CLEVELAND: Steph Curry hoped the visitors locker room still smelled like champagne. Given the way they played, the Cavaliers appeared to be the ones with a hangover.
Curry scored 35 points in just three quarters and the Warriors embarrassed the Cavs on Monday 132-98 in their NBA Finals rematch, very nearly the Cavs’ worst home loss in franchise history. The Warriors swept the season series and have won the last five games between these teams dating back to the Finals, including the game-clinching Game 6 that ended with a celebration in the visitors locker room.
The Cavs suffered just their second home loss this season, but they were never really in it. They trailed by 26 at the half and fell behind by 43 in the second half — their largest deficit of the season. The 43-point deficit also marks the largest in LeBron James’ career in what was his 1,127th game.
The Cavs barely avoided matching their worst home loss in franchise history — a 114-75 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 20, 2012.
James scored 16 points and guard J.R. Smith had 14 for the Cavs, who fell to 0-3 this season against the West’s elite — the Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love shot a combined 4-of-16 and totaled 11 points. Love went scoreless in the first half, and his only basket was a 3-pointer in the third quarter. All of the stars were out of the game by the start of the fourth quarter.
The Warriors entered having dropped two of their last three games, including an 18-point loss at the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. That loss seemed to reawaken the giants who stormed to a 24-0 start this season.
The Warriors shot 54 percent and made 19 3-pointers, delivering yet another staggering statement to the rest of the league of how mighty and powerful they can be when fully engaged.
Forward Draymond Green flirted with what would’ve been his ninth triple-double before finishing with 16 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in three quarters, while guard Klay Thompson had 15 points for the Warriors (38-4).
Frustrations set in for the Cavs in the second half. Smith was assessed a flagrant-2 and ejected for running through Harrison Barnes’ screen early in the third quarter and James was whistled for a technical for pushing Festus Ezeli.
Curry said prior to the game he didn’t think a sweep would give the Warriors any type of edge should these teams meet again in the postseason – but that was before the Warriors humiliated the defending East champs.
“It’s nice to have some mental edge that you haven’t lost to them if you play them again in the Finals,” he said. “But I’m sure if it was the other way around and we got swept by them in a two-game series, we would be all right retooling and refocusing for the Finals.”
Monday’s loss did nothing to assuage fears the Cavs can’t beat the West’s elite. They’ve now lost close games on the road to both the Warriors and Spurs before getting dominated Monday. They’ll get one more crack at the Spurs when they visit Cleveland Jan. 30.
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.