With Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker out, it was evident that the San Antonio Spurs would struggle against the Golden State Warriors in Game 2. Just for reference, the Spurs were +23 with Leonard and -25 without Leonard in Game 1. Therefore, the Warriors took complete advantage of the short-handed Spurs, cruising to an easy victory.
Domination right from the start
The Warriors did not give the Spurs a chance in this game, jumping out to a 33-16 first quarter lead and never looking back. Stephen Curry was on fire in the first quarter, dropping 15 points -- including four three-pointers.
The domination continued in the second quarter, as the Warriors received excellent contributions from their role players. David West, Patrick McCaw, Shaun Livingston, and Ian Clark were all highly effective, helping to extend the lead to 28 points by halftime.
Jonathon Simmons was the only Spurs player that made a major impact in the first half, putting in 17 points, two rebounds, and two assists. No one else played nearly as well, as the second highest scorer for the Spurs by halftime was Dewayne Dedmon with four points.
More of the same in the second half
The Warriors continued to thrash the Spurs in the second half, getting production from various players. Zaza Pachulia, however, did not start in the third quarter, as he left the game and did not return due to a right heel contusion.
Golden State cruised to an easy 136-100 victory over San Antonio, as their third-string players even extended the lead.
Box score
Simmons led the Spurs with 22 points, three rebounds, and three assists, but sadly no one else on the team played well. Aldridge, who is supposed to be the best player on the team with Leonard sidelined, only had eight points on 4-of-11 shooting.
Pau Gasol finished with seven points, and Manu Ginobili had two points in five minutes.
Meanwhile, Curry totaled 29 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals, including six three-pointers. Kevin Durant added 16 points, while Draymond Green put up 13 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Rookie Patrick McCaw poured in 18 points, five assists, three rebounds, and three steals off the bench.
It was an all-out effort by the Warriors, as they had 39 team assists and 16 steals. They were also a whopping +30 from beyond the arc, making 18 three-pointers on 48.6 percent shooting. Meanwhile, they held the Spurs to 37 percent shooting from the floor, while shooting 56.2 percent overall. However, the only area where the Spurs dominated was on the boards, out-rebounding Golden State 50-39.
The Warriors take a commanding 2-0 series lead heading to San Antonio. Game 3 won’t be played until Saturday, May 20.
