LeBron James cops devastating NBA Finals loss
LeBron James faces a humiliating NBA Finals sweep against his bitter rivals after a game three collapse | VIDEO
NBA Finals 2017, Golden State Warriors v Cleveland Cavaliers game three: Hello and welcome to live coverage of game three in the best-of-seven series. Golden State have scored a dramatic 118-113 win to move one win away from a historic sweep. They lead the series 3-0. Game four will be played on Saturday morning, Australian time.
• Golden State’s historic finals run
Below is a game three wrap, and details of how the contest unfolded:
Kevin Durant scored 31 points, seven of them in the closing minutes, and the Golden State Warriors beat Cleveland 118-113 Wednesday, seizing command of the NBA Finals and extending their undefeated playoff run in dramatic fashion.
The Warriors scored the last 11 points to stretch their record playoff win streak this season to 15-0 and grabbed a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Golden State, which also had 30 points from Klay Thompson and 26 from Stephen Curry, would become the first team in NBA history to make an unbeaten playoff run to the crown by winning game four on Friday in Cleveland.
No team in NBA playoff history has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series, although the Cavaliers did become the first team in NBA Finals history to rally from a 3-1 hole to swipe the crown over Golden State last year.
The Warriors, already on the longest playoff win streak in NBA history, set the North American sports playoff win streak mark with their 15th consecutive triumph, moving past the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins’ 14-game run from the 1992 and 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs.
LeBron James scored 39 points and Kyrie Irving added 38 to lead the Cavaliers. Cleveland’s J.R. Smith sank a 3-pointer to give the Cavaliers a 113-107 lead, but the Warriors scored 11 points in the final 2:20 for the fightback triumph.
Durant, seeking his first career title after joining the Warriors from Oklahoma City last July, and Curry scored on drives to the hoop to pull Golden State within two.
Key 3-pointer
Durant then followed a Kyle Korver 3-pointer miss for Cleveland with a tension-packed 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining that put the Warriors ahead 114-113.
“That was liberating right there,” Durant said of his dramatic 3-pointer that lifted the Warriors ahead to stay.
“All I was looking at was the bottom of the net and I made sure my feet were behind the 3-point line.” Irving missed an off-balance 3-pointer and Durant and Curry each made two free throws on the next Golden State possessions to seal Cleveland’s fate.
“We just wanted to hang around,” Durant said. “We settled down and got some stops at the end.” A 10-0 Cleveland run early in the third quarter brought the Cavaliers their first lead of the finals beyond the opening quarter, Kevin Love’s 3-pointer closing the spurt to put the hosts ahead 71-69.
Irving netted 16 points in the third and instead of falling well back as they had in the third periods of both prior games, the Cavs outscored Golden State 33-22 and seized their biggest edge so far in the finals, up 94-89 after three quarters.
James had 27 first-half points and Irving 17, but no one else had more than six for the Cavs.
Klay Thompson led Golden State with 21 points in the first half, sinking 5-of-7 from 3-point range, while Durant added 16 and Curry 14 off 4-of-6 3-point shooting.
Golden State sank an NBA Finals record nine 3-pointers in the first quarter, four of them by Thompson, who scored 16 points in the opening period.
James went 7-of-8 from the floor for 16 points in the first quarter, but when he went to the bench late in the period the Warriors closed it with a 10-0 run to lead 39-32, Curry sinking two 3-pointers in the spurt.
Thompson and Curry sank back-to-back 3-pointers late in the second quarter to boost the Warriors lead, but Irving’s inside bank shot pulled Cleveland within 67-61 at half-time.
