鈥?Saints rookie sensation Alvin Kamara took the brunt of a hard collision near the goal line with Carolina linebacker Shaq Thompson Rashaad Penny Youth Jersey , who is 2 inches taller and 15 pounds heavier than runner he was trying to prevent from scoring on fourth down.Kamara bounced backward but remained upright, then slithered out of defensive end Wes Horton’s ankle grab and dived under linebacker Luke Kuechly’s lunge to find the end zone .“That was just: I’ve got to get in there by any means,” Kamara said. “I got hit and got it on in.”Kamara added a second tackle-shedding touchdown from 20 yards, New Orleans took advantage of a couple Carolina special teams gaffes, and the Saints reclaimed sole possession of first place in the NFC South with a 31-21 victory over the Panthers on Sunday.Carolina coach Ron Rivera seemed at a loss to pinpoint what his defense could have done better to stop Kamara, whose production as a runner and receiver as a rookie are placing him in distinguished company.“You prepare for everything you want, but he has got some elite ability,” Rivera said.Kamara finished with 126 yards from scrimmage, capping his day with a serpentine, 22-yard gain on a third-and-10 screen pass at the two-minute warning. The first-down gain allowed New Orleans to run out the clock.“He’s a monster,” fellow Saints running back Mark Ingram said. “He’s always balling, doing his thing, running and catching. He’s definitely the rookie of the year. He’s savage. Cold-blooded.”Carolina entered the game ranked second defensively overall and third against the run, allowing 83.2 yards per game. The Saints rushed for 148 yards Cheap Nick Chubb Jersey , with Ingram gaining 85.Ingram gained 122 yards from scrimmage, highlighting his day with a 72-yard run that set up his 3-yard TD.Drew Brees passed for 269 yards, including a 10-yard TD to Michael Thomas a few plays after Panthers punter Michael Palardy lost his handle on the ball as he was about the kick it away. Palardy aborted the punt and threw incomplete, giving New Orleans the ball on the Carolina 31.In the fourth quarter, a fumble by Panthers punt returner Kaelin Clay near midfield set up Wil Lutz’s 31-yard field goal to give New Orleans a 31-14 lead.Cam Newton passed for 183 yards and touchdowns of 21 yards to Christian McCaffrey and 24 yards to Devin Funchess. Newton also ran for 51 yards . Jonathan Stewart added a short TD run for Carolina, which had its four-game winning streak ended.The Panthers’ comeback attempt was hindered by their inability to convert a fourth-and-6 play deep in Saints territory in the fourth quarter. Newton connected with Funchess, who was stopped a yard short by cornerback Ken Crawley.“That’s a good team,” Newton said of the Saints, who allowed Carolina to convert only three of 10 third-down plays. “We just have to move forward, be optimistic of our opportunities knowing that the world just doesn’t stop because the Panthers lost today. We have to learn from this.”MAKING HISTORYKamara has touchdowns in six straight games, the first time a Saints rookie has done so in the team’s 51-year history. Kamara needs three touchdowns to break George Rogers’ rookie franchise record of 13.Meanwhile, Kamara’s 614 yards receiving and 606 yards rushing this season make him one of only three rookies in NFL history to have at least 600 yards as both a runner and receiver, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Charley Taylor and Billy Sims.Brees, who completed 25 of 34 passes Braden Smith Youth Jersey , reached 6,127 career completions, surpassing Peyton Manning (6,125) for the second-most all-time. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre has more with 6,300.UNCONVENTIONAL DEBUTSaints rookie quarterback Taysom Hill made his NFL debut 鈥?on special teams.Saints coach Sean Payton said “it just made sense” because Hill, who was undrafted out of BYU, is 6-foot-2, 221 pounds and runs well.Hill had a couple of tackles in kick coverage and almost blocked a punt.“I love it. What a stud,” Brees said. “It’s not every day you say, ‘Hey quarterback who’s never played special teams 鈥?ever. We’re going to have you play in an NFL game and run down on kickoffs and rushing punts and tackling people.'”INJURIESPanthers played without tight end Greg Olsen, ruled out before the game because of soreness in his broken foot.Saints rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore also was scratched for a second straight week as he recovers from a Week 11 ankle injury.UP NEXTPanthers: Host Minnesota on Sunday.Saints: Visit Atlanta on Thursday night. The Latest on the NBA Finals from Sunday’s Game 2 (all times local):

7:40 p.m.

Stephen Curry made an NBA Finals-record nine 3-pointers and scored 33 points to lead Golden State to a 122-103 victory over Cleveland and a 2-0 lead.

