Kevin Durant, Warriors Snap LeBron James, Cavaliers' 13-Game Home Winning Streak

Facing the Golden State Warriors is not the remedy for a struggling team, as the Cleveland Cavaliers found out the hard way Monday.

Golden State's 118-108 victory at Quicken Loans Arena pushed Cleveland's losing streak to four and its record in the last 12 to an abysmal 3-9 while also ending its 13-game home winning streak. The Warriors are 8-1 in their last nine and swept the season series against their opponent in the last three NBA Finals with Monday's win.

Kevin Durant torched the Cavaliers' lackluster defense for 32 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals, flashing some of the form he showed while winning Finals MVP last year and prevailing in the battle with LeBron James.

James did what he could with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists, four blocks and three steals, but even the four-time MVP didn't have enough firepower to beat the defending champs.

The primary issue for the Cavaliers during their swoon has been defense, and they entered Monday's contest 29th in the league in defensive rating, per NBA.com. The numbers suggest Cleveland would struggle with any NBA offense, let alone Golden State's dominant group.

Klay Thompson was the first to exploit the weakness, finding openings in transition and spotting up behind the arc on his way to 13 first-quarter points. Kyle Korver deserves credit for shadowing him for stretches and preventing the hot start from snowballing, but the guard hit seven of 12 shots for 17 points.

Much of the Warriors offense from there ran through Durant and Stephen Curry, and they put on a two-man show as they seized control and turned a seven-point halftime deficit into a comfortable win.

Curry tallied 23 points and eight assists, drilling four three-pointers and consistently finding teammates when Cleveland collapsed on him. Durant also unleashed his passing at times and found a cutting Curry for a rare dunk.

He also showed off his own dunking skills when the opportunity presented itself:

While Durant and Curry deftly operated the offense, Draymond Green challenged for a triple-double with 11 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists while working in pick-and-rolls and three-man games with the two scoring leaders.

He also anchored the interior defense after James and the Cavaliers dictated the early going.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said his team was playing with a "defense optional" approach during the TNT broadcast after giving up 37 points in the first quarter, but the the group held Cleveland to less than 30 points in each of the final three quarters and only 17 in the fourth while forcing eight turnovers from James.

Turnovers aside, there's only so much a defense can do against the individual brilliance of James, especially when he is imposing his will at the rim instead of settling for perimeter jumpers. That was his approach Monday as he bullied his way through defenders on drives and created open looks for the outside shooters when the Warriors sent help.

He also worked well with Isaiah Thomas, who took the court against the Warriors for the first time in a Cavaliers jersey.

Thomas finished with 19 points and four assists in a season-high 32 minutes and found James for multiple alley-oops off pick-and-roll sets.

With James and Thomas leading the way, the Cavaliers demonstrated a level of urgency one would expect given their recent struggles. James turned heads with emphatic blocks of Durant and Curry, while Dwyane Wade turned back the clock with a streaking steal and alley-oop dish to Jeff Green to finish the half.

However, the overall defensive issues consistently overshadowed the bursts of intensity, and no team is better equipped than the Warriors to take advantage of them.

Golden State will look to keep things rolling Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls, while Cleveland will attempt to stem the tide Thursday against the Orlando Magic.