Golden State Warriors: Durant, Thompson score 30+ points to beat Spurs

The Golden State Warriors ran into some early trouble in their second game against the San Antonio Spurs, but they found their rhythm in the second half to win the game.

The Golden State Warriors didn’t start Game 2 looking quite as dominant as they did in Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs, but they did just enough in the second half to earn the 116-101 victory.

With this win, Golden State takes a 2-0 lead to start the 2018 NBA Playoffs, giving the Warriors some cushion as they head to the AT&T Center for next stage of the first round.

The Warriors came right of the gates, attempting to bury the Spurs early with a 15-8 lead. Following a full timeout from San Antonio, the Spurs answered strong, upping their defense and physicality to win the first quarter 25-23.

By halftime, the Warriors had coughed up 11 turnovers to San Antonio’s two, which led to a 53-47 Spurs lead. The Dubs came out of the locker room reinvigorated and retook the lead in the third quarter, but it unfortunately didn’t last very long, as LaMarcus Aldridge stepped back up to steady the ship offensively.

Increasing their pace and their defensive intensity, the Warriors found a solid rhythm to start the last segment, going up by as many as 19 points. They closed out the night strong, recording a 36-25 fourth quarter.

Monday night in Oakland, Game 2

Kevin Durant paced the Golden State Warriors in their second game against the Spurs, dropping in 32 points, six rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes. He shot 10-of-19 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line, but only 3-of-9 from behind the arc.

Klay Thompson followed up his 27-point performance in Game 1 with a 31-point performance in Game 2, adding in five assists in 37 minutes. He shot 12-of-20 from the field, 5-of-8 from three and 2-of-2 from the line.

Andre Iguodala had his best game of the series thus far, tallying 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 shooting from long range. He was force on both ends, making a number of momentum-shifting plays.

JaVale McGee finished in double-digit scoring for the second consecutive game, posting 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. He went 5-of-7 overall in 19 minutes.

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David West added 10 points in 14 minutes off the bench, in addition to four rebounds, two assists and one block on 3-of-3 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe. He suffered a left ankle injury after coming down on Aldridge’s foot, but it didn’t appear to be too serious after he was cleared to return.