2.50pm: The Warriors’ march of greatness
A game-by-game look at the Golden State Warriors’ 2017 NBA playoff win streak, which became the longest in North American pro sports playoff history:
First Round
April 16: Golden State 121 Portland 109
April 19: Golden State 110 Portland 81
April 22: Golden State 119 Portland 113
April 24: Golden State 128 Portland 103
Second Round
May 2: Golden State 106 Utah 94
May 4: Golden State 115 Utah 104
May 6: Golden State 102 Utah 91
May 8: Golden State 121 Utah 95
Western Conference Finals
May 14: Golden State 113 San Antonio 111
May 16: Golden State 136 San Antonio 100
May 20: Golden State 120 San Antonio 108
May 22: Golden State 129 San Antonio 115
NBA Finals
June 1: Golden State 113 Cleveland 91
June 4: Golden State 132 Cleveland 113
June 7: Golden State 118 Cleveland 113
June 9: Golden State at Cleveland.
2.15pm: Durant delivers
Kevin Durant scored 31 points, seven of them in the closing minutes, and the Golden State Warriors beat Cleveland 118-113, seizing command of the NBA Finals and extending their undefeated playoff run in dramatic fashion.
The Warriors scored the last 11 points to stretch their record playoff win streak this season to 15-0 and grabbed a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Golden State, which also had 30 points from Klay Thompson and 26 from Stephen Curry, would become the first team in NBA history to make an unbeaten playoff run to the crown by winning game four on Friday in Cleveland.
No team in NBA playoff history has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series, although the Cavaliers did become the first team in NBA Finals history to rally from a 3-1 hole to swipe the crown over Golden State last year.
The Warriors, already on the longest playoff win streak in NBA history, set the North American sports playoff win streak mark with their 15th consecutive triumph, moving past the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins’ 14-game run from the 1992 and 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs.
LeBron James scored 39 points and Kyrie Irving added 38 to lead the Cavaliers.
2pm: Warriors stay perfect
Kevin Durant made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 45 seconds left and the Golden State Warriors took a 3-0 in the NBA Finals by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-113. Durant scored 31 points and Klay Thompson had 30 for the Warriors, who improved to 15-0 in the postseason and are on the brink of the first undefeated finish in the NBA. Stephen Curry had 26 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
LeBron James had 39 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Cavaliers, and Kyrie Irving added 38 points. Blown out in the first two games, the Cavaliers were much better in Game 3, but just not good enough to beat a team that could go down as one of the best ever. Game 4 is in Cleveland on Friday night.
1.50pm: Cavs collapse
The Golden State Warriors have beaten the Cleveland Cavaliers in game three 118-113. They lead the series 3-0.
1.25pm: Kyrie steps up
The Cleveland Cavaliers have survived the third quarter in the NBA Finals. After getting blown out in that period in the first two games of the series, Cleveland won the third quarter of Game 3 and takes a 94-89 lead into the fourth quarter.
LeBron James has 32 points, seven assists and six rebounds, Kyrie Irving has 33 points and the Cavaliers are hanging on for dear life in a game they know they cannot afford to lose. Irving’s incredible driving layup through four Warriors whipped Quicken Loans Arena into a frenzy and gave Cleveland a seven-point lead late in the quarter.
The Warriors have hit 13 3-pointers, but Draymond Green has four fouls and Golden State has turned the ball over 17 times to let Cleveland hang around. It’s the first truly competitive game of the Finals, a welcome sight for the NBA after an entire playoffs filled with blowouts.
1.10pm: Cavs bounce back
A glimmer of hope for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Last year’s Finals turned with Draymond Green’s suspension. Now Green has four fouls midway through the third quarter of Game 3. Cleveland leads 80-79 and Green’s foul trouble has to be a little unnerving for the Warriors in their first road game of the Finals.
The volatile Green has been under control for the most part throughout these playoffs. But he lost his cool in the first half, picking up a technical foul late in the second quarter after arguing for a foul call on Kyrie Irving. The defensive wizard picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter, but he is so important to what these Warriors do that coach Steve Kerr kept him in the game.
Kevin Love snapped an 0-for-5 start with a 3-pointer that gave Cleveland a 71-69 lead with nine minutes to play in the quarter, the first time they’ve held a lead in a quarter other than the first in this series.
