Kevin Durant, Warriors Beat Cavaliers in Game 3; LeBron James Triple-Doubles

Kevin Durant willed the Golden State Warriors to a 110-102 Game 3 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday night to push the defending champions within one win of a repeat.

Durant, who played hero in Game 3 a year ago, made his bid for a second straight Finals MVP with a playoff-career-high 43 points (15-of-23 shooting), including a pull-up dagger from virtually the same spot on the left wing that he sank the Cavs from a year ago. Those efforts were especially welcome since Stephen Curry was in a funk all evening and logged 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting, including 1-of-10 from three. nike nfl apparel

LeBron James (33 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) registered his 10th career Finals triple-double, and although he received steady support from Kevin Love (20 points, 13 rebounds) and Rodney Hood (15 points), Durant was on another level and sent the Cavs spiraling toward the inevitable. kids nfl apparel
The Cavaliers entered Game 3 with eight straight postseason wins to their name at Quicken Loans Arena, and they received all of the contributions necessary to make it nine.

LeBron—although a bit inefficient by his high standards—triple-doubled. Kevin Love was a man possessed in the first half and allowed Cleveland to establish a 15-6 edge on the offensive glass. JR Smith scored a series-high 13 points after posting 15 in Games 1 and 2 combined.

And most importantly, Rodney Hood—who had played a total of seven minutes over the Cavs’ past seven playoff games—made the most of a long-awaited opportunity and dropped 15 points (7-of-11 shooting) in 26 minutes off the bench:

But even with Curry struggling and Klay Thompson limited to 10 points on 11 shots, the balance the Cavaliers have long craved wasn’t enough as the Warriors outscored them by nine points over the final three minutes of regulation. nfl football apparel

In that moment, it became clear once again: The Cavs have to be nearly perfect to sneak past the Warriors. Shots have to fall at higher clips from beyond the arc, and defensive lapses need to be the exception, not the norm. nfl apparel women

“The margin for error is very slim,” James told reporters after the loss. “It’s almost like playing the Patriots.”

Kevin Durant’s bona fides as an alpha have been questioned ever since he signed with the Warriors and started to infringe on the Bay Area territory that used to be reserved solely for Stephen Curry. official nfl apparel

And sure, he doesn’t turn games in an instant the way Curry does. No one in the NBA can. There aren’t three-point avalanches, and a palpable energy doesn’t course through the crowd every time the ball finds his hands in transition.

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