The Warriors were a part of NBA history Sunday night. They ended up on the unwelcome side of it.
With the NBA Finals opening with two overtime games for the first time ever, the Warriors wound up with a 95-93 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals before a gravely disappointed sellout crowd Sunday at Oracle Arena.
The Warriors defense was, for the most part, good enough. Turnovers were a bit of an issue, but not a real difference maker. But a lack of rebounding and poor offensive execution sealed their fate.
The series is now tied 1-1 as it moves to Cleveland.
Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 34 points, his first game of the postseason with at least 30 and the franchise’s first 30-point game in the NBA Finals since Rick Barry in 1975. His teammates, however, mostly observed or missed – or both.
Stephen Curry, with 19 points on 5-of-23 shooting - his worst shooting performance of the season, including 2-of-15 from beyond the arc, was the team’s next highest scorer. Harrison Barnes finished with 11 and Draymond Green put in 10.
LeBron James led all scorers with 39 points, adding 16 rebounds and 11 assists to complete a triple-double performance.
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STANDOUT PERFORMER:
Thompson was, for most of the game, the only Warriors to generate any significant offense. He finished 14 of 28, including 4-of-12 shooting beyond the arc.
Andrew Bogut and Green each grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Warriors in that category.
TURNING POINT:
After Bogut drained a pair of free throws to give the Warriors a 31-25 lead with 7:10 to go in the second quarter, the Cavaliers responded with a 17-4 run to take a 42-35 lead with three minutes left in the half.
Though the Warriors managed to pull into a couple ties, they took only one more led, 93-92, on a pair free throws by Curry with 29.2 second left in OT.
They never scored again, as the Cavs pulled ahead on two free throws by Matthew Dellavedova and another by James in the final 10 seconds.
INJURY UPDATE:
Warriors: No injuries were listed before tipoff. F Brandon Rush and C Ognjen Kuzmic, both healthy, were placed on the inactive list.
Cavaliers: G Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery) was in Cleveland. F Kevin Love (dislocated left shoulder) and C/F Anderson Varejao (ruptured Achilles tendon) were listed as out and placed on the inactive list.
WHAT’S NEXT:
Game 3 is scheduled for Tuesday night (6 p.m. PDT) at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
For more coverage, visit CSN Bay Area.
Visit NBC Bay Area's Golden State Warriors page for full team coverage.
