LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry for the third straight time, complete with the hard-nosed play of Draymond Green, dazzling dunks from Kevin Durant and sharp shooting from Kyrie Irving.

This regular-season round went to the Warriors, who dominated from the start on Monday – and it wasn’t even close. The defending champs were dismantled on the very floor where they captured the franchise’s first title last June.

Curry and his superstar supporting cast certainly looked ready to trade more postseason blows with Cleveland. The two-time reigning MVP hit five 3-pointers on the way to 20 points while matching his season best with 11 assists in Golden State’s 126-91 rout of the Cavaliers.

”This is high-quality basketball, at its highest level,” Curry said. ”These are the kinds of atmospheres that you live for. Whether you win or lose, regular season, playoffs, whatever, that you can play in that kind of environment that’s always fun.”

Klay Thompson scored 26 points with five 3s, and Green produced his third triple-double of the season with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. He also equaled his career best with five blocks – and had another confrontation with King James in the process.

James had 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting and eight rebounds. But he and Green became the talk once more as their relationship again turned testy.

”I don’t think it’s a rivalry,” James reiterated. ”It’s two great teams that have aspirations. I don’t believe I’ve ever had a rivalry in the NBA.”

Durant added 21 points, six rebounds, five assists and three blocks for the Warriors in a much-hyped matchup merely weeks after Golden State lost 109-108 in Cleveland on Christmas.

Irving – who hit game-winners against Golden State in the past two matchups, including the championship clincher – scored 17 points on an uncharacteristic day for the Cavs when they committed 15 turnovers to 11 assists.

”They did what they were supposed to do,” Irving said. ”Right from the start they jumped on us and never looked back.”

The latest altercation between Green and James came with 6:55 left in the first half. Golden State led 52-35 when James collided with Green near midcourt, resulting in a flagrant 1 foul on Golden State’s emotional All-Star. Green’s arm extended across the upper body of James, who went down hard and lay on the court. Green reacted by appearing to mock James for flopping.

With this one in the books, these teams are done with each other – for the time being.

”It’s intense enough for two matchups,” Green said. ”If you want to play each other again, try to get to the NBA Finals. The fact you only play twice a year makes it even more exciting because you only have two cracks at it.”

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”Nobody can make a move like Pop, I’m a very cheap version of him, if at all,” the Golden State coach quipped about Popovich, the longtime San Antonio coach.

”It definitely made a statement,” Draymond Green said.

Stephen Curry scored 30 points and the defense started rolling after halftime, with the Warriors taking their first lead midway through the third quarter on the way to a 117-106 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.

Once the 3-pointers began to fall, the Warriors were on their way.

Kevin Durant had 28 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four blocks and Klay Thompson added 18 points. With their 17th straight victory after a loss, the Warriors reached 124 regular-season games in a row without suffering back-to-back defeats.

”It’s deflating for other teams when we can get stops and protect the rim, get steals, force them into tough shots and tough misses and on the other end we’re just running it right back down the paint,” Curry said. ”We have to allow that part of our game to shine.”

Green had 10 assists for his 12th game with double digits assists and third in four, while Zaza Pachulia scored 10 points to reach double figures for the fourth straight game. Yet one for the highlight reel was Pachulia’s no-look, backward over-the-head pass to Curry after the big man got the ball when Durant blocked a shot by Cousins.

”We scored, right? Nobody’s going to say anything. If it was a turnover, first thing on the film,” Pachulia said.

Sacramento’s Rudy Gay scored 15 of his 23 points in the first quarter. Cousins had 17.

The Warriors woke up after halftime, starting the third with a 19-7 burst and outscoring the Kings 39-22 in the period. Golden State didn’t lead until Curry’s 3-pointer with 7:34 left in the third, following Durant’s tying 3 the previous possession. Curry hit five 3-pointers and has at least 30 points in three consecutive games.

Gay shot 9 for 17 in his second game back after missing four straight with a right hip flexor strain and 10 of 11. Cousins went 4 for 11.

”We always have that one quarter or one little stretch where we have bad basketball,” Cousins said. ”It comes back to bite us in the end.”

The Warriors went 3 for 14 from long range in the first half, then shots fell as the defense improved.

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As of Wednesday afternoon on EBay, Curry’s shoes had received more than 150 bids and were at a combined $20,000 on the auction site.

Curry wore the pair of white sneakers with the words ”Oakland Strong” printed on them during a recent game against the New York Knicks. Warriors officials say he wore the other, more colorful shoes with the words ”Ghost Ship” on them, during practice.

