OAKLAND, US: Stephen Curry scored 33 points, sinking an NBA Finals record nine 3-pointers in the process, and the Golden State Warriors moved halfway to their third title in four seasons Sunday by beating Cleveland 122-103.
The Warriors, who never trailed, seized a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, which shifts to Cleveland for games three and four on Wednesday and Friday.
“We’ve got to get that same focus going to Cleveland,” Curry said.
Curry, a 30-year-old guard, broke the old mark of eight 3-pointers in a finals game set by Ray Allen of Boston in 2010.
“To be on top of that 3-point list is pretty special,” Curry said.
Curry scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, including a 4-point play from a corner 3-pointer and the record breaker from the left side with 3:30 remaining.
He finished by shooting 11-of-26 from the floor, 9-of-17 from 3-point range, with seven rebounds and eight assists.
Kevin Durant added 26 points, Klay Thompson had 20 and JaVale McGee added 12 to spark the Warriors.
Cavaliers superstar LeBron James netted 29 points with 13 assists and nine rebounds while Kevin Love added 22 points and 10 rebounds, but Cleveland came no closer than five points in the second half.
The Cavaliers and Warriors are meeting for the fourth consecutive NBA Finals, with Golden State having won titles in 2015 and 2017 while Cleveland captured the 2016 crown, rallying from a 3-1 deficit in the greatest comeback in finals history.
After an overtime opener loss James called one of the worst defeats of his career, the Cavaliers couldn’t play Golden State as close, Curry and his teammates thwarting every threat.
Cavs guard J.R. Smith, whose late-game blunder in the opener denied Cleveland a potential winning shot, was greeted with a standing ovation by Warriors fans and chants of “M-V-P” when he went to the free throw line.
Smith went 2-of-9 from the floor and scored only five points.
Cleveland pulled within five points three times in the third quarter but the Warriors carried a 90-80 lead after three quarters.
James opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer but Curry followed with back-to-back 3-pointers for a 96-83 Warriors edge.
Curry followed soon after with his seventh 3-pointer of the game, a desperation heave with the shot clock expiring, to give the Warriors a 103-89 advantage and the rout was on.
Three 3-pointers by Curry sparked a 19-8 Warriors second-quarter run as Golden State took a 59-46 halftime edge.
Curry had 16 points, five rebounds and six assists in the first half, when the Warriors shot 59 percent from the floor and passed out 18 assists. James produced 15 first-half points on 5-of-11 shooting with seven rebounds and eight assists.
Steph Curry sinks NBA Finals record 9 3-pointers as Warriors defeat Cavs
Steph Curry sinks NBA Finals record 9 3-pointers as Warriors defeat Cavs
- The best-of-seven series shifts to Cleveland for games three and four on Wednesday and Friday.
- The Cavaliers and Warriors are meeting for the fourth consecutive NBA Finals, with Golden State having won titles in 2015 and 2017 while Cleveland captured the 2016 crown.
Mbappe double at Villarreal takes Real Madrid top of La Liga
VILA-REAL, Spain Kylian Mbappe netted twice to earn Real Madrid a 2-0 win at Villarreal on Saturday and take his side to the top of La Liga.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s team moved two points clear of arch-rivals Barcelona, who host bottom-of-the-table Real Oviedo on Sunday.
La Liga’s top scorer Mbappe reached 21 goals for the season in the competition to help Madrid see off a spirited Villarreal side, who are now fourth.
Arbeloa’s side have won three consecutive matches across all competitions and victory at Villarreal could be a vital step in the revival of their season.
After the shock Copa del Rey defeat at second-tier Albacete in Arbeloa’s first match at the helm just 10 days ago after replacing Xabi Alonso, his Madrid have started to take shape.
The coach has made clear how important his star players are and none has been more crucial this season than French superstar Mbappe, who has netted 34 times across all competitions.
Mbappe and Vinicius Junior “are the best players in the world, they are players who can really unbalance teams, we try to get the ball to them as much as possible,” Arbeloa told Real Madrid TV.
“They’re two players who... I’m really happy to have in this state of form and above all, because of the great work they are doing.
“They are really committed to the team, they are the first who are pressing... they’re giving this effort and solidarity that we need from them, so I’m very happy that their reward comes in the form of goals.”
It was a lively but imprecise start at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica, as the game glowed but neither side was able to seriously threaten.
Georges Mikautadze lashed a volley narrowly wide after veteran forward Gerard Moreno found him with a floating cross.
At the other end, Madrid midfielder Arda Guler fired straight at Villarreal stopper Luiz Junior after some tidy footwork, and then shot high over the bar at the end of a swift break.
Villarreal’s Juan Foyth limped off hurt in a blow for the hosts, who created a good chance for Pape Gueye just before the break.
The Senegal midfielder, a champion at the Africa Cup of Nations last weekend, powered narrowly wide of the post.
Vinicius, who excelled in Madrid’s 6-1 Champions League rout of Monaco in midweek, also came close with a rasping effort that sailed across Luiz Junior’s goal and wide.
The 25-year-old Brazil forward went a 13th straight La Liga match without scoring, but was involved as Mbappe found the net two minutes into the second half.
- ‘Nightmare for defenses’ -
Vinicius came into the box from the left flank and his low cross was blocked but Mbappe was on hand to squeeze home his 20th league goal of the campaign from close range.
“They are a nightmare for defenses,” said Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. “I hope they can keep bringing joy.”
Villarreal had the better of the second half as they worked hard to pull level, but Moreno spurned their best chance by firing inches over when well-placed.
In stoppage time, Mbappe was felled clumsily by Alfonso Pedraza in the box and the French forward cheekily dinked home the resulting penalty to seal Madrid’s victory.
Mbappe’s team-mate Brahim Diaz, who missed a similar attempted Panenka penalty for Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final, was on the pitch to see it as he returned to action for his club.
“For you,” Mbappe appeared to say to Diaz during the celebration, indicating it was a gesture of support.
“For me, the most important thing is that are united, we saw it last Wednesday with Vinicius’s goal and we saw it again today, with Brahim,” Arbeloa told reporters.
The Yellow Submarine are now 10 points behind leaders Madrid, having played one fewer match than Arbeloa’s side.
“We have to be a bit more accurate in attack against these kinds of teams,” admitted Villarreal midfielder Alberto Moleiro.
Elsewhere, fifth-placed Espanyol fell to a 3-2 defeat at Valencia that left them seven points behind Villarreal.