Curry hit five 3s in the fourth quarter as the Warriors turned it into a romp after the Cavaliers were within seven points early in the period.

He passed Ray Allen, who made eight 3s in a 2010 game, and also moved ahead of LeBron James into the career lead with 90 3-pointers in the NBA Finals.

James finished with 29 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds.

—

7:30 p.m.

Stephen Curry has tied the NBA Finals record with eight 3-pointers and the Warriors have blown open Game 2.

Curry matched the record set by Ray Allen for Boston against the Lakers on June 6 Dallas Goedert Youth Jersey , 2010.

He already has four 3s in the fourth quarter, including a four-point play before finding Kevin Durant for a dunk on the next possession, pushing the lead to 111-93.

Meanwhile, LeBron James is up to No. 2 all-time on the NBA Finals scoring list, but the Cavaliers will need many more to pull out Game 2.

James has 1,325 points in his nine finals appearances and moved ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,317). Jerry West is the career leader with 1,679 points.

—

7:05 p.m.

Cleveland made a nice push, but Golden State takes a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter.

The Warriors have a 90-80 advantage after the Cavaliers had gotten within five points earlier in the third.

Kevin Durant has 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Klay Thompson has scored 20 points and Stephen Curry 17.

LeBron James has 22 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, and the Cavaliers got a strong third quarter from Kevin Love. Just 2 for 10 at halftime, he made all four shots, including three 3-pointers Vita Vea Youth Jersey , and is up to 20 points.

—

6:45 p.m.

Cleveland is off to a good start in what is usually Golden State’s quarter.

The Cavaliers have cut a 13-point halftime deficit to 72-66 midway through the third period. LeBron James has 20 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

JaVale McGee has kept the Cavaliers from getting even closer with a couple more baskets and is up to 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting after being promoted to the starting lineup.

But the Warriors, who often dominate the third, haven’t gotten much else yet in the period.

—

6:20 p.m.

The Warriors rolled into the locker room with a 59-46 lead at halftime of Game 2.

Stephen Curry has 16 points, hitting two 3-pointers to give the Warriors some breathing room after Cleveland had closed within seven points late in the second quarter. Kevin Durant has 13 points and Klay Thompson 10.

LeBron James, with his eye still red after getting poked by Draymond Green in Game 1, has 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. George Hill has pitched in with 12 points, but Kevin Love is 2 for 10.

The Warriors shot 59.5 percent.

—

6 p.m.

The Warriors have opened an 11-point lead in the second quarter of Game 2 after trailing by the same margin in the first half of the opener.

Golden State is still shooting better than 65 percent and extended its lead to 47-36 about midway through the period. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are already in double figures.

Durant is off to a 5-for-6 start, while Shaun Livingston has provided a spark off the bench with eight points, making his first four shots.

—

5:45 p.m.

The Warriors are playing from ahead for a change.

Golden State ended its run of slow starts by taking a 32-28 lead after the first quarter of Game 2 in the NBA Finals Sunday night. The Warriors shot 65 percent from the field.

They had trailed after the first quarter of three straight games, starting with Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, and fell behind by double digits in the first half of all three of them.

The bad news for the Warriors is Kevin Durant had to go to the bench with two fouls after making his first three shots.

LeBron James kept Cleveland close despite Golden State’s torrid shooting with 10 points Ronald Jones II Buccaneers Jersey , five assists and four rebounds.

—

5:30 p.m.

What a start for JaVale McGee and the Warriors in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

Golden State’s new-look lineup has made 10 of its first 11 shots and have a 21-17 lead. The first two baskets came from McGee, who was inserted into the starting lineup as Golden State’s center.

Klay Thompson also started 2 for 2, showing no signs of trouble with his ankle that was sore after a Game 1 collision.

—

5:10 p.m.

The Warriors and Cavaliers are underway in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, a game that’s gone Golden State’s way in a huge manner the last two years.

Golden State romped to a 110-77 victory in 2016 and won 132-113 last year. Cleveland did take Game 2 in the first NBA Finals meeting between the teams, winning 95-93 in overtime in 2015.

LeBron James is appearing in his 237th postseason game, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for fourth place on the career list.

—

4:50 p.m.