Both shoes have the initials of all 36 victims printed on them.

The fire broke out Dec. 2 during a dance party at the Ghost Ship warehouse.

—

Information from: KCBS-AM.

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The Warriors’ 47 assists – on 53 baskets – are the most in the NBA this season and two more than their previous record, set in 1994.

While a team record fell in Oakland, a personal mark was topped in Cleveland as Kevin Love scored an NBA-best 34 points in the first quarter as the Cavaliers beat Portland in a high-scoring encounter.

Among other key results, San Antonio extended its winning streak to seven games by downing Charlotte, and Toronto retained a share of the Atlantic Division lead by defeating Houston.

Golden State’s Kevin Durant scored 28 as the Warriors found an astonishing first-half offensive flow to run away from undermanned Los Angeles.

Golden State had 26 assists on 29 baskets before the break, as in sync as the Warriors have been since adding Durant during the offseason and far better than when they took a 20-point beating at Los Angeles less than three weeks ago.

Rookie No. 2 overall draft pick Brandon Ingram scored a career-best 16 points in his first start for the Lakers, who had no answers defensively as Golden State shot 61.6 percent with 19 3-pointers.

Cleveland’s 137-125 win against Portland was set up by Love’s extraordinary first quarter and a triple double from LeBron James.

Love, who fell three points shy of the league record of 37 for points in any quarter set by Golden State’s Klay Thompson two seasons back, made 11 of 14 field goal attempts, including 8 of 10 on 3-pointers in the first quarter. He finished with 40 points.

James had 31 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists for his second triple-double this season. His 44 career triple-doubles moved him past Guy Rodgers for 17th place on the career assist list. Cleveland also set a franchise record with 20 3-pointers.

Damian Lillard scored 40 points for Portland, including 25 in the second half.

San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points to lead the Spurs to a 119-114 win at Houston.

LaMarcus Aldridge added 23 points to help the Spurs improve to 8-0 on the road this season.

Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 26 points.

Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan scored 21 of his 24 points in the third quarter to propel the Raptors to a 115-102 win at Houston.

Toronto had lost on each of its previous nine visits to Houston.

James Harden had 29 points and 15 assists for the Rockets, but also had 12 turnovers.

Atlanta’s Dwight Howard had 23 points and 20 rebounds to lead the Hawks past Indiana 96-85.

Indiana rallied to cut Atlanta’s lead to a point with 3:42 left in the third quarter, but the Hawks pulled away with a 19-2 run.

Paul Millsap added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks.

Thaddeus Young led the Pacers with 24 points.

The Los Angeles Clippers cruised to a 124-104 win at Dallas in a meeting of the teams with the league’s best and worst records.

Austin Rivers had 22 points and Chris Paul scored 18 for the Clippers, who had a 30-6 run across the second and third quarters to set up their 11th win in 12 games.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting in 20 minutes in his return for Dallas after the 13-time All-Star missed eight games with a strained left Achilles tendon.

Harrison Barnes had 22 to lead the Mavericks. At 2-12, they’re off to their worst start to a season in 23 years, and their seven straight losses is their longest skid in 18 seasons.

Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins had 36 points and 13 rebounds, leading the Kings over slumping Oklahoma City 116-101.

The Kings had a 36-point third quarter and gradually pulled away in the fourth.

Darren Collison had 21 points for the Kings, who sank 12 3-pointers.

Russell Westbrook nearly had his sixth triple-double of the season, getting 31 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Thunder.

Memphis came from 11 points down in the second half to win 104-99 in overtime at Philadelphia, pushing their overall winning streak to six games, and their number of consecutive victories over the 76ers to eight.

Utah’s George Hill scored 22 points in his return from an eight-game absence with a thumb injury, helping the Jazz beat Denver 108-83 and end a four-game losing sequence.

Boston’s Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points and Avery Bradley had 22 as the Celtics won 111-92 against Boston, which has lost five straight.

Detroit’s Andre Drummond had 18 points and 15 rebounds in a 107-84 win for the Pistons against Miami, improving to 6-2 at home against 1-7 on the road.

Phoenix pulled clear in the closing seconds to win 92-87 at Orlando, led by Alex Len’s 17 points and 12 rebounds.

New Orleans’ Anthony Davis had 45 points in his third 40-plus game of the season, leading the Pelicans over Minnesota 117-96.

