Game 4 tonight (Thursday) of the NBA Finals should prove to be as competitive as the first three. Golden State entered the city of Cleveland for Tuesday’s game tied 1-1, with intentions of winning one or two of the scheduled playoff games in this Ohio city.
Each of the first two, held in Oakland, Calif., were like Game 7s. The Golden State Warriors got off to slow starts in each but were able to tie both games with seconds to go in the fourth quarter, taking each game into overtime. Victorious in the first, losers by two in the second, the difference for the Warriors in both games was league MVP Stephen Curry.
Curry flourished in Game 1 with 26 points and eight assists while hitting clutch shots, but he was shut down by the adjustments made by Cleveland Cavalier head coach David Blatt. His addition of Matthew Dellavedova in Game 2 limited Curry to 19 hard-fought game points and five assists. Klay Thompson, the other “Splash Brother,” found his game, scoring 34 points, but it wasn’t enough for a win.
Game 3 was no different for Blatt’s adjustments on defense, and his team’s aggressiveness kept Golden State out of their game. Again, Cleveland slowed the game down. Curry struggled, making only three points in the first half. As a whole, the Warriors struggled. They were only able to score 37 points in the first half of Game 3, their lowest point total in a half all season. Though the Warriors were able to overcome a 20-point deficit in the third quarter and Curry got his rhythm back, turnovers prevented the Warriors from tying the game and taking a lead.
“We missed shots that we normally hit,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. He did seem encouraged about their comeback attempt.
“I was pleased with the way we played when we got down … I was pleased with our comeback. We looked like ourselves.”
With their first Finals loss now behind them, remember, not for nothing, Golden State was down 2-1 a few weeks ago against the Memphis Grizzlies, too.