Golden State Warriors look to taste champagne in Cleveland again

When the Golden State Warriors returned to Cleveland in January for the first time since clinching the championship there last June, Stephen Curry raised a little stir when he said he hoped the visiting locker room “still smells a little bit like champagne”.

The way the Warriors have thoroughly thrashed the Cavaliers through two games of the NBA Finals rematch, the MVP could soon be drenching that carpet again.

The Warriors won the first two games of the series by a combined 48 points, exhibiting a toughness and ferocity that was overshadowed by their glitzy offence during a record-setting regular season.

They have beaten LeBron James seven straight times — something no team has done before — and completely outclassed the Cavaliers in every facet of the game. The Cavaliers head home for Games 3 and 4 looking for answers they may not be capable of finding.

“I know the other side is looking forward to coming to our building where they had a lot of success last year,” said James, who let it be known in January that Curry’s comment didn’t sit well with him. “So we’ve got to bear down.”

Draymond Green had 28 points with five 3-pointers, seven rebounds, and five assists, while MVP Curry scored 18 points despite foul trouble, and Golden State thoroughly overwhelmed Cleveland 110-77 in Game 2. Even more troubling for the Cavaliers is that the Warriors have not been the precise offensive machine they were during their 73-win regular season. They have turned the ball over 30 times in the two games and Curry is averaging just 14.5 points per game.

But the Warriors have dominated the series with defence and rebounding, blasting the Cavs on the glass, locking down Kyrie Irving and making James work to get to the rim.

“I just think it’s easy to fall in love with our offence,” said Warriors guard Klay Thompson. “For the casual fan, the whole year they see the highlights. Our rim protection and perimeter defenders have been so great.”

Coach Tyronn Lue has tried a number of different lineups looking for a spark, but has come up empty against a Warriors defence that is equipped to handle anything.

“They were tougher than us and more aggressive,” said Lue.

• Curry has announced he will not compete for the USA at the Rio Olympics.

Curry, 28, has broken individual records in helping Golden State reach the NBA Finals.

The point guard says injuries picked up in the season contributed to his decision on Monday.