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Oakland usually makes news for crime, corruption, protests and violence. But on Friday, thousands of blue-and-gold-clad fans will flood downtown to see Warriors players, fresh from beating LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers, aloft six floats heading down a 2-mile parade route.

They started lining up before dawn for a spot to glimpse the gold award that star Stephen Curry lifted over his head Wednesday as he stepped off an airplane from Ohio and into the California sun.

Warriors fans and city leaders alike have stood behind their team through the season, and now they are basking in the glory of the team’s first NBA title in 40 years.

”The success of the Golden State Warriors, who are headquartered and play in Oakland, have provided a golden spotlight on this city. The resilience and tremendous potential of Oakland are emblematic of the Warriors’ victory,” said Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, who represents east Oakland and other East Bay cities and has been a Warriors fan since 1976.

The team won 105-97 in the Game 6 clincher Tuesday night.

”We’re so proud of the job that the entire city of Oakland did as these great ambassadors for these finals,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said Thursday. ”Like the Warriors themselves, we put together a great team of businesses, fans and city workers that hosted the finals in world-class style.”

The procession of floats will wind through the city, leading to some public transit delays and road closures.

The rally comes in a city that has been plagued by a number of problems. Violent protests over police shootings thrust Oakland into the national spotlight late last year. It been ranked as one of the nation’s most dangerous cities for many years, and the police department has been under a 13-year court-mandated police reform drive.

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And with their young core under contract and MVP Stephen Curry just entering his prime, the Warriors believe their first NBA championship in 40 years could be the start of many more.

”There’s potential for us to build this long-term,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Thursday.

The Warriors rolled to a franchise-record 67 wins during the regular season before dispatching New Orleans, Memphis and Houston in the Western Conference playoffs. They won their first title since 1975 on Tuesday night when they finished off LeBron James and the depleted Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

The victory capped off a 2014-15 campaign that wasn’t just a drought-breaker – it was historic.

The Warriors totaled 83 wins in all, the third-highest ever. Only the 1995-96 and 1996-97 Chicago Bulls won more, and Kerr played on both of those teams.

”It’s ironic, but the unexpected thing is everything went exactly as we hoped. That never happens,” Kerr said.

Along with hearing from President Barack Obama, Kerr has received congratulations from former teammates and coaches. Some even teased him for winning as a rookie coach.

”It’s that easy huh?” Kerr said former Spurs teammate Tim Duncan texted.

General manager Bob Myers, the NBA Executive of the Year, is hoping to capitalize on the roster flexibility he has masterfully made happen and give the Warriors a chance to hang more championship banners soon.

Nearly every key contributor – Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala, Andrew Bogut, Shaun Livingston and Festus Ezeli – is locked up through at least next season.

Draymond Green is a rare exception. The versatile forward is set to become a restricted free agent, meaning the Warriors can match any offer he receives.

Green expects to be back and the team intends to pay whatever salary he commands, even if that means going into the league’s luxury tax, which Myers said he has been given authority to do from owner Joe Lacob.

”I always said, `Players that help you win and certainly win at the level we won at, you want to keep,”’ Myers said. ”And we’ll do everything we can to keep him. Thankfully, the rules are in our favor.”

Green, the runner-up for defensive player of the year, got his shot this season after starter David Lee injured his left hamstring in the final preseason game. Lee, who is owed $15.4 million next season in the final year of his deal, will likely be on the way out to limit the team’s tax hit.

The Warriors will need to make a decision on reserve forward Marreese Speights, who has a $3.8 million team option next season. Reserve guard Leandro Barbosa, who played for the $1.4 million veteran minimum this season, will be a free agent. And Barnes and Ezeli, part of the franchise’s acclaimed 2012 draft class with Green, are eligible for contract extensions.

Myers said it’s too early to tell what will happen this offseason but he feels good about the team’s ability to remain a contender.

”When you have the success that we had, you’d like to keep it together as much as possible,” Myers said.

A move also will need to be made on Kerr’s staff.

Kerr will need to find a new lead assistant as associate head coach and offensive guru Alvin Gentry is leaving to become the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans. Kerr could promote assistant Luke Walton or try to attract a more experienced coach such as Brian Shaw or Mike D’Antoni.

Kerr said Walton could be a head coach someday, but he has just begun to think about replacing Gentry and whether Walton is ready for that role. First, he wants to enjoy the championship parade through downtown Oakland and bask in the storybook season.

Of course, there’s little down time for a title-winning team.

