Kevin Durant was an assassin in Game 3, exploding for 43 points on 15-of-23 field goal shooting and hitting a dagger trey late in the game to give the Golden State Warriors a 3-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Finals.

LeBron James put up another masterful all-around game with 33 points on 13-of-26 shooting, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. The triple-double output, however, wasn’t enough to topple the juggernaut that is Golden State, and the Cavs star is very much aware why the Warriors have been nearly unstoppable these past two years.

James said in the press conference via Fox Sports that Durant without a doubt is the ultimate game-changer for the Warriors. The four-time NBA MVP said the All-Star forward brings a lot of things to Golden State because of his elite scoring and playmaking skills-set. “Kevin Durant was my answer,” LeBron said in response to a question about who is the difference-maker in the past two finals. “He’s one of the best players I’ve ever played against, this league has ever seen. His ability to handle the ball, shoot the ball, make plays at his length, size and speed.”

Can LeBron will the Cavs back from this hole?

At this point, it’s just a matter of time before the Warriors are crowned the 2018 NBA champions.

The NBA TV panel of analysts Chris Webber, Charles Barkley, and Grant Hill all think that only a miracle would save the Cavs from a sweep. Of course, the Cavs achieved the improbable two years ago when they climbed back from a 1-3 deficit and stunned the Warriors on their home floor in Game 7. However, the "Gametime" crew is convinced that Cleveland is facing a different animal this time around.

It’s still a sharp-shooting Warriors team, but with a cold-blooded closer in Durant. Cleveland, on the other hand, will live and die with James, who has been breaking all kinds of records in this NBA finals series but still couldn’t buy his team a single win so far. Game 4 will test James’ mettle one more time on Friday (June 8) at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Steph vs KD for finals MVP

Entering Game 3, Stephen Curry was viewed by many NBA analysts as the clear-cut finals MVP frontrunner after scintillating performances in the first two games. The Warriors point guard recorded 29 points, six rebounds, and nine assists in Game 1 and followed it up with 33 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists in Game 2. However, Durant’s scoring explosion in Game 3 made the NBA Finals MVP race wide-open again, especially after a dismal outing from Curry, who finished with 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting (1-of-10 from three-point distance), five rebounds, and six assists.

Paul Pierce, who is serving as an analyst in the ESPN's coverage of the NBA Finals, even believed Durant has already stolen the award from Curry because of that big game.

In fact, Durant has now the better numbers (31.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 6.7 APG) in the finals compared to Curry (24.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 7.7 APG), per ESPN stats.

This situation paves the way for an intriguing storyline in Game 4. Will Durant steal the thunder from his teammate and win a second straight finals MVP? Or will Curry seal the deal with a bounce-back game for the ages?
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