LeBron James Calls Kevin Durant The Difference In Game 3 Loss

"Strength in Numbers" is a statement regularly uttered by the Golden State Warriors players and supporters and it was again on show in Game 3 of the NBA Finals as the reigning champions took a 3-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 110-102 win.

While the Cavaliers are wholly dependent on LeBron James to win games for them, the Warriors have a number of game changers within their ranks. In Game 2 it was Stephen Curry, who made the difference with 16 points in the fourth quarter, but in Game 3 he shot a paltry 11 points.

But Wednesday night’s game at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland belonged to Kevin Durant, who put in a near perfect performance to singlehandedly almost end the Cavaliers’ hopes of winning the 2018 NBA title. The small forward ended the night with 43 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

Durant’s tally of 43 points was 32 more than the next best in his team which was Curry with 11 and it showed the Warriors do not depend on their star point guard to win games. Even Klay Thompson had an off night managing just 10 points in 41 minutes he played, JaVale McGee had as many in 14 minutes.

It was like déjà vu for the Cavaliers as Durant stepped up and delivered a three-pointer from well behind the arc with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter. It was from the same spot he scored a three-pointer in Game 3 during the 2017 NBA Finals.

The 29-year-old was asked last year after his Game 3 performance if it was a defining moment in his NBA Finals career, but he put that to rest by delivering a repeat performance. But he admitted after the game the feeling was different compared to 2017 and made it clear that he is nowhere close to the end of his career to refer to it as a “defining moment.”

“It’s a different game, different season and different feel. It’s a different vibe around the team, everything’s just different,” Durant said with a smile during the post-match press conference. “I am not done playing basketball yet, so I don’t really look at these as defining moments. I don’t want to downplay anything, but I don’t want to act like this is the end of the road. ... Just get back to work tomorrow and figure out a better game plan. I thought we did some things tonight that we need to correct to win the next game. I am just really trying to be the best teammate, player I can be until this thing [the Finals] is over.”

Durant’s performance in Game 3 also earned him high praise from LeBron James, who continues to break records after he became the first in history to record 10 triple-doubles in the NBA Finals. The Warriors forward also joined an elite list when he became the fourth player in the last 35 finals to record 40/10/5 – the other three are James, Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jordan.

“Kevin Durant is one of the best players I have ever played against, that this league has seen,” James said admitting Durant is the difference maker in the best of seven series between the Cavaliers and the Warriors. “His ability to handle the ball, shoot the ball and make plays at his length, his size and speed, there it is.”