The NBA draft is next week (the Warriors have the last pick in the first round), free agency talks start July 1 and then it’s a matter of weeks before training camp when the Warriors try to do what the franchise has never done: repeat as champions.

Kerr said the challenge is balancing the burden that has been lifted off players’ shoulders and keeping the same edge that won them a championship.

”There’s a freedom that comes with winning the first one,” Kerr said, ”but you can’t let that freedom erode in terms of the fabric of the daily work that you put in.”

—

Antonio Gonzalez can be reached at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP

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The Warriors will need him at his best Tuesday, knowing what’s coming from LeBron James in Cleveland.

”They’re going to come out and give it their best punch,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said.

The Warriors will have two chances to win the series after taking a 3-2 lead with their 104-91 victory Sunday. They would host Game 7, if necessary, on Friday.

”We don’t want to come back here,” Thompson said. ”As much as we’d love to win it in front of our fans, we really want to finish it in Cleveland.”

James had 40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists Sunday, his second triple-double in the series, and was asked how he copes with such a performance not resulting in victory.

”Well, you cope with it by understanding it’s just one game and looking at the opportunity we have on Tuesday to force a Game 7,” he said. ”Obviously, for myself, I want to do whatever it takes to help our team win, and I haven’t been able to do that the last two. So hopefully I can do a better job coming in on Tuesday. We all as a unit can do a better job, and we’ll be fine.”

Some things from Game 5 to watch when the series returns to Cleveland:

MVP! MVP!: After Curry’s dismal Game 2 and rough start to Game 3, he has rediscovered his shot. His 37-point performance Sunday including seven 3-pointers, the second time in the series he’s fallen one shy of Ray Allen’s NBA Finals record.

”I just think sooner or later, Steph’s going to get going,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ”He had a tough first couple of games. He got going at the end of Game 3 in the fourth quarter, and that’s all it takes. Steph makes a couple shots, he feels like he’s got it rolling, and he’s been great ever since.”

FANTASTIC FINISHES: The Warriors, with their superior depth, have largely dominated the fourth quarters of the last three games, outscoring the Cavaliers by 12, 15 and seven points. Whether the problem has been fatigue or poor execution, the Cavaliers know they have to clean that up in Cleveland.

”We gave up 31 points in the fourth,” James said of Sunday’s game. ”Some of them were free throws, but a lot of them were them just breaking us down. So we’ve got to do a better job of that.”

LEGEND OF LEBRON: James is averaging 36.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the series with two triple-doubles. He’s one shy of tying the record of four 40-point games in one finals, set by Jerry West in 1969 and Michael Jordan in 1993, and has been so good that the Warriors don’t even pretend they might stop him.

”He’s been there for years now, so you’re not going to shut him down. But if you continue to make him work hard for each and every bucket that he gets, it takes a toll on his body,” said Golden State’s Draymond Green, the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year.

”If he gets 40, he gets 40. Like I said, that’s why he’s LeBron James. You can go throw a triple-team at him, and he’ll probably still get 40, but as long as you make him work for those 40, then you’ve got to be satisfied with what you do.”

HACK-AN-IGGY: Though Cleveland coach David Blatt has said he is against the Hack-a-Shaq strategy of intentionally fouling away from the ball, Andre Iguodala wasn’t surprised when the Cavaliers used it against him down the stretch.

Iguodala was just 2 for 11 from the free-throw line in Game 5 and a woeful 6 for 18 (33.3 percent) in the finals, so he figures he may see more of the strategy the remainder of the series.

”So got a day tomorrow when we get to Cleveland to prepare for it, and it’s a challenge,” Iguodala said. ”Just like any other challenge, you want to meet it head on and you want to be ready for it.”

—

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

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—

7:55 p.m. PDT

The NBA Finals have gone to overtime for the second game in a row.

With a fantastic flurry, the Golden State Warriors tied the Cleveland Cavaliers at 87-all on Stephen Curry’s basket with 7.2 seconds left. The league’s MVP had been having a miserable shooting night before a late flourish helped Golden State overcome an 11-point deficit with 3:14 to play.

LeBron James then missed on a drive and the Cavaliers couldn’t knock in the offensive rebound.

Golden State won Game 1 108-100 in overtime.

—

7:20 p.m. PDT

LeBron James needed to be special in this game, and he is. He’s doing a little of everything and is on the verge of another postseason triple-double.

With about 7 minutes to play in Game 2, he was up to 30 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. He has one triple-double in these playoffs and 12 in his career.

