© Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
OAKLAND — It took the Warriors one half to find their rhythm. Once they recharged and regrouped, they put on an offensive display few, if any, teams can match.
The Spurs couldn’t Monday night, as the Warriors won 116-101 and extended their opening-round series lead to 2-0.
Kevin Durant finished with 32 points, Klay Thompson added 31 points, and the stingy, championship-level defense that smothered the Spurs in Game 1 resurfaced in the second half.
But Monday night started as well as it could have for the Spurs.
On the first possession of the game, Warriors forward Draymond Green threw the ball out of bounds for a turnover. Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge responded with a jumper on the other end, a series of plays that would encapsulate the ensuing 24 minutes.
The Warriors struggled to find the offensive rhythm they established in Game 1, largely due to empty possessions. They had seven turnovers in the first half, via moving screens, sloppy dribbling, and careless passes. The Spurs, conversely, had only one turnover as Aldridge led the way with 11 first-quarter points. If it weren’t for three Andre Iguodala three-pointers in the game’s first 3:39, the Warriors likely would have been playing catch-up.
It was a strange start to the game that continued into the second quarter. Thompson attempted an off-the-back-board alley-oop to himself, which ended poorly. David West scored six straight points at one point. JaVale McGee struggled to control himself on pump-fakes, which led to San Antonio free throws.
At the end of the first half, little had gone right for the Warriors, but they trailed by only six points.
The Warriors promptly jumped out to a 13-2 run to start the second half, reinvigorating Oracle Arena.
They forced turnovers, converted them into points, and ran their free-flowing offense with more patience, resulting in open looks. Thompson made two quick three-pointers after being held to seven first-half points, and Durant added 11 points in the period. Despite Aldridge’s 11 third-quarter points, the Warriors led the Spurs 80-75 entering the fourth quarter.
Aldridge started the final period on the bench. That lasted all of 1:36, but it was all Golden State needed to extend its lead to 11 points via an 8-2 run. The rest of the game was played at Golden State’s pace, with Thompson and Durant leading the way.
Through two games, Thompson is averaging 29 points on 56 percent shooting from three-point range. Durant is averaging 28 points.
The Spurs will return home trying to find offensive answers. Aldridge poured in 34 points. Head coach Gregg Popovich started Rudy Gay over Kyle Anderson in Game 2 to add scoring, but the Spurs struggled to find a reliable second scoring option.
The Spurs and Warriors will play Game 3 Thursday night in San Antonio.