In game 3 of the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers played damn well. LeBron James scored 39 points. Kyrie Irving scored 38. Kevin Love shot just 1-9 from the field but due to his impact on the glass (13 rebounds) and his energy on defense (six steals), probably had his best game of the series. Despite all that (plus 16 points from J.R. Smith), the Cavs were unable to overcome the Golden State Warriors, which has to be demoralizing. LeBron James sounded off on the loss after the game:
LeBron James on the #Warriors: "They have the most firepower I've ever played against. You gotta play your A++ game." pic.twitter.com/TwcV4kWKGO
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) June 8, 2017
“Before the series even started, we knew [were] dealing with – I said it after we won the Eastern Conference Finals – that we’re getting ready for a juggernaut,” James told reporters after the loss. “That’s probably the most firepower I’ve played in my career. I’ve played some great teams, but I don’t think no team has had this type of firepower. Even when you play well, you’ve got to play A++. Because they’re going to make runs and they’re going to make shots and they’ve got guys that are going to make plays. We made enough plays tonight to still win the ballgame, but they made a couple more.”
Game 4 will be on Friday in Cleveland at 9 p.m. ET. No team in NBA playoff history has ever overcome a 3-0 series deficit.