—

7:13 p.m. PDT

The Warriors have 59 points after three quarters, which isn’t very Warriors-like at all. In fact, it’s a season-low – at the worst time, too.

”We’re trying. We’re trying to get the pace going a little bit,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told ABC’s Doris Burke in the televised interview entering the fourth quarter. ”Haven’t had much flow tonight at all.”

Even on a night where the offense wasn’t working in the first 36 minutes, the defense was keeping Golden State close. Cleveland’s lead is just 62-59 going into the final quarter.

”Defense has been pretty good. We’re fighting. We’re scrapping,” Kerr said.

—

7:09 p.m. PDT

A defensive struggle in Game 2 is going to the fourth quarter with Cleveland leading 62-59.

Golden State’s poor shooting night was summed up best on its last attempt of the third quarter, when Marreese Speights botched a wide-open attempt on a fast break.

The teams were a combined 9 for 37 from the field in the period, with the Cavaliers outscoring the Warriors 15-14.

LeBron James has 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Klay Thompson has 25 points for the Warriors.

Golden State had its lowest-scoring quarter of the postseason.

—

7:03 p.m. PDT

A fan won a BMW with a halfcourt shot in the third quarter, and that was some of the only good shooting that was seen.

Cleveland continued to lead late in the period as both teams struggled, particularly the Warriors.

Golden State was 5 of 23 from 3-point range, with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combining for a 4-for-17 start behind the arc. Golden State had its lowest-scoring quarter of the postseason.

The Cavaliers finally went to a third player off the bench with about 4 1/2 minutes left in the quarter, bringing in Mike Miller.

The shooting was so bad that Marreese Speights missed a wide-open dunk at the end of the quarter and the Cavs lead 62-59 heading into the final stanza.

—

6:40 p.m. PDT

LeBron James got the first basket, and the second half has started.

The Cavaliers’ lead actually grew by a point during the break. A basket by Klay Thompson was changed from a 3-pointer to a 2 after a video review, taking what was a 47-46 lead on the scoreboard to 47-45.

Stephen Curry missed his first 3-pointer of the second half, falling to 1 for 8 behind the arc on what’s been a rough night for the MVP.

The Cavaliers were led 51-49 with 6:52 to play in the third quarter. Timofey Mozgov has a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

—

6:27 p.m. PDT

With no Kyrie Irving, LeBron James knows he has do more for the Cavaliers to win.

And he is.

For just the second time in his NBA career, the four-time MVP finished a first half with at least 20 points, six assists and six rebounds. He also did it against Philadelphia on Nov. 21, 2009.

”LeBron James is controlling the game,” Dwyane Wade said at halftime, adding he expects more of the same from his former teammate in the second half. The Heat guard is a part-time analyst for ABC during the finals.

The only other player with a 20-6-6 first half this season was Russell Westbrook, who did it for Oklahoma City against the Knicks on Nov. 28.

—

6:20 p.m. PDT

LeBron James said he thought he could handle 40, maybe 42 minutes in the NBA Finals.

He’s on pace to go nearly 48.

James played more than 23 minutes in the first half, scoring 20 points in helping Cleveland take a 47-45 lead over Golden State in Game 2.

It’s James’ season-high for first-half minutes in a game. His previous high this season was 22 minutes, 22 seconds against Boston during their postseason series on April 26.

Asked before the game about James’ comments, Cavs coach David Blatt said: ”Well, he knows and we know he’s got to be on the floor a good bit. If it’s 40 or 41 or 42 minutes, so be it. But we try to rest him when we can. Obviously, the options for doing so are a little bit less.”

Klay Thompson had 20 points for the Warriors, but Stephen Curry had just eight on 2-of-10 shooting. He was 1 for 7 from 3-point range.

—

6:05 p.m. PDT

The Cavaliers are making the Warriors pay for playing small-ball.

On their first possession after Golden State removed center Andrew Bogut and left forwards Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green as their biggest players, LeBron James threw the ball inside to 7-foot-1 center Timofey Mozgov, who was fouled.

The Cavs went right back to Mozgov shortly after, and his pretty move inside extended their lead to seven points.

James is doing most everything else himself, with 19 points in the first 20 minutes.

—

5:55 p.m. PDT

Klay Thompson is back on the floor and back in a groove in the second quarter.

After having to go to the bench because of fouls following his quick start, he returned to open the second and made his first three shots, including a 3-pointer. That gave him 16 points in just about 10 minutes of playing time.

He had nine points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first 5 minutes before his second foul forced him to the sidelines.