鈥?Saints rookie sensation Alvin Kamara took the brunt of a hard collision near the goal line with Carolina linebacker Shaq Thompson Rashaad Penny Youth Jersey , who is 2 inches taller and 15 pounds heavier than runner he was trying to prevent from scoring on fourth down.Kamara bounced backward but remained upright, then slithered out of defensive end Wes Horton’s ankle grab and dived under linebacker Luke Kuechly’s lunge to find the end zone .“That was just: I’ve got to get in there by any means,” Kamara said. “I got hit and got it on in.”Kamara added a second tackle-shedding touchdown from 20 yards, New Orleans took advantage of a couple Carolina special teams gaffes, and the Saints reclaimed sole possession of first place in the NFC South with a 31-21 victory over the Panthers on Sunday.Carolina coach Ron Rivera seemed at a loss to pinpoint what his defense could have done better to stop Kamara, whose production as a runner and receiver as a rookie are placing him in distinguished company.“You prepare for everything you want, but he has got some elite ability,” Rivera said.Kamara finished with 126 yards from scrimmage, capping his day with a serpentine, 22-yard gain on a third-and-10 screen pass at the two-minute warning. The first-down gain allowed New Orleans to run out the clock.“He’s a monster,” fellow Saints running back Mark Ingram said. “He’s always balling, doing his thing, running and catching. He’s definitely the rookie of the year. He’s savage. Cold-blooded.”Carolina entered the game ranked second defensively overall and third against the run, allowing 83.2 yards per game. The Saints rushed for 148 yards Cheap Nick Chubb Jersey , with Ingram gaining 85.Ingram gained 122 yards from scrimmage, highlighting his day with a 72-yard run that set up his 3-yard TD.Drew Brees passed for 269 yards, including a 10-yard TD to Michael Thomas a few plays after Panthers punter Michael Palardy lost his handle on the ball as he was about the kick it away. Palardy aborted the punt and threw incomplete, giving New Orleans the ball on the Carolina 31.In the fourth quarter, a fumble by Panthers punt returner Kaelin Clay near midfield set up Wil Lutz’s 31-yard field goal to give New Orleans a 31-14 lead.Cam Newton passed for 183 yards and touchdowns of 21 yards to Christian McCaffrey and 24 yards to Devin Funchess. Newton also ran for 51 yards . Jonathan Stewart added a short TD run for Carolina, which had its four-game winning streak ended.The Panthers’ comeback attempt was hindered by their inability to convert a fourth-and-6 play deep in Saints territory in the fourth quarter. Newton connected with Funchess, who was stopped a yard short by cornerback Ken Crawley.“That’s a good team,” Newton said of the Saints, who allowed Carolina to convert only three of 10 third-down plays. “We just have to move forward, be optimistic of our opportunities knowing that the world just doesn’t stop because the Panthers lost today. We have to learn from this.”MAKING HISTORYKamara has touchdowns in six straight games, the first time a Saints rookie has done so in the team’s 51-year history. Kamara needs three touchdowns to break George Rogers’ rookie franchise record of 13.Meanwhile, Kamara’s 614 yards receiving and 606 yards rushing this season make him one of only three rookies in NFL history to have at least 600 yards as both a runner and receiver, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Charley Taylor and Billy Sims.Brees, who completed 25 of 34 passes Braden Smith Youth Jersey , reached 6,127 career completions, surpassing Peyton Manning (6,125) for the second-most all-time. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre has more with 6,300.UNCONVENTIONAL DEBUTSaints rookie quarterback Taysom Hill made his NFL debut 鈥?on special teams.Saints coach Sean Payton said “it just made sense” because Hill, who was undrafted out of BYU, is 6-foot-2, 221 pounds and runs well.Hill had a couple of tackles in kick coverage and almost blocked a punt.“I love it. What a stud,” Brees said. “It’s not every day you say, ‘Hey quarterback who’s never played special teams 鈥?ever. We’re going to have you play in an NFL game and run down on kickoffs and rushing punts and tackling people.'”INJURIESPanthers played without tight end Greg Olsen, ruled out before the game because of soreness in his broken foot.Saints rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore also was scratched for a second straight week as he recovers from a Week 11 ankle injury.UP NEXTPanthers: Host Minnesota on Sunday.Saints: Visit Atlanta on Thursday night. The Latest on the NBA Finals from Sunday’s Game 2 (all times local):

7:40 p.m.

Stephen Curry made an NBA Finals-record nine 3-pointers and scored 33 points to lead Golden State to a 122-103 victory over Cleveland and a 2-0 lead.

Curry hit five 3s in the fourth quarter as the Warriors turned it into a romp after the Cavaliers were within seven points early in the period.

He passed Ray Allen, who made eight 3s in a 2010 game, and also moved ahead of LeBron James into the career lead with 90 3-pointers in the NBA Finals.

James finished with 29 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds.

—

7:30 p.m.

Stephen Curry has tied the NBA Finals record with eight 3-pointers and the Warriors have blown open Game 2.

