NBA Finals 2018: Updated Schedule and Predictions for Warriors vs. Cavaliers

Is it time to bring the brooms out?

It sure looks that way.

Last year, it was the same scenario. The Golden State Warriors took a commanding 3-0 lead after outlasting the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-113 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, and this year, history repeated itself, with the Warriors going up 3-0 after logging a 110-102 come-from-behind win over the Cavs.

And to add insult to injury, it was the same player, Kevin Durant, who hit nearly the same shot from the same spot on the wing that ended up being the dagger.

With 54.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter and his team up 103-100, Durant called for a high pick-and-roll with Andre Iguodala to create space from Rodney Hood. And before Iggy could get there, he dribbled left and rose for a three-pointer nearly five feet behind the arc and sank the shot.

It put Golden State up 106-100, and for all intents and purposes, put the series to bed.

The shot was eerily reminiscent of the heartbreaker he hit over LeBron James in last year's Game 3.

As Cleveland looks to avoid the sweep with Game 4 in their house, the Cavs are fighting for their playoff lives, as every game from this point on is a must-win.

Here we'll take a quick look at the remaining games on the schedule, the latest odds, according to OddsShark and the latest buzz surrounding the Finals.

2018 NBA Finals: Remaining Schedule

Game 4: Golden State at Cleveland—Friday, June 8 @ 9 p.m.

Game 5*: Cleveland at Golden State—Monday, June 11 @ 9 p.m.

Game 6*: Golden State at Cleveland—Thursday, June 14 @ 9 p.m.

Game 7*: Cleveland at Golden State—Sunday, June 17 @ 8 p.m.

*If necessary.

All games televised on ABC and available for streaming at WatchESPN.

Odds for Game 4

Golden State: -5.5

Cleveland: +5.5

Prediction: Warriors, 121-109

Series Prediction: Warriors win in four games.

If Klay Thompson is Mr. Game 6, it's becoming increasingly clear that Durant is Mr. Game 3.

Knowing that they had to come out and endure the Cavaliers' gut punch and hang around in order to have a chance at the end of the game, the Warriors did just that.

That plan worked, but it worked because of Durant, who answered every time Cleveland went on a run.

It was another defining moment from the second-best basketball player in the world.

"Kevin was the story in the first half just keeping us in it," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, per Sports Illustrated's Rohan Nadkarni. "And Kevin was the story in the second half, closing it out."

In addition to the 13 rebounds and seven assists, the four-time scoring champ finished with a playoff career-high 43 points on the night. It wasn't just the points total that was impressive but also how he got those points.

He went 15-for-23 from the field, converting on 12-of-20 on contested shots and 11-for-15 outside the paint. The rest of the team was 4-for-23.

"That was amazing," Kerr added. "Some of those shots, I don't think anyone in the world can hit those shots but him. He was incredible."

Durant was so lethal with his shot that he was able to create easy attempts for his teammates when defenders tried to close in.

The Warriors were 7-for-9 off Durant's passes, and six of his seven assists led to uncontested shots.

On a night when Stephen Curry and Thompson were less than stellar, scoring only 21 points combined, it took a mammoth game from Durant and an all-around scoring performance from the others to take a commanding 3-0 lead. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Golden State is the first team to take a 3-0 series lead in back-to-back NBA Finals in history.

Durant was the only Warrior to finish with more than 11 points.

Curry, who broke the record for most made three-pointers in the Finals with nine Sunday, could only hit one in Game 3, but it was important.

"Even though we held Steph to one three tonight, the one he made was huge," James said after the game. "Huge."

Game 4 is on Friday, and between now and then, the narrative will likely be that Cleveland is somehow still nursing a Game 1 hangover and just may not be able to overcome it in time.

There will be speculation about whether James leaves town whether they win or lose, and there will be more talk about JR Smith's bonehead play and how it all seemed to slip away in that one moment of confusion.

But if there's any player on the planet who can stop the brooms from sweeping up what's left of the Cavs, it's James.

Much will be made of the fact James doesn't have enough help to fell the Warriors outside of Kevin Love, who finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Too bad James can't just continue to pass the ball to himself all game.

But James, who finished with another triple-double—33 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists—will do what he can to shake off another tough loss in a winnable game, nurse his twisted ankle and injured eye back to health and come out and try to extend the series for at least one more game.

No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series in NBA history, so the deck is stacked against James pulling off the impossible.

His goal is simple: make sure his potential last game in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform at Quicken Loans Arena doesn't end in a loss.

We'll all be watching, but what we will witness remains to be seen.