Irving is up to 27 points and LeBron James has 27.
Steph Curry has 20 points and has hit 5 of 7 3s for Golden State.
12.40pm: James’s solo effort not enough
It’s a shootout in Cleveland, which is just fine with Golden State. The Warriors lead the Cavaliers 67-61 at halftime of Game 3. Both teams are shooting over 50 per cent from the field in another high-scoring affair.
Klay Thompson has 21 points, Kevin Durant has 16 and Steph Curry has 14 for the Warriors, who hit 12 3-pointers in the first two quarters.
LeBron James has been sensational again for Cleveland, scoring 27 points on 11-for-14 shooting. In doing so, he passed Elgin Baylor and Bill Russell on the career finals scoring list.
Kyrie Irving got going in the second quarter and has 17 points, but he made a critical mistake on defence late in the quarter that gave the Warriors an edge. Irving left Thompson open behind the 3-point line to try to swipe a steal from Zaza Pachulia in the post and Thompson buried the 3 to give Golden State an eight-point lead.
12.25pm: Cavs face another deficit
The Golden State Warriors have a 67-61 lead at half-time. Klay Thompson has 21 points for the visitors, while Kevin Durant has 16 and Steph Curry 14. LeBron James has 27 points, while Kyrie Irving has 17.
Kyrie is unreal. The handles, and the finish at the buzzer #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/w8GOIgmGbD
— NBA Lowdown (@NBALowdown) June 8, 2017
12.10pm: Visitors stay ahead
Kyle Korver is dunking, LeBron James is hitting everything in sight and Cleveland has forced nine turnovers in the first 18 minutes of Game 3. And yet, the Warriors still lead.
Golden State holds a 46-45 advantage midway through the second quarter, thanks to some timely baskets from David West and 16 assists on 17 made baskets. James has 23 points on 10-for-11 shooting and the Cavaliers are shooting 50 per cent from the field. So many things are going right for them in their first home game of the series. But the margin for error is so small against a Warriors machine that has steamrolled through the playoffs.
Korver brought the crowd to its feet with a dunk — just his second of the season — and James scored on a spectacular left-handed reverse layup to win a one-on- one matchup with Kevin Durant.
Klay Thompson has 18 points for the Warriors.
11.50am: Golden touch
The Warriors are making it rain in Cleveland. Golden State hit an NBA Finals record nine 3-pointers in the first quarter to take a 39-32 lead over the Cavaliers early in the second quarter. The shooting barrage comes one game after they hit a finals record 18 from long range in Game 2.
Klay Thompson scored 16 points in the quarter and hit 4 of 5 shots from deep. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant each hit two 3s and Andre Iguodala added one as well. The great shooting has helped Golden State absorb quite a punch from LeBron James in the opening 12 minutes.
James scored 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the first quarter, including a vicious dunk over Durant and JaVale McGee.
J.R. Smith has added a pair of 3s for Cleveland, but James is going to need a lot more help if Cleveland is going to take its first game of the series.
11.45am: Warriors lead 39-31 after first quarter
The Warriors have absorbed an early run from the Cavs and responded with some shots of their own. Klay Thompson has 16 points, LeBron James 16.
11.35am: Role players step up
J.R. Smith reporting for duty in the NBA Finals.
After hitting his first shot of Game 1, the Cavaliers sharpshooter had not made a shot in only five attempts over the next 95 minutes of game action. But Smith has shown up early in Game 3 Wednesday night, hitting his first two 3-pointers to help the Cavaliers take an early 21-19 lead in the first quarter. LeBron James is off to a fast start as well, which is nothing new. He has 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting. James was shaken up when teammate Tristan Thompson inadvertently hit him with a shoulder to the chest, but hopped up and didn’t miss any action after the collision.
