The difference for Golden State was that it got back to its ball-movement offense, with the team combining for 28 assists and coupling that with a far better effort on the glass, matching the Cavaliers with 41 rebounds. But Golden State had a dramatic advantage in field goal percentage (57.3 percent versus 41.6 percent), which essentially sealed the Cavaliers’ fate.

A big part of the team’s ability to compete on such a high level on both ends of the court was 34 solid minutes from Klay Thompson, who was questionable coming into the game with a high-ankle sprain sustained in a collision with J.R. Smith in Game 1. He received a great deal of treatment on his ankle to deal with swelling and bruising, but played through the injury just fine, which led to an amusing exchange between Thompson and Curry at their postgame news conference.

“I didnt realize how much you use your ankle until I hurt it,” Thompson said.

Curry, who endured chronic ankle problems earlier in his career, brought down the room by interjecting with “You should’ve asked me.”

Coming into the series, much was made of the talent disparity in the starting lineups of the two teams. Curry, Durant and Thompson each topped 20 points for a second consecutive game, but between McGee coming off the bench to have a huge impact at center, and the team getting huge minutes from older veterans like Shaun Livingston and David West, it could be argued that it was the reserves who made this a blowout just as much as the team’s All-Stars.

Livingston and McGee combined to go a perfect 11 of 11 from the field, which Lue said they would simply have to put up with if they want to stand a chance in the series, though he acknowledged he would like to see his team make it a bit harder.

“I mean, when you’re trying to take away Klay, Steph and Durant, other guys are going to be open,” Lue said. “So, you’ve got to make those guys beat you, but they can’t get easy baskets and dunks and things like that.”

The series will now shift to Cleveland for Game 3 on Wednesday, and if anything, the talent disparity could tip even more in Golden State’s favor with Andre Iguodala close to returning from a bone bruise in his left knee. Thompson also will have had a few more days to let his injured ankle recover.