Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers tips off on Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena.
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After relatively flat performances from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in the first two games of the series, the Cavs got solid showings from both, who combined for 62 points and 14 assists.
Curry, the league’s top scorer during a record 73-win Warriors season, and Klay Thompson, a 3-point sharpshooter like Curry, have been contained by Cleveland’s defenders, combining to hit 10-of-26 shots from the floor in game three, only 4-of-16 from 3-point range.
The Golden State Warriors were left red in the face after a stunning game three blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but insist their confidence has not been shaken and promise to be better when the NBA Finals resume.
Irving and Smith were a shambles, and Kevin Love – who seems to be the king of injuries when it comes to important games – was sidelined with a concussion that limited his play.
At the start of the game, Curry had more fouls than he did points, and by the end of the game, his 19 points belied his worst three-point shooting game since Game 4 against Oklahoma City.
Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots on Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving during the first half of Game 3 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Cleveland, Wednesday, June 8, 2016. “I’m going to take the day off and get healthy”.
“Well, sometimes it’s just the law of averages”, Kerr said. And while Kerr is right that no one was shouting about the Splash Brothers’ drought as the Warriors were winning Games 1 and 2, the fact that the Cavaliers blew them out 120-90 in Game 3 is certainly a conversation changer, if not a game changer.
They scored 89 and 77 points in losing Games 1 and 2 of the series. “We miss his three-point shooting”, Lue said Thursday.
“I haven’t thought about it yet”, said Lue, who undoubtedly has been playing out scenarios in his head.
“It’s a natural thing”, Curry said.
“We play a lot of people, and we feel like we have a lot of talent on the bench that can come in and score when we need it”, stated Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
“Nothing about my preparation. mentally or physically, was different”, Curry said. The Warriors coach also owned up to the shortcomings of the team for Game 3.
He has appeared in 15 of the Warriors’ 20 postseason contests and has logged as many as 21 minutes in a playoff game.
“Nobody particularly played well in those first two games, so to put that on one individual is unfair”. “I just sprinkled in my production along the whole game”.
“When you have the greatest shooter in the world trying to get an easy one or trying to get in rhythm, it’s our job to try to keep him out, after the whistle or not”, James said. We’re up 2-1. We’re in pretty good shape. “So that’s how we have to play”. We know they’re going to come out and compete.
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“We were”, Curry said. You love to see your teammate doing well and, kind of like in the Thunder series, where he went insane in Game 6 and kept us in it, it got everybody going and everybody feeling good.
