May 16, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) scores ahead of San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) during the third quarter in game two of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors took full advantage of Kawhi Leonard’s absence Tuesday night, bombing the uninspired San Antonio Spurs with 18 3-pointers en route to a 136-100 trouncing in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.
Stephen Curry scored 15 of his game-high 29 points in a 33-16 first-quarter run-away, propelling the Warriors into a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series that now shifts to San Antonio.
The Spurs get three days off to lick their wounds and hope Leonard, who sprained a previously injured left ankle in Game 1, can be ready for Game 3 on Saturday.
Two days after falling behind by 25 points in the first half to a Leonard-led team, the Warriors had a 25-point lead of their own in the 16th minute of the rematch en route to a 72-44 halftime advantage.
The Spurs were never appreciably closer in the second half.
Curry used 6-for-9 shooting from 3-point range to lead seven Warriors scorers in double figures. He also found time for seven rebounds, a game-high seven assists and three steals in his 31 minutes.
Five other Warriors connected on multiple 3-pointers in an 18-for-37 barrage that dwarfed the Spurs’ 8-for-23 success from beyond the arc.
Kevin Durant had 16 points, and Draymond Green contributed 13 points, a team-high nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocked shots to Golden State’s 10th consecutive postseason win this season.
Warriors reserve Patrick McCaw took advantage of 27 minutes of playing time to chip in with 18 points.
The Warriors had 39 assists on their 50 field goals, and they shot 56.2 percent from the field.
Jonathon Simmons, starting in place of Leonard, had a team-high 22 points for the Spurs, who fell behind 2-0 in a playoff series for the first time since being swept by the Phoenix Suns in the Western semifinals in 2010.
Davis Bertans dropped in 13 points, and Dewayne Dedmon had nine points to go with a team-high nine rebounds off the bench for the Spurs, whose reserves outscored their starters 53-47.
The Spurs made just 37 percent of their shots.
NOTES: The Warriors have won the last nine playoff series in which they took a 2-0 lead. The last time they lost a series when up 2-0 was against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1969 Western semifinals. … The Spurs haven’t rebounded from a 0-2 deficit to win a playoff series since overcoming the New Orleans Hornets in seven games in the Western semifinals in 2008. … Before the game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich labeled SF Kawhi Leonard (sprained left ankle) “questionable” for Game 3 on Saturday, leaving the door open for a possible return. … The Warriors played without SF Andre Iguodala (sore left knee), then lost C Zaza Pachulia to a heel injury in the first quarter. Pachulia was scheduled for x-rays. … Warriors coach Mike Brown had a run-in with the police escorting the Spurs team bus while entering the Oracle Arena parking lot, an incident witnessed by Popovich. “Somebody’s got to tell him,” Popovich noted in a rare light moment, “if the California Highway Patrol tells you to move over, you move over.”
