OAKLAND — Steve Kerr’s return to the sidelines for Game 2 of the NBA Finals translated to a 132-113 victory for the Golden State over the Cleveland Cavaliers and a commanding 2-0 series lead.
In what was a more competitive game than the score suggests, the Cavaliers refused to go away for three quarters. Coupled with a handful of uncharacteristic mistakes from the Warriors — 20 turnovers, shady shot selection and poor defense around the rim — it was enough to threaten an upset on the road.
That was until Golden State flipped the game upside down on its head with a 16-2 run in the third quarter. Cleveland shrunk on offense and was unable to handle increased defensive intensity from the Warriors, who hit 6 of their 14 3-point attempts in the frame. Transition basketball sunk the Cavs. The Warriors entered the fourth quarter with a comfortable 14-point lead, were never threatened late and started to blow Cleveland out of the water with an array of highlight plays late.
When it was all said and done, the stretch where LeBron James sat out arguably cost the Cavaliers. He only sat 2:33 in the second quarter but Cleveland was outscored by 9 in that stretch. In attack mode, LeBron was absolutely outstanding (29 points, 14 assists, 11 rebounds). A slow start from Kyrie Irving did not help the Cavaliers, but he did end with 19 points and 7 assists. Kevin Love was a liability on defense, but extremely aggressive on offense with 27 points on 23 shots.
Coach Tyronn Lue altered his strategy, giving Tristan Thompson’s minutes to Iman Shumpert, who was tasked with guarding Kevin Durant (33 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks, 3 steals). The 2014 MVP continued to play the best basketball of his entire NBA career. Pull-up jumpers were his forte on Sunday — instead of wide open dunks — and the near 7-footer cashed in. Durant’s defense continues to be a problem for Cleveland. They really just don’t have an answer for him.
It was a strange yet effective game from Steph Curry, who posted a rare triple-double (32 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds). He turned the ball over 8 times and shot just 7-of-17 from the field. But he hit all 14 of his free throws and shifted the momentum in the third quarter, when he shook LeBron on a drive to the basket.
unanimous pic.twitter.com/INP7C6MI4O
— KNBR (@KNBR) June 5, 2017
The Cavaliers didn’t have many answers for a reinvigorated Klay Thompson. Busting out of his slump, the shooting guard scored 22 points, hit 8 of his 12 shots and regained confidence on the offensive end. Thompson hit a huge 3 with 8:22 left in the game, putting the Warriors up 111-97.
In foul trouble most of the second half, Draymond Green was replaced by David West in the lineup in the fourth quarter. West held his own on Tristan Thompson, while Durant shifted onto Love (and stuffed the crap out of one of his shot attempts) and Andre Iguodala marked LeBron. The bottom line: Golden State possesses a fleet of two-way players. Cleveland has just one in LeBron. It’s appearing to be too tall of a task to match up.
For the second straight game, basketball fans were treated to a compelling first quarter. Both teams shot 52 percent from the floor, but it was the Warriors who cranked out a 13-2 run. Curry hit a leaning floater, Durant drained a pull-up 3 and then picked LeBron’s pocket on a steal. In a rarity, Curry sank 10 free throws alone in the first quarter — tying an NBA Finals record. Durant hit another 3 with 1.9 seconds remaining in the quarter. Despite the onslaught, the Cavaliers only trailed 40-34 after one. Kevin Love opened strong with 9 points in the opening frame.
If Cavs fans are looking for something to cling to, the team was blown out in Game 1 and 2 of last year’s NBA Finals — and stormed back to win it all. But Durant is the ultimate game-changer this time. Not even LeBron has been able to slow him down. He’s playing the best basketball of his career.
Game 3 is set for Wednesday at 6 p.m. PT from Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.