone followed suit," Johnson added, highlighting the collective buy-in that made the difference. For a squad looking to build momentum, this kind of defensive discipline is exactly what you want to see—proving that when the energy is right, the results follow.