The Golden State Warriors soundly defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 122-103, to take a 2-0 series lead as the 2018 NBA Finals now shifts to Quicken Loans Arena for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.
Golden State was led by Stephen Curry, who poured in a game-high 33 points. He did plenty of damage from behind the arc, knocking down nine 3-pointers to break Ray Allen’s record for most made in a single NBA Finals game.
Curry finished 9-for-17 from deep, which was an impressive clip considering he made just one of five attempts in the first quarter. With two regular-season MVP Awards to his name, including a unanimous selection, Curry is on his way to earning a first career Finals MVP if the Warriors finish off the series.
While Curry carried the Warriors, Kevin Durant shook off a rough shooting performance in Game 1 to score 26 points on an efficient 10-for-14 shooting. Durant added a team-high nine rebounds to go along with seven assists.
Klay Thompson played through a sprained ankle to score 20 points, while JaVale McGee (13 points) and Shaun Livingston (10) were other Warriors to reach double-figures. Livingston has scored 20 points on a perfect 9-for-9 shooting through the first two games of the Finals.
Meanwhile, LeBron James paced the Cavaliers with 29 points and 13 assists, while his nine rebounds were second only to the 10 Kevin Love pulled down. Love also contributed 22 points, joining George Hill (15 points) and Tristan Thompson (11) in providing support for James.
In a break from what’s held true during the Warriors’ multi-year run, it was the Cavaliers that had a better third quarter, albeit marginally. They came out of halftime on a 10-4 run but ultimately only ended up outscoring the defending champions, 34-31.
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