Key Takeaways from Golden State Warriors' Game 3 Loss to Cleveland Cavaliers

Despite trailing by 20 points in the second half, the Golden State Warriors attempted a ferocious comeback that fell short in a 96-91 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Now, after being considered heavy favorites, the Warriors are in a 2-1 hole and on the brink of desperation. 

The Warriors we've seen over the last two games haven't looked much like the team that won 67 games in the regular season and burned through the Western Conference playoffs. 

Cleveland has taken Golden State out of its comfort zone, and it'll be up to Steve Kerr to find ways for his team to adjust. 

Let's look at some key takeaways for Golden State after Game 3. 

The Bigs Still Struggled

The Warriors actually won the overall rebounding battle, 46-43. But the Warriors big men still couldn't keep the Cavaliers off the glass, primarily Tristan Thompson, who had 13 rebounds. 

SB Nation's Dan Rubenstein recognized Thompson's ferocity on the glass, which Golden State hasn't been able to match.

"

Few people want anything in life as much as Tristan Thompson wants offensive rebounds.

— Dan Rubenstein (@DanRubenstein) June 10, 2015"

The Warriors frontcourt has been outworked and outmanned by the Cavaliers this whole series, and Game 3 was no exception. Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli haven't played with nearly the same effort and physicality as Thompson and Mozgov in terms of their rebounding and defensive play. 

But they were also unable to take advantage of offensive opportunities when Cleveland double-teamed on the perimeter.

The bright spot for the Warriors frontcourt was David Lee, who saw increased minutes in Game 3. Lee found a way to operate in the Golden State offense and give them a spark off the bench.

In his postgame press conference, Kerr said that Lee will have an increased role going forward. 

Green and Barnes Have Disappeared

It's no secret that the Cavaliers have done an excellent job defending Stephen Curry in this series. 

But when a team sells out to contain a star player, it's the responsibility of role players to make plays and force the defense to alleviate some of that pressure.

As key role players, Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes were absent on the offensive end and couldn't even make the Cleveland defense respect them in the half court. 

The Cavaliers consistently hedged screens on Curry, giving Barnes and Green room to work inside the arc. 

But the Warriors most important role players combined for just seven points, all of which came from Green.

Ian Ebert noted how badly the struggles of Green and Barnes handicapped the Warrior offense. 

Green has been dealing with a back injury that may be affecting his play, according to Warriors sideline reporter Rosalyn Gold-Onwude. 

Green and Barnes are both crucial to the flow of the Warriors offense. If neither of them can find a way to break out, Cleveland will have no problem defending Golden State for the rest of the series.

The MVP Might Be Back

Despite the disappointing loss, Curry's fourth-quarter performance was a silver lining for Golden State in Game 3.  

Curry's struggles continued in the first half, in which he scored just three points on 1-of-6 shooting. 

With his team trailing in the fourth quarter, the Stephen Curry that we're used to seeing decided to make an appearance. Curry was finally able to shake the Cavs' stingy defense, pouring in 17 points and five threes. 

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith confirmed that the MVP looks to be back in this series. 

Curry's return also had Grantland's Shea Serrano looking forward to seeing more from the MVP for the remainder of the series. 

In his postgame presser, Curry acknowledged that he was able to adjust to Cleveland's defense:

"I think I found something when it comes to how I'm going to be able to attack their pick-and-rolls," Curry said. "I'll keep that in the memory bank going into Game 4."

Going forward, Golden State will be glad to have Curry back at his best to stretch the Cavalier defense and lead the Warriors out of their current offensive rut. 

If Curry wants to live up to his MVP title, he'll have to be the one to resurrect the Warriors offense and bring his team back into this series.