Tyronn Lue Discusses Kevin Durant's Role in NBA Finals, Blowing Game 3

The Golden State Warriors scored the final 11 points in their 118-113 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Wednesday's Game 3 of the NBA Finals, causing Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue to rue the missed opportunity.

"We had a game we felt we had won and we let it slip away, but you have to give credit to those guys," per Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet.

Lue also recognized "That's why they brought him here for those situations" when talking about Durant, per Rachel Nichols of ESPN.

Durant scored seven of Golden State's 11 points in the closing stretch, three of which came on the biggest shot of the game. Cleveland was ahead by two in the final minute when Durant pulled up from three and drained it, silencing the home crowd and giving the visitors the lead for good.

It is seemingly unfair to add a player with those capabilities to a core that set an NBA record with 73 wins last season, and the Cavaliers appear to be simply outmatched.

Still, Lue recognized his team let a chance to win at Quicken Loans Arena slip away considering it received impressive performances from LeBron James (39 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists) and Kyrie Irving (38 points). What's more, Golden State was sloppy at times with 18 turnovers, which allowed the Cavaliers to keep pace with the visitors for long stretches.

The blueprint for Cleveland was marquee games from its two biggest superstars and a mistake-prone performance from the Warriors, similar to what fans saw when it overcame a 3-1 deficit in last year's Finals.

However, Durant wasn't on Golden State last season. He reminded Cleveland fans and its coach of his presence in a big way Wednesday.