In game 3 of the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers finally gave the Golden State Warriors the game that everyone around the league had been expecting. The Cavs blew out the Dubs 120-90 after their own 33 point trouncing in game 2, getting a game back on the Warriors, making the series 2-1.
Perhaps the most stunning part of the game, apart from the 63 point turnaround from game 2 by the Cavs, was the disappearing act by unanimous league MVP Stephen Curry. The Dayton guard turned in one of his worst first half performances of the season Wednesday night, having only two points on 1-5 shooting against 3 turnovers. Pundits and observers around the league were quick to comment.
I cannot believe how awful @StephenCurry30 looks tonight. Worse game I've seen him play — EVER. And Klay isn't much better tonight.
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) June 9, 2016
This is probably the worst I’ve seen Curry play in a very long time.
— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) June 9, 2016
Many current and former players around the league had takes on the game as well.
If Steph & Klay don't have big games in Game 4, there's no way they can win in Cleveland & the series will go back to Golden State tied 2-2.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 9, 2016
Cavs a lot better when Kyrie is an "attacker" , and Bron is doing it all. Bron's greatest gift is his IQ.
— Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) June 9, 2016
It is just me or is Draymond just leaving his man everytime someone drives to the lane? Cavs gotta make the extra pass
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) June 9, 2016
Curry played slightly better in the 2nd half, but still finished the game playing nowhere near the lofty standards that the league has grown accustomed to, finishing the game with 19 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound, and 6 turnovers. At the press conferences after the game, the team made sure to give the Cavaliers their due, but also acknowledged their own need to play much better basketball.
Power forward Draymond Green also offered his take on how the game went down.
Draymond Green: "They came out like their season was on the line, and we came out like it was peaches and cream."
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 9, 2016
Over the last few playoff series that the Warriors have been, game 3’s have become quite the issue for the team.
Warriors drop their fifth consecutive Game 3 of any playoff series with tonight's 120-90 loss at Cleveland.
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) June 9, 2016
If nothing else, the Dubs can take solace in the fact that it would be rather difficult for them to play worse than they did in game 3 and that its highly unlikely that Curry can continue playing so poorly. What may be lost in all the commotion about how bad the Warriors played, is the fact that the Cavaliers are no pushovers in their own right and happen to have one of the best players to ever suit playing for them.
Game 3 very well may have been anomaly with such a crooked scoreline, but the same could be said for the game 2 as well. It’s hard to imagine that game 4 will also be so one sided though, as with all the talent on both teams, they are bound to be play well on the same night eventually.
Stephen Curry ended things on a hopeful note however, showing the Dubs are not entirely too rattled with how game 3 went down.
.@StephenCurry30 on the team's mindset: pic.twitter.com/ZXVKEQNeHR
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) June 9, 2016
Game 4 will again take place in Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena, Friday night at 6 PM PT.