Kevin Durant has hit his first three shots, including two 3s, for the Warriors.
11.25am: Tight early
Midway through the first quarter there isn’t much between the teams. It’s 19-19 after a Klay Thompson three-pointer. Cleveland got off to a good start, but the Warriors are not letting them get too far ahead.
11.10am: We’re underway
J.R. Smith with his first basket since game 1! #DefendTheLand Follow @ChatSports for more #NBAFinals highlights! pic.twitter.com/D7qtUU3rGg
— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) June 8, 2017
11.05am: Star spotting
There hasn’t been a Rihanna sighting at game three. But there are a few celebrities in the building, including Usher and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Golfers Bubba Watson and Jason Day were also among the celebs mingling courtside before Wednesday night’s matchup. They posed for several photographs with Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer, who is from nearby Ashtabula and has attended Cavs games in the past.
When the Warriors arrived, Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr were greeted at the security checkpoint by former pro wrestler Ric “The Nature Boy” Flair. But actor Michael Rapaport, a die-hard Warriors, may have made the biggest impression on Cavs’ fans. He came in carrying a broom and exchanged some words with one fan who wasn’t happy about his brash gesture.
11am: The Wariors
Tonight's Warriors starters:
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) June 8, 2017
🀠#NBAFinals - Game 3
📺 @ABCNetwork
📻 @957thegame
📱 https://t.co/ZkjPJj14fy
📠Cleveland, OH pic.twitter.com/t3DUvEfmwn
11am: Cavs line-up
KYRIE.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) June 8, 2017
JR.
LEBRON.
KEVIN.
TRISTAN.
It's time to #DefendTheLand, Cleveland! pic.twitter.com/4RqNksca0W
Preview
LeBron James isn’t changing his game. Tyronn Lue isn’t changing his line-up. The Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t slowing down.
Defiant in the face of a 2-0 deficit to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, the defending champions are sticking with their plan. They may have no choice.
Back home after being outrun and outgunned by the Warriors, who won games one and two by a combined 41 points, the Cavs find themselves in the same predicament they were in last year.
This time, though, the hole feels deeper because Kevin Durant is now leading a team seeking revenge after blowing a 3-1 lead in last year’s Finals. Still, Lue believes his team can equal the Warriors’ frenetic pace and turn the series around as they did in 2016.
“We just have to take care of the basketball,” Lue said Tuesday after the Cavs practised at Quicken Loans Arena.
“I think taking good shots when we’re playing with pace and not turning the basketball over, letting them get out in transition.
“So that’s our game. We’re not going to change our game because of who we’re playing.
“I’m confident that we can play that way, and we did it last year. “A lot of people said we couldn’t, but that’s our game.
“That’s who we are, and we’re not going to change just because we’re playing Golden State.” According to ESPN’s research, the pace of play in the first two games was faster than in any of James’ previous 212 career post-season games. The first quarter of game two in which the Warriors outscored the Cavs 40-34 and the teams combined for 130 possessions, was the fastest of James’ career — spanning 5,100 quarters.
It’s no wonder James, who is averaging 28.5 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, appeared gassed in the second half.
Cleveland prefer to play at a high tempo too, and while that would seem to play into a trap with Golden State, James is adamant the Cavs aren’t pumping their brakes.
“That’s not our game. We don’t play slowdown basketball,” James said. “We play at our pace. We play our game.
“We got to this point playing our way.
“We have won a lot of games playing the way we play, so we’re not going to change.” Cleveland’s losses in Oakland appear lopsided, but star guard Kyrie Irving said the tape revealed some positives.
“When you watch it, it doesn’t necessarily seem as bad because you understand that the things that you can’t control,” he said.
“They’re just kind of boneheaded plays that you are just like, ‘Oh, man, we can be better.’ “Whether they’re speeding us up or whether they’re getting in our chest or challenging us, we need to hit back.
“And it’s just as simple as that.”
Additional reporting: AP/AFP
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