OAKLAND, Calif. — Stephen Curry scored 33 points for the Warriors. Kevin Durant had 26 and Klay Thompson scored 20. So guess who got them off to a quick 4-0 start with two baskets in the first 42 seconds?

Right, JaVale McGee.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who saw McGee impact Game 1 when he started the second half by using his 7-foot length to frustrate, for a time, LeBron James, decided to give start him at center in Game 2. Big stage.

“Definitely different. It’s amazing,” McGee said.

No regrets at all with the decision. And there were even fewer regrets with the results as the Warriors rolled to a 122-103 victory and a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals over the Cavaliers on Sunday at Oracle Arena.

“Just to get more scoring at that position. JaVale is so explosive, and just with the way he runs, it gives us some pace, it gives us some energy. So I thought he did a great job,” said Kerr.

Defense one game, offense the next.

McGee played 17:48 and took six shots — and he made them all. He finished with 12 points and two rebounds. He found out Saturday he would start.

“That’s my job, to stay ready,” said McGee, who said he went after James the same way he did in Game 1. “We had the same approach. Be aggressive and try not to let him get a full head of steam.”

McGee wasn’t the only role player who finished with a perfect shooting night. Shaun Livingston came off the bench and made all five of his shots in 15:19 to finish with 10 points. Hey, Curry, Durant and Thompson couldn’t do it all you know.

“When you’re trying to take away Klay, Steph and Durant other guys are going to be open,” Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said. “You’ve got to make those guys beat you, but they can’t get easy baskets, dunks and things like
that. We’re helping off those guys and guys are locking in paying attention to Klay, Steph and Durant so they might get some shots, but we’ve got to take away the easy ones.”

Which the Cavs didn’t. McGee and Livingston finished 11-for-11. That’s hard to overcome.