Posted on 06/05/2016 9:34:45 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Two games into the NBA Finals, the Warriors are halfway to repeating as champions.
A 110-77 rout of the Cavaliers in Game 2 on Sunday at before a supremely satisfied sellout crowd at Oracle Arena gives the Warriors a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, which shifts to Cleveland for the next two games.
Forward Draymond Green scored 28 points to lead all scorers, while guard Stephen Curry finished with 18 and guard Klay Thompson finished with 17. Guard Leandro Barbosa came off the bench to put in 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
The Warriors shot 54.3 from the field, including 45.2 percent from 3-point distance, while limiting Cleveland to 35.4 percent.
The Warriors outrebounded the Cavaliers 46-34, more than offsetting 21 turnovers that led to 20 Cleveland points. The Warriors scored 26 points off 18 Cavs giveaways.
Forward LeBron James scored 19 points to lead Cleveland. Guard Kyrie Irving totaled 10 and forward Richard Jefferson came off the bench to add 12.
STANOUT PERFORMER
This was Green’s game early and late, with stellar defensive help from center Andrew Bogut.
Green’s line: 28 points (11-of-20 from the field, 5-of-8 from deep), seven rebounds five assists. He played 34 minutes and was plus-20 for the game. Bogut was terrific, setting an immediate tone by blocking four shots and grabbing three rebounds in the first quarter. He finished with six blocks, tying his career-high for a playoff game. He played 15 minutes and was plus-10
TURNING POINT
After James hit two free throws to pull Cleveland within one, 31-30, with 8:08 left in the second quarter, the Warriors responded with an 11-0 run in less than three minutes to go up 42-30 on a three-point play by Green with 5:09 left in the half.
Green scored 9 of the 11 points during the rally, including back-to-back bombs from beyond the arc.
The Warriors never were seriously threatened the rest of the way.
INJURY UPDATE
Warriors: F Kevon Looney (L hip surgery) was listed as out and placed on the inactive list with James Michael McAdoo (healthy).
Cavaliers: F Kevin Love sustained a head injury in the second quarter and returned briefly in the third quarter before leaving for good. He will be placed in NBA Concussion Protocol. No injuries were listed prior to the game. C Sasha Kaun and G Jordan McRae were placed on the inactive list.
WHAT’S NEXT
Game 3 is set for Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Go Warriors!
Any relation to Bob?
His father is Bob’s second cousin. James is a religious man.
Does he get much playing time?
From what I saw tonight (most of the second half), the Warriors will take this series in 5, tops.
Saw Curry hit a couple bombs from what looked like 35 feet. ....back from where Jerry Lucas used to launch them long before there was a 3-point line.
Curry just may be the best shooter in the game’s history. Warrior HOFer Rick Barry is up there too.
LeBron now knows the difference between a class organization and a mundane organization.
I understand him wanting to go home, but LeBron should have never left his "Band of Brothers" after going to four straight NBA Finals with the Miami Heat, and winning two.
You just don't leave a team under those circumstances, with someone like Pat Riley running the operation. If the Heat had missed the finals in 2014, I could see LeBron bailing out on them.
But LeBron abandoned the Heat.
Notwithstanding that fact, the Heat have bounced back very well, despite the crazy Chris Bosh situation.
I just don't think LeBron is ever going to win another NBA. I certainly hope he doesn't, because he don't deserve to when he abandoned such a top class organization that went to 4 straight finals, and with whom he won his only 2 NBA championship rings.
So, like I said, "Go Warriors!"
LeBron James will rejoin the Heat. He's learned his lesson.
And if LeBron doesn't come back to the Heat, the Heat will sign Kevin Durant instead.
Remember, you all heard it here first...
He seems to go back and forth between the Warriors and the D-League Santa Cruz Warriors. He played in at least one game this year and had 7 points. He actually was part of the D-League Champions and NBA champions in 2015, a rare feat.
That was quite a game. After many years of the Warriors having, um, underperforming seasons, this is a treat.
I also love it that the most (all?) of the team are faith-filled. I love the game, and enjoyed every year that my son played it (through 9th grade, I think). I also enjoy(ed) watching his high school and college teams.
I didn’t like NBA games for a long time because of the showiness and look-at-me displays. I became a basketball fan again because of the Dubs.
Didn't he abandon the Cavaliers first?
What is the Bosh situation? Whatever else, the guy makes great auto parts.
If they got Durant, it would be interesting.
That was a massacre..never in doubt..Draymond Green is an assassin, my Lakers could use a guy like him. I was happy to see Golden State won and I always like watching LeDouche lose, every time I see his face I remember how he did the Trayvon salute while wearing a hoodie and he is also buddy buddy with Obama. Stephen A Smith ripped the Cavs a new one, basically accused them of having no heart, no pride
When LeBron left, Bosh signed a max contract with the Heat, who were to build their post-Lebron team around him, along with the veteran Wade.
With Bosh's illness and all the uncertainty surrounding his return, it's been very difficult for the Heat to navigate the Free Agency waters last postseason, and it looks like this postseason will be similar.
Go Heat!
It’s amazing they won with Scott Foster as ref. (He hates the Warriors) I believe you do not like Foster either.
There is not an NBA ref that I actually like. I remember how much Javie hated the Lakers, always screwed us over with the free throw difference..this time, the Cavs got more free throws and they still got blown out..the saying is true, defense wins championships and the Warriors play killer D
He got called for travelling twice. It reminded me of the Christopher Reeve Superman, where he gives up his powers, and the reaction the first time he is hit an bleeding.
What is amazing to me is that the whole team is responding. When one guy has an off night others step in and fill the void.
That is how a team wins.
Yes, and what’s great is Curry is no diva. If he is sitting on the sideline and they are winning with others, he has no problem with that.
Exactly.
Only argument is that he was pretty much the only reason they were there four times. It was Lebron and a supporting cast. Bosh contributed some but not as a superstar. Wade has been a shadow of his greatness due to injury. They damn near lost three of those four appearances, so the difference between the Heat and the Cavs in the finals is not yet defined. Only their 2nd year thrashing of the Thunder was a dominant Finals appearance. The comparison in Cleveland needs another year before we can contrast the two.
I shut it off before it was over and watched baseball. 77 points in an NBA Finals game= complete failure.
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