The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors faced off at the Quicken Loans Arena for game 3 of the NBA Finals. The Cavaliers gave it their all against the opponent, but came out with a deflating loss and are now down 3-0 in the series.
The Warriors played a big game and gave it their all behind their star Kevin Durant to pull out a win. The dominant team will be looking to close out the series, while the Cavaliers fight on.
Kyrie Irving's valued performance
Kyrie Irving showed up for the team tonight after not playing well for the first two games.
Irving poured in 38 points, along with six rebounds and three assists. Kyrie was able to get to the rim and finish in the paint, as well as sinking some jumpers. It was not enough although for the Cavs to win.
LeBron James played like the king
LeBron James is still the king of basketball, and he played like it tonight. He finished the night with 39 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. LeBron had his way finishing in the paint and sinking jumpers. No matter what he could do, it was still not enough. There is nothing more that he can do against this superhuman team.
It is stunning that the Cavaliers still managed to lose because the whole team was involved and contributed to the game. J.R. Smith who did not play well the entire series showed up tonight and put up 16 points on 5 of 10 shooting.
Kyle Korver played much better in the series ending the game with 8 points on 3 of 7 shooting. The game came down to the final minutes where the Cavaliers could not execute, shots did not fall, and the Warriors defense reigned over.
Kevin Durant puts the dagger into the Cavaliers
Kevin Durant hit a special basket to go up by one against the Cavaliers sinking a three-pointer.
Durant sunk the jumper with a hand in his face. It is clear that he wants to win his first ever championship. He has been waiting for this moment his whole life since not being able to do it for many years. KD sunk the jumper with the game on the line and with all the pressure. It seems clear that he was the one puzzle piece that the Warriors needed to defeat the Cavs.
Durant was the highest scorer on the team finishing with 31 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Klay Thompson also contributed with 30 points, six rebounds, and two assists. The Cavs have had no answer for him in the entirety of the series on the defensive end. There is talk that Durant is being called the greatest player alive, even being better than the messiah LBJ.
Warriors are becoming a dynastic team
Along with the Warriors taking a commanding 3 to 0 lead, it is safe to say that they are going to win the series. No team has come back to win in the Finals being down three games to 0. The Cavaliers have had a lot of energy drained from them, and they are now facing a sweep. They gave their best punch, and it was not enough.
They lost a crucial game to stay in the series.
There are many questions to be asked for the Warriors although. Will they be able to keep their team together? Will they be able to be great for many years? Can the team win much more rings? Can Durant pass LeBron for the amount of rings? Is LeBron declining as a player? Will LeBron leave the Cavaliers in the future and build his own super team on stunning the Warriors?
Not only are the Warriors thriving, but we see a super team that can reign for many years in the NBA. The team is truly something special being able to defeat a team from all angles. Additionally, competition in the NBA will diminish significantly. The Warriors are also emerging more and more like the true villains. Durant will have his first ever ring this year, and the Warriors will win the trophy since being embarrassed last year. It is evident they have learned their lesson and have built a noteworthy team.