Simply put, Warriors having way with Cavs

Everyone knew this would be the ultimate challenge for Cleveland, and so far, Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors have turned the Cavaliers' dreams of a championship repeat into an NBA Finals nightmare.

Final score: Warriors 132, Cavaliers 113 in Game 2 on Sunday in Oakland, Calif.

Just like last season, the Warriors lead the series 2-0 heading to Cleveland.

Unlike last season, Durant is here and Steph Curry looks even better. Durant finished with 33 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, and Curry erupted for 32, 10 and 11, respectively.

Yes, Curry grabbed 10 rebounds. Yes, Curry is the same player with the slight frame who is mostly known for his work on the perimeter. But he is also known for playing with a great deal of passion, and for two games, he has utterly out-hustled and out-smarted the Cavs.

And just like in Game 1, LeBron James and the Cavs could only keep it close for about two full quarters.

So far in this series, James and Kevin Love just aren't getting much help.

James also finished with a triple-double -- 29 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds. Love went for 27 points and seven boards.

But Kyrie Irving (19 points, 8-of-23 shooting) continues to have a wildly inconsistent postseason, and shooting guard J.R. Smith (0-of-2 shooting, zero points) has been nonexistent.

Right now, the Warriors are making the Cavs look like they don't have a prayer.

"We're doing a solid job of making it tough on them," a modest Durant told ESPN radio.

In truth, the Warriors are picking apart the Cavs, even sometimes seemingly toying with them, every time the Cavs get close.

Along with all that, Golden State admittedly got a bit of a pick-me-up after an already dominating performance in Game 1, as coach Steve Kerr fought through his ailing back and returned to the bench. Kerr had been out for six weeks.

Perhaps the Cavs' greatest hope is they now return home, where they are 1-0 against Durant and the Warriors this season. But even that took an exhilarating comeback and buzzer-beating shot by Irving to wrap it up on Christmas Day.

Still, as always, they say a series doesn't start until both teams have played a home game, and everyone knows the Cavs' best chance still awaits.

"They won two games," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue told the media, "now we've got to go home and regroup."

The Warriors know what the Cavs are thinking and have insisted they're not overconfident.

"Well, it's been a great run, but none of that matters unless we can finish the job," Kerr said. "Trust me, we know. It was 2-0 last year, and we lost."

NOTEBOOK

Aside from overall defense, the Cavs' biggest issue has been their usually reliable perimeter shooting. They went just 8-of-29 on 3-pointers, including a miserable 3-of-20 in the first half. ... Cavs center Tristan Thompson is averaging just 4.0 rebounds for the series, well below his season average of 9.2. ... Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson broke out of his slump with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting. ... Draymond Green scored 12 for the Warriors, and Ian Clark and Shaun Livingston added 10 apiece off the bench. The Warriors' reserves have gotten the best of their counterparts, and Livingston is a major reason why.

BOX SCORE