No team has ever come back to win an NBA playoffs series after trailing 3-0. The San Antonio Spurs entered Saturday night’s game hoping to avoid facing that insurmountable deficit. That’s a task easier said than done, though, when you’re facing perhaps the most potent offense of all time without Kawhi Leonard suiting up.
The Spurs started the game off showing much more heart than they showed in game two. JaVale McGee, of all players, led all scorers after the first quarter with 11 points. Stephen Curry scored six points, connecting on both of his three-pointers including one of his classic threes where he shoots it then super disrespectfully refuses to look at the basket while the shot’s in the air because he knows with absolute certainty that it’s going in.
Stephen Curry didn't have to watch his shot fall ? pic.twitter.com/ky0J4HIOhU
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 21, 2017
David Lee came off the bench and attacked Draymond Green in the post twice with absolutely no fear, scoring four points off the bench before suffering a knee injury and exiting the game. At the end of the first quarter, the Spurs led the Warriors 33-29. Patty Mills and Manu Ginobili scored seven points apiece off the bench for San Antonio.
In the first quarter, Curry became the Warriors’ all-time playoff scoring leader, passing Warriors great Rick Barry:
Stephen Curry has officially passed Rick Barry (1,776) to become the #Warriors' all-time leader in #NBAplayoffs scoring pic.twitter.com/iXqNvl0PBX
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 21, 2017
The Spurs maintained their lead until the 7:32 mark in the second quarter, when a Klay Thompson trey tied up the game. Then, with 7:09 left, the Warriors took the lead after McGee put in a layup off of a sweet lob from Kevin Durant.
The most important part of the second quarter — DAVIS BERTANS DID A THING:
DAVIS BERTANS! HELLO!pic.twitter.com/NcfX2pOXwi
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 21, 2017
The Warriors started to pull away a little bit before the end of the second quarter, leading by as many as 12 points. At the half, the Warriors led 64-55. JaVale McGee led all scorers with 16 points on 6-8 shooting. Durant scored 14 points to go with a game-high six rebounds.
Ginobili led San Antonio with 13 points in just 11 first half minutes, connecting on all four of his shot attempts.
LaMarcus Aldridge, who scored a disappointing six points in the first half, scored eight points in the first 1:47 of the third quarter, pulling the Spurs to within four. The Spurs would get as close as three points away from the Warriors, but by the end of the third quarter, trailed by 12 points, largely thanks to Kevin Durant, who scored 19 points in the quarter. Among those 19 points was this four-point play:
Kevin Durant. 4-point play. Bang.
(Via @clippittv)
pic.twitter.com/ZIotC9YYUP— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 21, 2017
The Spurs didn’t give up in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors were relentless, never quite letting San Antonio get quite within striking range. The Warriors won 120-108. Durant led all scorers with 33 points, and also grabbed 10 rebounds. Curry scored 21, and Thompson scored 17.
Ginobili led San Antonio with 21 points in just 17 minutes, on 7-9 shooting. Pau Gasol recorded a double-double (12 points and 10 rebounds) and LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 points, but on just 7-17 shooting. Aldridge was a game-low minus-27.
The Spurs are now down 3-0, and salvaging this series is all but impossible. The Spurs will do what they can in game 4, but deep down, they have to know that this series is over – Kawhi Leonard or no Kawhi Leonard.