He then started 3 for 3 in the second before testing just how hot he was with a long 3-point attempt early in the shot clock. He tapped his chest afterward as if to say ”My bad,” knowing it wasn’t a good shot.

But for the most part, though, everything he is doing is just fine for the Warriors.

—

5:45 p.m. PDT

LeBron James took 10 shots and scored half of Cleveland’s 20 points, which shouldn’t be surprising given the decimated state of the Cavaliers’ roster.

”We know we need a big game from him,” Cavs coach David Blatt told ABC’s Doris Burke in a televised interview after the first quarter. ”And he’s up to the task.”

Burke also asked about the contributions of J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert – two needed offensive weapons for Cleveland – and Blatt said they were doing better than they were in Game 1.

”They’re trying to make plays,” Blatt said. ”I thought once we started running offense, we were in much better shape.”

—

5:43 p.m. PDT

Stephen Curry’s struggles have helped the Cleveland Cavaliers rally to tie Game 2 of the NBA Finals at 20-all after one quarter.

The Warriors were rolling and led 20-12 after Curry’s behind-the-back pass led to Leandro Barbosa’s 3-pointer from the corner.

But Golden State didn’t score again and the NBA MVP’s jumper was uncharacteristically off. He missed five of his six shots, including all three 3-point attempts, and had just four points.

LeBron James had 10 for the Cavaliers, including two baskets in their closing 8-0 run. He took 10 shots in the first quarter. It’s the fourth time this season – and the first in the playoffs – that he took so many shots in an opening period.

—

5:40 p.m. PDT

Leandro Barbosa picked up right where Klay Thompson left off.

Entering the game early because of Thompson’s foul trouble, Barbosa made his first two shots, including a 3-pointer from the corner after a behind-the-back pass from Stephen Curry.

The Warriors’ early lead to eight points and was greeted with a huge roar, which extended into the timeout when former Warriors star Baron Davis, who is in the crowd, was shown on the overhead screen.

But that didn’t bother LeBron James and the Cavaliers, who responded with a run of their own to tie the game at the end of the quarter at 20.

—

5:25 p.m. PDT

A quick start, and then a quick exit for Klay Thompson.

The Warriors All-Star guard scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first 5 minutes, but then had to go to bench after picking up a second foul.

Thompson had a bit of a slow start in Game 1, but came on later in the game and the Warriors thought he might be poised for a big night in Game 2.

”We’re always looking for that moment where Klay kind of just gets in that crazy zone where he can just get hot really fast,” teammate Andre Iguodala said Saturday. ”I think in the playoffs we haven’t had it yet, but I feel like it’s slowly, but surely getting there.”

Thompson might be on his way, once he gets back in the game.

His second foul was against Iman Shumpert, who came out aggressively with a couple of drives to the basket. Perhaps he can help replace the offense missing with Kyrie Irving’s absence.

—

5:10 p.m. PDT

Forget the Warriors and Cavaliers. The best teamwork at Game 2 of the NBA Finals might come from the Santanas.

Ten-time Grammy winner Carlos Santana and his wife, drummer, Cindy Blackman Santana, performed a rocking national anthem together before the game.

Carlos Santana gave his wife a quick kiss, then started playing his guitar while she was banging the drums.

Carlos Santana is a Bay Area native who was wearing a yellow top similar to the color of the T-shirts fans wore all around Oracle Arena.

His wife is from Ohio, but wasn’t wearing Cavs colors.

The game has started – first basket of the game went to Warriors’ Klay Thompson, who started shooting 4-for-5 from the field.

—

4:55 p.m. PDT

Horse racing’s 37-year championship drought ended Saturday. Can a 40-year one in the NBA be next?

Steve Kerr sure hopes so.

He said he took some inspiration from American Pharoah’s victory in the Belmont Stakes, which made him the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.

”Well, first of all congrats to my fellow Wildcat Bob Baffert,” he said of the horse’s trainer and fellow University of Arizona product. ”Bear down.”

The Warriors haven’t won a title since 1975, when they made their last trip to the NBA Finals. Their 40 years between appearances is the longest drought in NBA history.

Kerr also watched Stan Wawrinka’s French Open victory over Novak Djokovic on Sunday morning.

”I like watching other sporting events and I do draw inspiration from them,” he said.

—

4:30 p.m. PDT

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade joined the ABC pregame crew Sunday night, and fellow analyst Jalen Rose wasted no time asking the big question – ”Are you leaving Miami?”

