The Cleveland Cavaliers are in trouble, and so is LeBron James. After losing the first two games of the NBA Finals, the Cavaliers hosted the Warriors for Game 3 of their Finals matchup at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. The Cavs were hoping they can perform better than they did in the first two games and avoid being down 3-0 with a potential win in Game 3. Unfortunately for them, that didn't happen. The Warriors celebrated a 118-113 win on Wednesday night, and now hold a convincing 3-0 lead in this year's NBA Finals. It was a huge game for both sides, especially for Cleveland, as they knew it would be almost impossible to come back from a 3-0 deficit against this Warriors team.
LeBron James also knows this, and he is aware of the greatness of his opponent. Although James played a great game on Wednesday night, it wasn't enough. He finished with 39 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists but his Cavaliers still lost. Even after this heroic performance by LeBron James, and Kyrie Irving's 38 points, the Warriors were too much to handle and many are wondering if this Golden State team is one of the best ever?
The best team LeBron's ever played against?
After Game 3 loss, James talked to the media in a postgame interview. When asked about whether he thinks this was Cleveland's best chance of winning a game in this series, James said: "For me personally, I gave everything I had tonight.
Win, lose or draw - you live with the results. They played a really good game as well." Later on, LeBron was asked about the greatness of this Golden State team and what it takes to beat them. This is what he said: "It's probably the most firepower I've played in my career. I played against some great teams, but I don't think no team has had this type of firepower."
Game 4 on Friday night
In last year's Finals, Cleveland was down 3-1 to the Warriors and they came back to win the title in Game 7 on the road.
This year it's a bit different, since Golden State added Kevin Durant to their roster. The Warriors now hold a 3-0 lead with Game 4 to be played on Friday night in Cleveland and they will look to seal the deal and sweep the Cavaliers. It would be a big blow for LeBron's legacy if he gets swept in the Finals this year, but the 2017 Golden State Warriors are just that good.
They are yet to be defeated this postseason, and could become the first team in NBA history to win the championship without a single loss throughout the playoffs.
In his postgame interview after Game 3, LeBron James claimed he is not tired and sounded frustrated as he said: "I gave everything that I had, both mentally and physically." It's like he's saying 'What more can I do?'
On Friday night the Cavaliers will need an even better performance from James and his teammates, if they want to stay alive in this series. The Cavs will surely give it their all and we're expecting a game for the ages. Stay tuned!