Green lights up Warriors for easy 2-0 lead over Jazz

OAKLAND, California – Draymond Green showed Quin Snyder his hot hand and range up close, knocking down five three-pointers and scoring 21 points before a brief knee scare late in the Golden State Warriors’ 115-104 victory over the Utah Jazz on Thursday night for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Kevin Durant added 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, while Stephen Curry had 23 points, seven assists and played smothering defense as Golden State stayed unblemished through six playoff games.

Gordon Hayward overcame a poor Game 1 and slow start in this one to score 33 points, and Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 16 rebounds before fouling out for a Jazz team missing injured point guard George Hill. He was ruled out earlier in the day because of a sore left big toe.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

In Washington, John Wall scored 24 points as the Wizards trimmed the deficit in their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series against Boston with a 116-89 victory.

The Wizards seized control of the contest with a 22-0 scoring run in the first quarter.

Although they never trailed, there was plenty of tension, with eight technical fouls handed out and Washington’s Kelly Oubre Jr. ejected in the first half for a flagrant foul. Washington’s Brandon Jennings and Boston’s Terry Rozier were also ejected after receiving two technicals.

After failing to hang onto double-digit leads in the first two games of the second-round series in Boston, the Wizards avoided a letdown on their home court, pushing the lead to as many as 30 points in the second half.

Otto Porter and Bojan Bogdanovic scored 19 points apiece for the Wizards as six Washington players scored in double digits.

The Wizards will try to level the series when they host game four on Sunday.

Isaiah Thomas, who scored 53 points in Boston’s 129-119 overtime win on Tuesday, was held to 13 points on 3-of-8 shooting.

The Celtics, led by Al Horford’s 19 points, shot 35.1 percent from the field and were never closer than 10 points in the second half.

Washington were up 45-24 early in the second quarter when Boston’s Kelly Olynyk was whistled for a hard foul on Oubre. Reacting to the aggressive hit, Oubre charged and shoved the big man to the ground while also making contact with an official.

Wizards center Ian Mahinmi, back from a calf strain that had sidelined him since April 10, and Boston’s Jonas Jerebko were handed technical fouls for a first-half skirmish.

Jennings and Rozier were both ejected in the fourth quarter after each received two technical fouls. Celtics coach Brad Stevens and Wizards coach Scott Brooks were also whistled for technical fouls.

Back in Oakland, Green received chants of “Dray-mond!” when he headed for the locker room with 7:24 to play, then cheers when he returned at the 5:16 mark. He came up awkwardly after hitting the floor on a drive, then grabbed at his left knee – which the team said he “tweaked.”

Snyder made it clear when the series began he won’t be alienating Green again by daring him to let it fly from long range – or saying anything that could be perceived as criticism. - AP/AFP