The Golden State Warriors continued their historic playoff run in Game 2 of the NBA Finals with a 132-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors have won 14 consecutive playoff games, a new NBA record, and are just two wins away from an incredible 16-0 postseason record. Oh, did I mention Golden State is 29-1 in its last 30 games? They haven’t lost since March 14.
Going forward, it’s tough to see how the Cavaliers will be able to slow down the Warriors freight train of an offense.
Golden State Warriors Beat Cleveland Cavaliers in NBA Finals Game 2
Even with Draymond Green in foul trouble and 13 first half turnovers, the Warriors still held a 67-64 lead at halftime. The Cavs did all they could to keep the game close, but once Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant got going, it was all but over. The duo certainly gave Head Coach Steve Kerr a nice welcome back to the Warriors bench, after he was absent for most of the playoffs with complications from his back surgery.
Curry had 27 points, 9 assists, 9 rebounds after three quarters, en route to his first career postseason triple-double (32, 11, 10). Curry was also a perfect 14 for 14 from the free throw line.
Durant was once again scoring at will. The combination of LeBron James and Iman Shumpert did all they could, but KD still finished with 33 points, along with 13 boards. He also added 5 blocks and 3 steals.
James tied the great Magic Johnson with his 8th triple-double in the NBA Finals (29 points, 14 assists, 11 rebounds). No one else has more than two. James scored at will near the rim in the first half, scoring his first points outside the paint midway through the third quarter.
Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith Struggled
Kyrie Irving finished the game with 19 points in 40 minutes, shooting just 8 of 23 from the field. He also struggled immensely on the defensive end and turned the ball over. Irving’s backcourt mate couldn’t pick up the slack. J.R. Smith had zero points, and it wasn’t so much a lack of efficiency, but a lack of attempts. Smith took just two shots and played only 13 minutes. A reason for that was Cleveland’s reliance on Iman Shumpert’s defense, which didn’t end up helping much in the long run.
Kevin Love scored 9 of the Cavs 13 points to start the game and finished with 27 points. Even so, it wasn’t enough to counter the Warriors offense.
Cavaliers Got Into the Paint
The Cavaliers had 36 points in the paint in the first half alone, a vast improvement from their total of 30 in Game 1. Even then, the Warriors wreaked havoc in transition when given the opportunity.
Turning Point
The game was fairly close midway through the third quarter. A 16-6 run to end the third helped Golden State take a 102-88 lead after three quarters. They kept the offense rolling into the fourth, outscoring Cleveland 30-25 in the final frame.
The Cavaliers host Game 3 at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday, in familiar territory down two games to none.
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