Herculean LeBron effort not enough for Cavs

Golden State appeared content after winning the 2015 title in six games until it blew a 3-1 lead in 2016 to lose in seven. It took all 77 points from them – plus some timely 3-point shooting from Cleveland guard J.R. Smith – to produce the first close game of The Finals.

Even if closing out the Cavaliers proves to be more hard than the first six-plus weeks of the playoffs have been for Golden State, there doesn’t seem to be much the rest of the league can do to push the Warriors off the National Basketball Association mountaintop. It didn’t matter. Kevin Love occasionally found his range while scoring 27 points.

Curry has been either equal or just a bit behind Durant in terms of production. I think (Sunday) I was just in a good rhythm.

“We just need our supporting group to be themselves as much as possible”, Irving said.

“I’m not a past guy too much”.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) talks to Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr during the first half of Game 3 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Cleveland, Wednesday, June 7, 2017.

Anything is possible, howevåer, this time around James and the Cavs have to contend with Kevin Durant, who is proving his worth in the Finals.

Iman Shumpert needed an I.V. infusion after the Game Two beating while an ornery LeBron did not go to the podium for the post-game press conference and instead answered questions in the locker room where he verbally tangled with a reporter.

“That’s what free agency is about-doing what you want to do”, Durant says. That’s what made what became the defining play of Game 2 – Curry dribbling around for about 10 seconds before blowing by James and getting to the rim for a layup – so striking.

Steph Curry, Golden State is playing on a higher level defensively so far. It gets your team fired up and it locks you back in to be competitive and not give your opponent an inch. Starting center Tristan Thompson went scoreless for the second time in the series.

Kevin Love has been solid, racking 36 points and 35 rebounds in Games 1 and 2. Curry, who is 6 feet 3, had more rebounds in Game 2 than Thompson has in two games.

The possibilities seem endless for the Golden State Warriors when they are rolling. Over the past two games, the two-time MVP is averaging 11.5 boards per.

Cleveland was a little better from long-distance on Wednesday – drilling a dozen threes.

The Warriors are just flat-out better. Each guy shoots from a spot, the first guy to make five wins that spot, then they move to another spot.

“He’s a big piece of our success and they know that, so they have neutralized that in the first two games”. Didn’t matter. The Cavaliers tried fouling the Warriors in transition to prevent fast-break baskets.

Then the Warriors nullified it all in a span of three minutes and nine seconds. The Cavs shot 26 percent to the Warriors’ 53 percent from the in the final period.

LeBron James finished with 39-11-9, one assist shy of another triple-double, which would’ve put him in sole possesion of first place in NBA Finals history. How many times since the Warriors won 132-113 on Sunday have you heard the hot take that “LeBron has no help”. We know if we get off the board and push, we’re a risky team.

“I thought our team scrapped”, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said.

“It’s the most firepower I’ve played in my career”, said James, who played all but two minutes. He’s been an awesome player in this league for a long time, and I think he’s – he senses this is his time, his moment, his team. And you got to expect them to play, obviously, better at home. Durant’s late-game destruction turned thinkpieces about the Cavs’ chances to win the series to a likely sweep on Friday.