7:40 p.m.
Stephen Curry made an NBA Finals-record nine 3-pointers and scored 33 points to lead Golden State to a 122-103 victory over Cleveland and a 2-0 lead.
Curry hit five 3s in the fourth quarter as the Warriors turned it into a romp after the Cavaliers were within seven points early in the period.
He passed Ray Allen Carlton Davis Youth Jersey , who made eight 3s in a 2010 game, and also moved ahead of LeBron James into the career lead with 90 3-pointers in the NBA Finals.
James finished with 29 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds.
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7:30 p.m.
Stephen Curry has tied the NBA Finals record with eight 3-pointers and the Warriors have blown open Game 2.
Curry matched the record set by Ray Allen for Boston against the Lakers on June 6, 2010.
He already has four 3s in the fourth quarter, including a four-point play before finding Kevin Durant for a dunk on the next possession, pushing the lead to 111-93.
Meanwhile, LeBron James is up to No. 2 all-time on the NBA Finals scoring list, but the Cavaliers will need many more to pull out Game 2.
James has 1,325 points in his nine finals appearances and moved ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,317). Jerry West is the career leader with 1,679 points.
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7:05 p.m.
Cleveland made a nice push, but Golden State takes a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter.
The Warriors have a 90-80 advantage after the Cavaliers had gotten within five points earlier in the third.
Kevin Durant has 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting LeSean McCoy Jersey Youth , while Klay Thompson has scored 20 points and Stephen Curry 17.
LeBron James has 22 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, and the Cavaliers got a strong third quarter from Kevin Love. Just 2 for 10 at halftime, he made all four shots, including three 3-pointers, and is up to 20 points.
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6:45 p.m.
Cleveland is off to a good start in what is usually Golden State’s quarter.
The Cavaliers have cut a 13-point halftime deficit to 72-66 midway through the third period. LeBron James has 20 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
JaVale McGee has kept the Cavaliers from getting even closer with a couple more baskets and is up to 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting after being promoted to the starting lineup.
But the Warriors, who often dominate the third, haven’t gotten much else yet in the period.
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6:20 p.m.
The Warriors rolled into the locker room with a 59-46 lead at halftime of Game 2.
Stephen Curry has 16 points, hitting two 3-pointers to give the Warriors some breathing room after Cleveland had closed within seven points late in the second quarter. Kevin Durant has 13 points and Klay Thompson 10.
LeBron James, with his eye still red after getting poked by Draymond Green in Game 1, has 15 points Cheap Josh Rosen Jersey , eight assists and seven rebounds. George Hill has pitched in with 12 points, but Kevin Love is 2 for 10.
The Warriors shot 59.5 percent.
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6 p.m.
The Warriors have opened an 11-point lead in the second quarter of Game 2 after trailing by the same margin in the first half of the opener.
Golden State is still shooting better than 65 percent and extended its lead to 47-36 about midway through the period. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are already in double figures.
Durant is off to a 5-for-6 start, while Shaun Livingston has provided a spark off the bench with eight points, making his first four shots.
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5:45 p.m.
The Warriors are playing from ahead for a change.
Golden State ended its run of slow starts by taking a 32-28 lead after the first quarter of Game 2 in the NBA Finals Sunday night. The Warriors shot 65 percent from the field.
They had trailed after the first quarter of three straight games, starting with Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, and fell behind by double digits in the first half of all three of them.
The bad news for the Warriors is Kevin Durant had to go to the bench with two fouls after making his first three shots.
LeBron James kept Cleveland close despite Golden State’s torrid shooting with 10 points, five assists and four rebounds.
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5:30 p.m.
What a start for JaVale McGee and the Warriors in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Golden State’s new-look lineup has made 10 of its first 11 shots and have a 21-17 lead. The first two baskets came from McGee, who was inserted into the starting lineup as Golden State’s center.
Klay Thompson also started 2 for 2, showing no signs of trouble with his ankle that was sore after a Game 1 collision.