Curry matched the record set by Ray Allen for Boston against the Lakers on June 6 Dallas Goedert Youth Jersey , 2010.

He already has four 3s in the fourth quarter, including a four-point play before finding Kevin Durant for a dunk on the next possession, pushing the lead to 111-93.

Meanwhile, LeBron James is up to No. 2 all-time on the NBA Finals scoring list, but the Cavaliers will need many more to pull out Game 2.

James has 1,325 points in his nine finals appearances and moved ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,317). Jerry West is the career leader with 1,679 points.

—

7:05 p.m.

Cleveland made a nice push, but Golden State takes a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter.

The Warriors have a 90-80 advantage after the Cavaliers had gotten within five points earlier in the third.

Kevin Durant has 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Klay Thompson has scored 20 points and Stephen Curry 17.

LeBron James has 22 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, and the Cavaliers got a strong third quarter from Kevin Love. Just 2 for 10 at halftime, he made all four shots, including three 3-pointers Vita Vea Youth Jersey , and is up to 20 points.

—

6:45 p.m.

Cleveland is off to a good start in what is usually Golden State’s quarter.

The Cavaliers have cut a 13-point halftime deficit to 72-66 midway through the third period. LeBron James has 20 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

JaVale McGee has kept the Cavaliers from getting even closer with a couple more baskets and is up to 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting after being promoted to the starting lineup.

But the Warriors, who often dominate the third, haven’t gotten much else yet in the period.

—

6:20 p.m.

The Warriors rolled into the locker room with a 59-46 lead at halftime of Game 2.

Stephen Curry has 16 points, hitting two 3-pointers to give the Warriors some breathing room after Cleveland had closed within seven points late in the second quarter. Kevin Durant has 13 points and Klay Thompson 10.

LeBron James, with his eye still red after getting poked by Draymond Green in Game 1, has 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. George Hill has pitched in with 12 points, but Kevin Love is 2 for 10.

The Warriors shot 59.5 percent.

—

6 p.m.

The Warriors have opened an 11-point lead in the second quarter of Game 2 after trailing by the same margin in the first half of the opener.

Golden State is still shooting better than 65 percent and extended its lead to 47-36 about midway through the period. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are already in double figures.

Durant is off to a 5-for-6 start, while Shaun Livingston has provided a spark off the bench with eight points, making his first four shots.

—

5:45 p.m.

The Warriors are playing from ahead for a change.

Golden State ended its run of slow starts by taking a 32-28 lead after the first quarter of Game 2 in the NBA Finals Sunday night. The Warriors shot 65 percent from the field.

They had trailed after the first quarter of three straight games, starting with Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, and fell behind by double digits in the first half of all three of them.

The bad news for the Warriors is Kevin Durant had to go to the bench with two fouls after making his first three shots.

LeBron James kept Cleveland close despite Golden State’s torrid shooting with 10 points Ronald Jones II Buccaneers Jersey , five assists and four rebounds.

—

5:30 p.m.

What a start for JaVale McGee and the Warriors in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

Golden State’s new-look lineup has made 10 of its first 11 shots and have a 21-17 lead. The first two baskets came from McGee, who was inserted into the starting lineup as Golden State’s center.

Klay Thompson also started 2 for 2, showing no signs of trouble with his ankle that was sore after a Game 1 collision.

—

5:10 p.m.

The Warriors and Cavaliers are underway in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, a game that’s gone Golden State’s way in a huge manner the last two years.

Golden State romped to a 110-77 victory in 2016 and won 132-113 last year. Cleveland did take Game 2 in the first NBA Finals meeting between the teams, winning 95-93 in overtime in 2015.

LeBron James is appearing in his 237th postseason game, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for fourth place on the career list.

—

4:50 p.m.

It’s the fourth straight NBA Finals for the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s the fourth straight NBA Finals for the Golden State Warriors.

And now, it’s the fourth straight NBA Finals for Carlos Santana.

Santana and his wife Cindy will perform ”The Star-Spangled Banner” before Game 2 of the Cleveland-Golden State series at Oracle Arena. It will be the fourth straight finals that Santana, a 10-time Grammy winner and three-time Latin Grammy winner, has played the anthe.

straight NBA Finals for the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s the fourth straight NBA Finals for the Golden State Warriors.

And now, it’s the fourth straight NBA Finals for Carlos Santana.

Santana and his wife Cindy will perform ”The Star-Spangled Banner” before Game 2 of the Cleveland-Golden State series at Oracle Arena. It will be the fourth straight finals that Santana, a 10-time Grammy winner and three-time Latin Grammy winner, has played the anthe.