Kevin Durant, Warriors Win Game 1 vs. Spurs; Stephen Curry Out Due to Injury

Klay Thompson scored 27 points and Kevin Durant added 24 as the Golden State Warriors never trailed in a 113-92 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. Rudy Gay led the Spurs with 15 points and six rebounds off the bench.

In part due to a Grade 2 MCL sprain that kept star point guard Stephen Curry on the sideline, the Warriors employed a new starting lineup Saturday, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

The five-player unit set the tone for the game with a fantastic opening quarter. Most notably, center JaVale McGee dominated the initial frame, posting nine points, two rebounds and one steal within the first seven minutes.

As NBA on ESPN noted, he had as many points as the Spurs at one juncture:

McGee was a catalyst for the Warriors' dominance in the paint, as evidenced by this layup:

Golden State outscored San Antonio 22-4 in the key after the first half and finished with a 34-22 advantage overall.

Durant filled up the stat sheet, registering 16 points, six rebounds and five assists before halftime. He helped the Warriors out-shoot (59.0 percent to 34.1 percent) and out-rebound (26-15) the Spurs after 24 minutes, which helped the Dubs take a 57-41 lead into the break.

Gay tried to keep the Spurs in the game, scoring 10 points in the first half and even starting the second half over Kyle Anderson. However, San Antonio struggled against the swarming Golden State defense. Notably, center LaMarcus Aldridge had to work for every shot against the likes of McGee and Draymond Green, who nearly had a triple-double thanks to 12 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

For the game, Aldridge scored just 14 points and grabbed two rebounds (his season averages were 23.1 points and 8.5 rebounds) in 24 minutes. The former Texas Longhorn ran into first-half foul trouble, which in part limited his playing time.

The game was never in doubt heading into the fourth quarter, as the Warriors took an 86-63 lead into the final frame. Thompson got hot in the second half, scoring 18 of his game-high 27 points. He and Green put on a clinic, as the latter player assisted on five of his second-half field goals. Anthony Slater of The Athletic noted how efficient Thompson was on the afternoon:

The Warriors starters were out of the game by the 6:40 mark of the fourth quarter.

Although this was an uncharacteristic effort for the Spurs, one particular cause for concern is the team's road performance dating back to February, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post reported: 

That streak is up to nine following the Game 1 loss. San Antonio will have a tough task ahead of it, as the Warriors are 30-12 at Oracle Arena this year and maintain home-court advantage in the series.

Golden State and San Antonio will play Game 2 of the best-of-seven playoff on Monday at 10:30 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena. TNT will televise the matchup.