Stephen Curry's shoulders were fuller than normal. Without Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, two of the top 15 players in the NBA, the Warriors relied on Curry more than normal. The two-time MVP and three-time champion responded with the best game of his career. He scored 47 points on 31 field goals. He knocked down 6 of his 14 threes and missed only one of his 14 free throws. He grabbed eight rebounds, dished for seven assists, and added two steals. He dove on the floor to save the ball and did pretty much everything a basketball player can do out on the floor.
But he needed help to beat the talented and balanced Toronto Raptors. It was a bad omen when DeMarcus Cousins and Draymond Green- the likeliest teammates to pick up the scoring load- whiffed on early threes. Andre Iguodala gave it a go with a strong third quarter, but his 11 points couldn't replace Durant and Thompson.
Two returnees to the Warriors, Andrew Bogut and Quinn Cook were decent, adding 9 and 6 points respectively. Alfonzo McKinney played decent defense in 18 minutes. Green contributed 17 points, although he padded his total int he fourth when the game was basically out of reach. Cousins, whose career has been derailed by injuries the past two seasons, and Shaun Livingston didn't provide much as starters. Jonas Jerebko scored six points but looked lost out on the floor.
The Raptors got off to a strong start as usual. Marc Gasol had another good game with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. He played well in a Game 1 win and poorly in a Game 2 loss. Kyle Lowry added 23 points and 9 assists. Danny Green proved that he is a clutch Finals player. He channeled the 2013 Finals and drained six threes for 19 points. Pascal Siakim scored 18 points.
As good as Gasol, Lowry, and Green played, none were the best Raptor in Game 3. Kawhi Leonard matched Curry's intensity. He had 30 points on 9 for 17 shooting from the field and only one miss from the line in 11 attempts. He contributed 7 boards, 6 dishes, 2 filches, and 2 shot-swats. On a team filled with good individual defenders, Serge Ibaka was the standout with six blocks including keep ones in the fourth quarter. Fred VanVleet scored 11 points including the clinching three pointer, a buzz-beating rainbow before the shot clock expired.
The Warriors kept crawling to within ten points, but the game was sealed late in the fourth. Toronto won 123-109 to take a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 in Oakland. The Warriors need both Thompson and Durant to win this series. Golden State needs those stars not only to lessen Curry's offensive burden, but the defending champs need them for their defense as well.
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