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5:10 p.m.
The Warriors and Cavaliers are underway in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, a game that’s gone Golden State’s way in a huge manner the last two years.
Golden State romped to a 110-77 victory in 2016 and won 132-113 last year. Cleveland did take Game 2 in the first NBA Finals meeting between the teams, winning 95-93 in overtime in 2015.
LeBron James is appearing in his 237th postseason game Clay Matthews Jersey Elite , tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for fourth place on the career list.
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4:50 p.m.
It’s the fourth straight NBA Finals for the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s the fourth straight NBA Finals for the Golden State Warriors.
And now, it’s the fourth straight NBA Finals for Carlos Santana.
Santana and his wife Cindy will perform ”The Star-Spangled Banner” before Game 2 of the Cleveland-Golden State series at Oracle Arena. It will be the fourth straight finals that Santana, a 10-time Grammy winner and three-time Latin Grammy winner, has played the anthe An improbable Eastern Conference finals rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers is in reach for the Boston Celtics.
The only thing delaying it is one more victory against a Philadelphia 76ers team intent on not becoming the latest to join a dubious NBA club.
Toronto was swept by Cleveland on Monday to become the 130th consecutive team in NBA history to fail to overcome a 3-0 deficit. Philadelphia is one loss away from becoming No. 131.
Philadelphia-born rapper Meek Mill, who has been courtside for several Sixers games this series following his release from prison last month, is one of many hometown fans still hoping they can pull off the comeback.
”I represent the underdog season,” Mill told The Associated Press on Tuesday. ”We’re the underdogs right now. We’re in a (bad) position at 3-1, but I definitely believe we can make a comeback.”
Philadelphia used its toughness, a little trash talk and 19 big points from T.J. McConnell in its 103-92 victory in Game 4 Monday to finally produce a glint of the basketball it displayed in easing past Miami in the first round.
Harnessing that energy will be paramount in Boston for Game 5 on Wednesday. The Celtics have yet to lose a game at home this postseason (6-0).
”Obviously, after 3-0, we (found) a way how to beat them,” McConnell said. ”We took the taste of how it feels on the court after losing. From 3-0 Shaquem Griffin Seahawks Jersey , now it’s 3-1 We need to play play-by-play.”
Game 4 certainly felt the most like a throwback to the Celtics-76ers battles in the 1980s thanks to an increased level of chirpiness between players that produced some face-to-face moments and multiple technical fouls.
Boston’s Al Horford, who has scored in double figures in each of the Celtics 11 games this postseason (with five double-doubles), said more aggression is expected from a team in the Sixers’ predicament.
”We have to protect our home,” Horford said. ”We were able to steal one (in Game 3). They protected their home court (Monday). We have to go home and protect ours.”
A closer look at Wednesday’s Game 5:
CELTICS AT 76ERS
Celtics lead 3-1. Game 5, 8 p.m. EDT, TNT.
NEED TO KNOW: The Celtics are on the verge of a rematch with the Cavaliers in the conference finals. They struggled to match the 76ers physicality in Game 4 but return to the friendly confines of TD Garden with another chance to close out the series. Boston is unbeaten at home during these playoffs. In their two home victories over the Sixers, the Celtics have averaged 47 percent shooting from the field and hit 32 3-pointers.
KEEP AN EYE ON: McConnell. He gained a lot of confidence after being inserted into the starting lineup for Game 4. It will force the Celtics to account for him more, which could open the floor for his teammates.
INJURY UPDATE: Celtics coach Brad Stevens didn’t have a status update on reserve guard Shane Larkin (left shoulder) on Tuesday. If it’s out Wednesday night, Boston would be down to an eight-man rotation.
PRESSURE IS ON: The Sixers obviously must win to keep their season alive. But Boston also wants to wrap this series up as soon as possible. The Cavaliers’ sweep of the Raptors means the Eastern Conference finals could start as early as Sunday. The ability to rest is key for the Celtics.
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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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