Wade, who can opt out July 1 and become a free agent, sidestepped the question. Neither he nor the Heat have commented publicly about the status of talks about his future, but a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations say the three-time NBA champion and the only team he’s played for as a pro are nowhere near agreeing on their future together.

”We’ll worry about that in July,” Wade said. ”Right now, we’re going to focus on these finals. This is our biggest showcase.”

Wade has been to the NBA Finals five times as a player, but says he’s always makes a point to go even when the Heat aren’t involved.

—

AP Basketball Writers Antonio Gonzalez and Tim Reynolds, and Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.

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Two nights later, when Curry’s Golden State teammate Klay Thompson was cleared to return after being kneed in the head only to later be diagnosed with a concussion, her reaction was much stronger.

”It mortified me,” she said.

Now Roberts wants to take a closer look. The union has hired neurologists to examine the policy and determine whether any changes are needed to prevent players from playing with an undiagnosed concussion.

With the two high-profile head injuries in less than a week, the NBA is taking its turn in the concussion cross-hairs that are more often focused on the NFL and NHL.

The director of the league’s concussion program, Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, said the Warriors handled both instances properly even though Thompson later was diagnosed with a concussion.

Roberts is not convinced that players shouldn’t be held out longer after being hit in the head out of caution. While stressing she is a lawyer, not a doctor, and that she will wait to hear what the medical experts tell her, she also said one player being allowed back in a game with a concussion is too many.

”That number is sufficient to make us all look at whether we want to risk a player’s health for a game,” she said. ”To say it happens so rarely or doesn’t happen frequently enough to change the rules is not enough. We’re talking potentially about someone’s life. I don’t think we should play an odds game when comes to player’s life.”

When a player is suspected of having a possible concussion, team doctors or athletic trainers test a player’s short-term memory and recall with cognitive tests, test balance and coordination, and make other observations based on the injury and the mannerisms of a player.

Still, brain injuries aren’t as easily detected as a knee or ankle injury.

Kutcher said about 25 percent of concussions don’t show symptoms until hours – or even a day – after the injury.

”That’s just the nature of the injury,” he said. ”One of the fallacies that we deal with is the idea that every concussion can be diagnosed if only they would have looked hard enough. That is an absolute fallacy.”

Curry returned to Game 4 of the Western Conference finals after he passed the tests twice. Thompson was also cleared in Game 5 but didn’t end up playing again in part because he needed stitches to stop bleeding from his ear.

The combination of the delayed reaction and the added risk to a player who receives another blow to the head after already being concussed has some experts questioning why players are allowed back into games before doctors have definitively ruled out a concussion.

Chris Nowinski, a co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University, said the fact that both Curry and Thompson didn’t immediately get up after being hit should be considered a sign that they probably were concussed.

”Doctors at the professional level aren’t considering on-court symptoms as part of the concussion tests,” Nowinski said. ”If a player passes the test despite the fact we know it’s far from perfect, doctors rarely feel confident enough to hold a player out. The GMs and coaches just listen to the doctor and don’t make a decision.”

Roberts knows talk of holding players out could be unpopular among her constituents, who are often more concerned about staying on the court than their long-term health.

And she’s OK with that.

”It’s not for them to decide,” Roberts said. ”They’re not doctors.”

The in-game system used in the NBA is similar to what happens in far riskier sports like the NFL and NHL. Head contact is far rarer – and much more visible – in basketball, so the risk of a second blow is much lower.

”We’re not evaluating the patient, putting him back in the game and say `See you in the clinic next week,”’ Kutcher said. ”We’re evaluating them and if the determination is to go back into the game, the athlete is observed, re-observed and re-tested to look for signs or symptoms.”

Kutcher also said that less than 20 percent of hockey players who receive questionable hits to the head are ultimately diagnosed with concussions. He expects that would be similar in basketball where concussions remain rare despite the two instances last week.

The NBA has averaged 13 concussions a season over the past four years since the protocols were first put in place. That’s far less than the NFL, which reported 111 concussions in the 2014 regular season and 202 overall concussions with the preseason and practices included.

The decision about when a concussed player is allowed to return to the court is taken completely out of the player’s hands. The team doctor makes the final decision on when a player returns in consultation with Kutcher.

A player must complete the NBA protocol before being allowed back to play. The protocol involves several steps of increasing exertion from riding a stationary bike, to jogging, to agility work, to non-contact team drills.

Players must be symptom free before advancing to the next step and if symptoms appear the player must return to the previous step.

