OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors drubbed the Portland Trail Blazers 135-90 in a game that had all the drama of watching a fit person use an elliptical machine. This was mostly cardio for the Warriors, who casually swamped the Trail Blazers from the beginning in a game that, if it's recalled at all, will be remembered for Kevin Durant scoring at an efficiency that would have embarrassed a ball rack’s defense.

Durant finished the evening 11-of-13 for 34 points. He began the game by knifing into Portland's porous lane and closed on patiently earned jumpers. He could have scored more but preferred his more egalitarian process. The main focus throughout was to maximize efficiency for everyone.

"I think he was a little frustrated the last four, five games he wasn't shooting well. He's so hard on himself," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "He wants to be ultra-efficient every single night -- and he basically was for the first 20-plus games of the year, and then he had a few bad ones. I thought he was getting a bit down on himself but looked like tonight he just relaxed and went out there and had a great, fun night."

Kevin Durant scored 34 points on just 13 shots Saturday. Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images

There was an element of discretion to the night's effort. Stephen Curry hit three consecutive 3-pointers and then proceeded to stop seeking his shot for the rest of his first-quarter stint. To its credit, Golden State sought a collective process in a game that would have been ripe for individual stat padding.

In reference to deference after a hot streak, Curry said, "We have a lot of options, so in that situation if I get hot, I might draw more attention coming off a screen and set other guys up, and the heat check might not come at that point. But we stay locked in."

Here's a basic game summary: The Warriors are really good at offense, and the Blazers are really bad at defense. That approximates what decided this evening, though there are other details worth mentioning, such as Golden State’s dedicated swarming of Portland’s 3-point shooters.

"It was a great defensive effort," perennial defensive player of the year candidate Draymond Green assessed after the game. "To hold [Damian Lillard] to 20, and I think most of the 20 came when we had the game in hand."

Green had one of his best passing games, assisting on Curry's first four buckets and finishing with 13 dimes in his 29 minutes. He continues to have an excellent season, thriving as a point forward, despite the introduction of Durant's playmaking.

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Saturday night marked the return of Zaza Pachulia. Though the giant Georgian wasn't all the way in rhythm, his presence is a boost for Golden State. The various Warriors experiments at center have shown Pachulia to be their most reliable option. He continues to be a steadying force in pick-and-roll defense.

Of his return after four games missed, Pachulia smiled, exhaled and intoned, "It feels good to be back. It's hard to watch from outside, very hard. Kind of feel a little bit rusty, miss four games, but I want to get back on track."

On his growing comfort in Golden State’s pick-and-roll scheme, Pachulia said, "You might say it’s just basketball, but it’s different though. You deal with different personalities, different coaching staff, different system, the small things that make a huge difference. We all know how to play basketball. The thing is, it’s the trust factor. It’s not only about help, it's help the helper. All these little things."

Something should be said for Golden State's fine reserve work (mostly in the waning moments) from Ian Clark and JaVale McGee.

Clark, who has been fantastic at staying ready despite fluctuating minutes, was dynamic with 23 points on 11 shots.

"It's been my mentality my whole career," Clark said. "Staying ready so you don't have to get ready. I was told that by a lot of veterans my rookie year, actually when I was in Utah. I've been trying to harness that and make that who I am. Even in practice, before I get warm, I just shoot game shots that I know I'm going to be shooting in the game, just to mimic, coming out the bench and being ready to go."

McGee's third-quarter run of play signaled the "clowning" segment of the evening, as he dunked all over the Blazers for 11 points on 5 of 5 shooting.

In total, the Warriors met little resistance and won playing the right way. It's difficult to ask for more, unless you crave drama.