OAKLAND — No Kawhi Leonard meant all the problems in the world for the San Antonio Spurs, who were pounded by the Warriors 136-100 on Tuesday in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
The game was never close. Not for a second. The Warriors led by 17 at the end of the first quarter, had 72 points at halftime, hit 9 of their first 12 3-pointers and shot 58.8 percent from the floor. None of Golden State’s starters played more than two minutes in the fourth quarter. This was a massacre.
Steph Curry was the leader of the pack in the blowout, scoring 29 points while making 8 of his 13 shot attempts. Curry now has 45 made 3-pointers this postseason, 11 more than his next closest competition, Isaiah Thomas. Kevin Durant continued to pick his spots correctly when attacking the basket. He finished with 16 points. Draymond Green flirted with a triple-double (13 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists) and was a pest defensively.
Meanwhile, Klay Thompson’s struggles inexplicably continued. The shooting guard scored 11 points and hasn’t hit at least three 3-pointers in five straight games. If the Warriors have anything to be concerned about before the NBA Finals, it’s Thompson’s shooting woes.
In other troubling news, Zaza Pachulia suffered a right heel contusion in the first quarter and did not return. The 33-year-old is set to have an MRI on the injury. Game 3 isn’t until Saturday, though, which gives Pachulia plenty of time to rest. The Warriors will need their big-bodied center next round against the physical Cleveland Cavaliers. Resting him for the duration of this series probably isn’t a bad idea.
The Spurs admirably cut the lead to 20 midway through the third quarter, but it was nowhere near enough. LaMarcus Aldridge didn’t score his first basket until 4:53 left in the second quarter and he finished with just 8 points. It was a rare night where San Antonio looked lost defensively. Gregg Popovich wasn’t standing much on the sidelines. This was a defeated Spurs team shortly after the opening tip-off. This was the Spurs at their absolute worst.
With Andre Iguodala out, Patrick McCaw saw extended action and he thrived. McCaw made several hustle plays to extend possessions, took Aldridge to the rack on an and-1 layup and scored 18 points in 20 minutes. McCaw might be needed again in the NBA Finals and this was a nice little tune-up for him after only playing in garbage time of the Utah series.
Tuesday was a night where Golden State’s bench brought the heat. The entire unit played. David West, Ian Clark, Shaun Livingston and JaVale McGee all played active roles in the blowout and combining for 32 points. Matt Barnes, Damian Jones and James Michael McAdoo also saw minutes.
The Warriors will have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off. Game 3 is Saturday night in San Antonio.