Warriors takeaways: What we learned in dominant 131-112 win vs. Cavs

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Even in a season where the Warriors are destined for the NBA draft lottery, they can still find a way to beat the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The trend continued in Saturday's 131-112 win at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, which snapped a 10-game road losing streak for Golden State, marking the team's first win away from Chase Center in 57 days. 

The Warriors (11-39) took control of the game in the third quarter, following a barrage of 3-pointers in the team's best offensive performance of the season. 

The win sealed Golden State's sixth straight victory over Cleveland (13-37), including its third straight in Ohio. In a season marked by losing, the Warriors will take a well-earned win. 

Here are the takeaways. 

The Run

Throughout their five-year period of dominance, Golden State made a habit of going on big third-quarter runs that put most teams away easily. On Saturday, the lottery-bound group provided an ode to the past following a close first half. 

In a 12-minute stretch, the Warriors outscored Cleveland 44-19, building a two-point halftime lead up to a 27-point advantage in the third quarter. During the frame, Golden State made 10 3-pointers, shooting 71.4 percent from beyond the arc. Glenn Robinson scored 10 of his game-high 22 points, while D'Angelo Russell hit three treys of his own. Along the way, the Warriors put together a 28-4 run. 

The catalyst was Draymond Green, who finished with eight assists in the quarter, finishing the stretch plus-28 from the floor. While similar runs aren't expected going forward for this year's iteration of the Warriors, it provided a welcome reprieve for a team in short supply of wins. 

Vintage Green

As the Warriors have come to expect: If Draymond plays well, the Warriors win big. Green continued the trend on Saturday evening, finishing with eight points, seven rebounds, and tying a career-high with 16 assists. 

In a venue where he helped clinch two NBA titles, Green provided vintage plays, connecting on a beautiful lob to Marquese Chriss early in the second half. By the end of the third quarter, he was up to 16 assists, helping the Warriors produce their best offensive performance of the season.

Despite a down year, Green has provided solid performances in spurts. In a Christmas Day win over the Rockets, he put together a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson out for most of the season, he's shooting just 38 percent from the field. On Saturday, he reversed course in a rare blowout the Warriors were on the right side of.  

[RELATED: Why Dubs are taking a conservative approach to Steph's return]

Kevon Looney shines in brief return

Looney has been waiting for more than a month to get back into action, often working out after Warriors' home games to overcome his abdominal soreness. In his first game of the calendar year, he showed his importance in a brief stint, finishing with two points and four rebounds in 12 minutes.

Looney entered the game late in the first quarter and immediately made an impact, helping Golden State produce a 15-4 run over his first four minutes of action. By the end of his initial stint, Golden State went from down two points to up four midway through the second quarter. 

The performance was expected. Despite missing 10 games to injury, he's still the team's best frontcourt defender not named Draymond Green. The key to his season will be staying healthy. 

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