OAKLAND, Calif. -- Game 2 of the Western Conference finals was in the books long before it was in the books.
It was widely believed that a Kawhi Leonard-less San Antonio Spurs squad didn't stand a chance at Oracle Arena, and that proved to be accurate Tuesday evening.
The Golden State Warriors pummeled the Spurs 136-100, taking a commanding 2-0 series lead as the best-of-seven series shifts to San Antonio for Games 3 and 4. Those 136 points were the most allowed by a Gregg Popovich-coached team in a playoff game.
One ankle sprain appears to have drastically changed the competitive nature of this series.
"We have to strike first," Kevin Durant told ESPN before the game. "We can't allow them to get off to the start they had last game. We have to be the aggressors."
Aggressors, they were.
Curry dropped 15 of his 29 points and four of his six 3-pointers in the first 12 minutes. At the end of one quarter, the Warriors led 33-16. The Spurs, who were 6-of-26 from the field at the time, scored only one more point than Curry after the first quarter.
"We had a point of emphasis of starting the game with a lot more energy and focus on the defensive end, so that we could just feel a little bit better about ourselves than we did last game in the first quarter," Curry said.
Curry has knocked down at least one 3-pointer in all 68 of his postseason games, extending an NBA record. In the past three games, he's averaging 33.0 points and shooting 57 percent from the field and 49 percent from long distance.
"This is playoff time, and if you're not excited and don't get that adrenaline rush and get locked into the moment, you're going to miss out," Curry said of his postseason play. "So thankfully, I'm playing well, playing aggressive and confident."
Every active player scored for the Warriors, with seven players reaching double digits. Golden State registered 39 assists on 50 field goals and drained 18 3-pointers, 10 more than its opponent.
All evening San Antonio struggled to get into offensive sets and seemed confused as to where the offense would be generated.
The Spurs tried a couple of options. Midway in the first quarter, they went down low to Pau Gasol.
Gasol, who was defended by Draymond Green, took a couple of back-down dribbles, and Green snatched the ball away and proceeded to start a three-on-one break that ended with a Curry left-wing 3-pointer.
San Antonio tried out LaMarcus Aldridge, its second-best player.
On one possession in the second quarter, Aldridge was being defended by Green on the block when rookie Patrick McCaw came with a double-team. Aldridge swung the ball to Bryn Forbes, who stuck a 3 from the top of the key.
Green was livid with McCaw, ordering him not to help on Aldridge. He couldn't regularly command a double-team. That's how ineffective Aldridge was Tuesday, finishing with eight points on 4-of-11 shooting.
"LaMarcus has to score for us," Popovich said after suffering the second-worst defeat of his postseason career. "He can't be timid. He turned down shots in the first quarter. He can't do it. You've got to score. Scoring has to come from some place."
San Antonio was held to 37 percent shooting. Golden State shot 56 percent.
Jonathon Simmons was the lone bright spot for the Spurs, scoring a team-high 22 points. Down by 31 in the second, Popovich opted to play his young guys. There was nothing else he could do.
Golden State continued to pile on.
At the halfway mark in the third, Curry raced up the court, and Spurs backup center Dewayne Dedmon lost his footing while backpedaling on defense. He collapsed to the hardwood but still managed to grab Curry to no avail. Curry absorbed the contact and cruised to the bucket for a layup, plus the foul.
The Spurs never put up a fight. They’ve been outscored by 61 points since Leonard went down in the third quarter of Game 1. The Warriors never trailed in Game 2.
"I don't think they believed," Popovich said. "And you have to believe. I don't think as a group they really did, which means probably a little bit feeling sorry for themselves psychologically, subconsciously, whatever psycho-babble word you want to use. … That was disappointing."
Warriors acting head coach Mike Brown doesn't want to hear about this series not being a fair fight with Leonard out of the Spurs' lineup.
"It's a good team," he said, pointing out that Leonard was sidelined when San Antonio eliminated Houston on the road in Game 6 of the conference semifinals.
Golden State has won 10 consecutive postseason games, extending the franchise record and becoming the fifth team in a postseason to reach that mark.
Andre Iguodala sat the game out because of soreness in his left knee. Zaza Pachulia suffered a right-heel contusion in the first quarter and did not return. He played six minutes, providing four points and two assists.
The Spurs have come back from an 0-2 series hole only once, in 2008 against the New Orleans Hornets. The team they're playing now, however, isn't those Hornets. The Warriors have beaten teams by an average of 17.0 points through the first 10 games.