Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Takeaways From Game 3 vs. Warriors

Jun 8, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson (24) celebrates with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dahntay Jones (30) after defeating the Golden State Warriors 120-90 in game three of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jun 8, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles the ball as Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) defends during the third quarter in game three of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Cavs Finally Show Heart On Defense

During the first two games of this series, the Cavaliers didn’t play well from a defensive standpoint to say the least. In addition to the disparity on the scoreboard, the Warriors’ offense ran circles around the Cavs, shooting 50 and 54 percent, respectively.

In Game 3, however, the Cavaliers stepped up their intensity on defense. They limited the Warriors to just 42 percent shooting, including 9-for-33 (27 percent) from beyond the arc.

The Cavaliers were a bit more physical in this contest and they did a much better job of closing out on shooters compared to what we saw in Games 1 and 2.

Furthermore, the Cavaliers forced 18 turnovers that led to 34 points for the home team, something that was not lost on Steve Kerr.

"“We weren’t ready to play,” Kerr said, via LarryBrownSports.com. “Obviously they just punched us right in the mouth, right in the beginning. We were turning the ball over like crazy. We were extremely soft to start the game, and they set the tone with their intensity. I think it was 9-0 and we had to call a timeout. Steph (Curry) got beat backdoor, a couple turnovers … just a horrible way to start.”"

Now that we know the Cavaliers do have a pulse when it comes the playing defense. The question is can they duplicate this effort going forward?

Next: No. 3

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