Cavaliers vs. Warriors: Game 3 Date, Live-Stream Schedule, Start Time and Pick
In the end, these NBA Finals continue to prove there is only so much one man can do—even a king.
LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers did the impossible last year, but as is always the case, it is time to redefine what classifies as such. Right now, the Cavaliers taking even one game from these Golden State Warriors ahead of the third attempt on Wednesday night seems unlikely.
It may seem like hyperbole, but only to those who didn't catch Game 1. Or Game 2. We're talking about 113-91 and 132-113 outcomes that aren't as similar to last year's series as some in the greater Cleveland area might hope.
This, if it isn't already, should make itself known over the rest of the series, where Game 5 and on now very much fall into the "if necessary" category:
- Game 3: Golden State at Cleveland, Wednesday, June 7, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, streaming on WatchESPN
- Game 4: Golden State at Cleveland, Friday, June 9, at 9 p.m. on ET ABC, streaming on WatchESPN
- Game 5 (if necessary): Cleveland at Golden State, Monday, June 12, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, streaming on WatchESPN
- Game 6 (if necessary): Golden State at Cleveland, Thursday, June 15, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, streaming on WatchESPN
- Game 7 (if necessary): Cleveland at Golden State, Sunday, June 18, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, streaming on WatchESPN
The above sounds all doom and gloom from a Cavaliers perspective, but it's for good reason. Sunday night was earmarked as an event where the defending champions would show off brilliant tactical adjustments to counteract Kevin Durant and the Warriors, making this an interesting series and living up to its historic billing.
Those hoping for such an angle will have to keep waiting.
Instead, James dropped 29 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists in the blowout. It was easy to see how dire the situation was at halftime, as illustrated by HoopsHabit's Gerald Bourguet:
Stop if you've heard this before—James simply doesn't have anything else around him. Kevin Love scored 27 points but got routinely abused inside. Kyrie Irving looks like he's playing some of the worst basketball of his career coming off a game in which he scored 19 on an 8-of-23 line.
Veterans meant to help the second unit, such as Deron Williams and Richard Jefferson, might as well be invisible, and supposed Durant-stoppers like Iman Shumpert and others can't even take the floor because of Golden State's lineup.
It's understandable, then, if James was a bit testy in interviews after the game, as captured by NBA TV:
The man's only human, both in his ability and patience.
The stressors aren't hard to figure out.
Fresh off 38 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in Game 1, Durant dropped another 33, 13 and six Sunday night, bumping his shooting percentage to 59.1 percent and again hitting half of his attempts from deep, going 4-of-8.
Durant is the main reason the Cavaliers can't adapt like they did a year ago. But it certainly helps that Stephen Curry woke up for a 32-point line in Game 2, grabbing 10 boards and dishing 11 assists in the process.
"It seemed like it's personal for both of them," Draymond Green said, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "And you are talking two of the greatest players that we got in this world locked in the way they are, that's why we're up 2-0."
Lost in the hype surrounding Golden State's two best players, it's easy to forget Klay Thompson just flew under the radar while breaking out of his shooting slump, scoring 22 on 4-of-7 shooting from deep. The Warriors also keep getting respectable outputs from guys like JaVale McGee, Shaun Livingston and Ian Clark.
Like most stressed after Game 1, adjustments are the major key for the Cavaliers going into Game 3. Being at home is simply a bonus. As LeBron himself told the media Sunday night, there are bright spots the team can focus on while trying to make a comeback, according to the Los Angeles Times' Tania Ganguli.
"It got a little out of control toward the end, but we're not worried about that. We made runs; we cut it to four at one point and then they went on a quick 9-0 run or 12-0 run. That's what they do. ... If you make a mistake—we had a turnover, it came from me, then we had a miscue and the floods opened again," James said.
But that's the point, right? The Warriors magnify any Cleveland mistake. The Cavaliers can't do the same. Sunday, the Warriors turned the ball over 20 times to Cleveland's nine and still blew them away. Shooting 51.7 percent from the floor and taking the battle on the glass 53-41 has a way of compensating.
Picking Game 3 should follow a similar pattern, regardless of locale. Anyone watching for the duration of Sunday night's blowout could see LeBron was visibly gassed down the stretch. This series, thanks to Durant, is simply asking him to do too much on both ends of the court.
For the Cavaliers to win, LeBron needs to be his usual scoring self on that end of the court, then find a way to shut down a former MVP like Durant on the opposite end.
It's not happening. The Cavaliers don't have anyone who can stick on Durant alone and let LeBron run wild. These Warriors were constructed to create this dilemma. In Cleveland, it'll shine through on Wednesday night once again. A home-crowd boost will keep this one closer, but the Warriors are gunning for 16-0 and won't slow now.
Prediction: Warriors 126, Cavaliers 117
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