SHAUN LIVINGSTON, subbing for injured Stephen Curry, began and ended a key fourth-quarter spurt with baskets Monday night as the Golden State Warriors won a second straight from the Houston Rockets in their best-of-seven series, 115-106.

    Golden State, now 2-0 in the postseason after a record-setting, 73-win regular season, was able to win without Curry, who injured his right ankle late in the second quarter of the Warriors’ blowout win in Game 1 Saturday. He had been listed as questionable for Game 2.

    The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, who scored 24 points in just 20 minutes in Game 1, was declared out shortly after cutting short a pregame warmup that was designed to test the ankle.

    Curry sustained the injury while pivoting late in the second quarter Saturday, and he played less than three minutes in the second half before being benched for the remainder of the Warriors’ 104-78 win.

    His status for Game 3, which is scheduled for tomorrow evening in Houston, is unknown.

    Livingston started in Curry’s place and complemented guard Klay Thompson’s 34 points with 16 of his own. He also found time for six assists in 29 minutes.

    Livingston’s two biggest hoops came in an 11-1 flurry in the fourth quarter after the Rockets, trying to put Saturday’s 26-point debacle behind them, clung within 88-85 with 9:51 to play.

    Livingston began the key run with a jumper, after which the Warriors made seven consecutive free throws, including five by Thompson.

    Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff got nailed with a technical foul along the way, accounting for one of Thompson’s foul shots.

    Livingston then capped the burst with a fastbreak hoop that created the Warriors’ biggest lead of the game to that point, 99-85, with 6:48 left.

    Golden State was never threatened the rest of the way, beating Houston for a sixth consecutive meeting and the 14th time in their past 15 matchups.

    Also on Monday night, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Thunder 85-84 Monday night to even their Western Conference playoff series at one win apiece.

    A putback at the buzzer by Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams that would have won the game was disallowed upon review.

    Dallas had been embarrassed 108-70 in the opener Saturday, but the Mavericks bounced back and held Oklahoma City to 33.7 percent shooting Monday.

    Raymond Felton scored 21 points and Dirk Nowitzkiadded 17 for the Mavericks.

    (SD-Agencies)