Thompson was cleared to practice Monday but was checked out by trainer JoHan Wang every 15 minutes or so to make sure he was symptom-free. If he remains that way, Thompson will be cleared to play Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday against Cleveland.

”That’s what they’ve been doing the last couple of days: Monitor him, send him back out, continue to monitor him, check on him afterwards,” coach Steve Kerr said. ”He’s doing fine.”

—

AP Basketball Writer Antonio Gonzalez contributed to this report.

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”That was the worst (fall ever) because you’re in the air for a long time,” Curry said. ”And not knowing how you’re going to hit the floor, knowing that it’s going to happen, it’s inevitable, but you’re up there just trying to brace yourself.”

The MVP was able to return to Game 4 of the Western Conference finals after the spill but the Warriors couldn’t overcome a big deficit, as James Harden scored 45 points in the Rockets’ 128-115 victory.

Curry said he went through the concussion protocol before returning.

”It was all minor stuff compared to how it looked,” Curry said. ”But I’ll get some good rest (Monday night) and be ready to go … since it happened to now, nothing has gotten worse.”

The collision came when Curry jumped in the air as Ariza was about to go up for a shot midway through the second quarter. Ariza saw him and stopped abruptly, causing the spill. Curry’s head hit the court and it propelled him up and back onto the floor, where he remained for several minutes.

Curry looked dazed as he was attended to before slowly getting up and walking off the court.

”In the seconds afterward, it’s just a scary feeling, hearing all those voices saying: `Take your time,”’ Curry said. ”You just want to gather yourself, regroup and trust the process.”

It wasn’t only frightening for him. His coaches and teammates were all worried when they saw the hard fall.

”It was not a great feeling,” Andrew Bogut said. ”He’s our best player and to see him take a fall like that, it’s a scary feeling.”

Curry missed the remainder of the half with what the Warriors called a contusion, but after undergoing a series of tests he returned to the game midway through the third quarter.

Klay Thompson had 24 points and Curry added 23 for Golden State, which moved a win away from its first trip to the NBA Finals since 1975 after routing Houston 115-80 on Saturday night to take a 3-0 lead in the series.

But the Warriors couldn’t put the Rockets away and will try again at home in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Houston bounced back from a 3-1 deficit to the Clippers in the conference semifinals. But they face a much bigger challenge in this series, as no team in NBA history has won a playoff series after trailing 3-0.

Dwight Howard had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and received a flagrant 1 foul early in the third quarter after throwing an elbow at Andrew Bogut’s head. He would be suspended by accumulation of flagrant foul points if the NBA upgrades it to a flagrant 2 after review.

The Warriors made 20 3-pointers and Houston had 17 to set an NBA record for most 3-pointers combined in a playoff game.

Houston led by 23 after one and a basket by Howard to start the second made it 47-22.

Four quick points by Thompson got Golden State within 55-36 when Curry was injured. He was called for a foul on the play and Ariza made both shots to extend Houston’s lead to 57-36 with about six minutes until halftime.

Thompson picked up the slack with Curry out, hitting four 3-pointers in a 23-9 run that get the Warriors within 66-59 with about 30 seconds left in the first half. But Terry hit a 3 as the shot clock expired to put Houston up 69-59 at halftime.

The Rockets led by nine when Curry re-entered the game midway through the third quarter. He shot an airball on his first attempt after returning and his second try was blocked by Terrence Jones.

”It took me a couple minutes just to get back in the rhythm of the game,” Curry said.

The Rockets jumped out to a 12-0 lead thanks to eight points by Josh Smith and five straight missed shots by the Warriors to start the game. Smith’s hot shooting continued throughout the quarter and he made all five shots, including three 3-pointers, he attempted in the period.

The Rockets made 17 of 22 shots overall in the quarter and were an astounding 8 of 9 from 3-point range to lead 45-22 entering the second. Houston’s 45 points tied a franchise record for points in a quarter in the playoffs that had stood since 1980.

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY

Fans were advised to remain in their seats and not to leave the arena immediately after the game because of severe thunderstorms and flash floods in the area. The players were asked not to leave either. When someone’s phone beeped loudly with a flash flood warning during Howard’s postgame press conference he shook his head and said: ”It’s bad outside.”

TIP-INS

Warriors: Shaun Livingston started the second half in place of Curry and finished with four points. … Draymond Green had 21 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

Rockets: This was Harden’s fifth game this postseason with at least 30 points. … All of Houston’s starters scored at least 10 points. … Smith finished with 20 points.

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