2017 NBA Finals: Game 3 recap and highlights

In Game 3 of the 2017 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers needed a win to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole. Instead, the Golden State Warriors snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Returning home after losing the first two games of the 2017 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers needed a victory in the comfort of their home arena to climb back into the series. Instead, the Golden State Warriors snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, right when it seemed like they could be human after all.

Closing the game on an 11-0 run, the Dubs turned an early seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter — Cleveland’s largest lead of the series — into a five-point victory, stunning Quicken Loans Arena in a 118-113 win to go up 3-0 in the series.

After surrendering a 3-1 lead in the Finals last year, there will be no letting up from the Warriors, despite no team in NBA history ever losing a 3-0 lead in the championship round.

Kevin Durant led the way with a team-high 31 points, eight rebounds and the final dagger three-pointer that may have sealed away Cleveland’s hopes of repeating. Despite struggling on 8-of-19 shooting, Stephen Curry had 26 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, while Klay Thompson‘s hot hand helped him finish with 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting.

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For the Cavs, it was another wasted masterpiece from LeBron James, who finished with 39 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Unfortunately, they also squandered Kyrie Irving‘s first great game of the series, as the struggling point guard bounced back with 38 points.

But even with a six-point lead with 3:09 to play, Durant and Curry kept chipping away, scoring all of the Warriors’ 11 unanswered points to finish off Game 3.

In the first quarter, the Cavaliers tried to feed off the energy of the home crowd, with J.R. Smith — who had not scored since the very first points of the series and finished the game with 16 points — confidently sinking his first two three-pointers.

In typical fashion, LeBron went on an absolute tear early, starting the game with 15 first quarter points on a nearly perfect 7-of-8 shooting. His pickpocket and ensuing slam on poor JaVale McGee was downright vicious.

Unfortunately for the Cavs, Klay continued his momentum from Game 2, putting up 16 first quarter points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-5 shooting from deep.

One of his three-pointers came courtesy of Tristan Thompson, whose collision with LeBron sent the King to the deck and led to a wide open look from the Warriors.

Cleveland held a two-point advantage when LeBron checked out with 1:49 left in the first period. At that point, the Dubs went on a 10-0 run to close the quarter, turning a two-point deficit into an eight-point lead heading into the second.

Despite six first quarter turnovers and improved defensive effort from the Cavs, Golden State still dropped 39 first quarter points, including nine three-pointers — an NBA Finals record for a single quarter.

LeBron quickly re-entered the game to start the second, continuing his superb play to carry his team.

Five minutes into the second quarter, the King had accounted for 23 of his team’s 45 points on 10-of-11 shooting…compared to 22 points on 5-of-18 shooting for the rest of the Cavs roster.

After two games of hearing about how well Kevin Durant had been playing in their head-to-head matchup, LeBron was doing his part and winning his individual battle.

Unfortunately, once KD and Curry checked back in in the second quarter, the tone predictably shifted back in Golden State’s favor.

Curry’s improbable strip on LeBron in transition was a standout play that seemed to ignite the away side, and his easy feed to Durant in transition a few plays later helped the Dubs extend their lead back to six points.

At the break, Golden State led 67-61, despite 12 turnovers, 14 personal fouls and three fouls (plus a technical) on Draymond Green. Their 12 three-pointers — the most in a single half in NBA Finals history — and 21 assists on 23 made baskets helped cover for those early Game 3 mistakes.

Klay led the way with 21 points on 5-of-7 shooting from deep. Durant added 16 points, while Curry chipped in 14 points, five dimes and four boards. LeBron led the Cavs with 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting.

The key to keeping Cleveland within striking distance was Kyrie Irving coming to life in the second quarter and third quarters. He reached 17 points by halftime on 7-of-13 shooting and his impossible shake-and-bake bucket to end the half helped chop two points off Golden State’s lead, shifting some momentum back to the Cavs.

In the third quarter, where the Dubs had outscored Cleveland 68-44 through the first two games of the series, it was the Cavs who actually came out with more energy and put the pressure on Golden State.

With Kyrie Irving catching fire, Draymond picking up his fourth foul and J.R. Smith and Kevin Love knocking down triples, the Cavs opened the period on a 7-2 run, eventually snagging their first second half lead of the Finals.

As Irving continued to rack up points, the Cavaliers opened up a seven-point lead — their largest of the Finals. Irving’s 16 third quarter points helped take some of the pressure — and physical toll — off LeBron to do everything on offense. Cleveland held a 94-89 advantage heading into the fourth.

After getting outscored by 10 in the third, the Warriors needed a boost in a hostile environment. Unfortunately, Draymond’s fifth foul, Steve Kerr starting the fourth with KD and Curry on the bench, and leaving Ian Clark and rookie Patrick McCaw in for too long helped Cleveland extend its lead back to seven.

Sensing their last opportunity to make it a game, the Warriors went to their Super Death Lineup about halfway through the final frame. But when a Durant triple cut the lead back down to two, Kyrie’s insane three-point play against Thompson gave the Cavs a bit of breathing room once again.

With the Dubs hanging around in a single possession game, a crucial three-pointer from J.R. Smith extended the lead back to six with just over three minutes to play. That’s when everything fell apart for the defending champs, who failed to score the rest of the way.

A Curry layup in transition kept Golden State within four with 2:19 to go, and a KD isolation bucket over Tristan Thompson cut it to two with 1:13 remaining.

Sensing blood in the water, Kevin Durant killed off any remaining happiness in Quicken Loans Arena when he grabbed a rebound, dribbled down the court and drilled a walk-up three right in LeBron James’ face to give his team a one-point lead with less than a minute to go.

When Kyrie couldn’t convert a step-back three on the other end, the Warriors secured the rebound, and with only a two-second differential between the shot clock and the game clock, the Cavs were forced to foul. KD sank both free throws, giving the Warriors a 116-113 advantage with 12 seconds to go.

Cleveland found LeBron James in the corner on the inbounds pass, but Andre Iguodala made the defensive play of the game with a perfect strip as he went up for the three-ball. The ball went out of bounds off the Cavs, Curry made the ensuing free throws and the Dubs secured the stunning 118-113 victory.

Next: Golden State Warriors - 5 keys to winning the 2017 NBA Finals

Game 4 will be at Quicken Loans Arena on Friday, as the Cavaliers look to stave off elimination and the Warriors looking to finish off a potential championship with a perfect 16-0 run through the playoffs.