2015 NBA Finals (Game 3): Defense Rules

The Cleveland Cavaliers continued the same defensive intensity as they did in Game 2, beating the Golden State Warriors 96-91 in 48 minutes of basketball. There were a handful of basketball fans who immediately ruled out the chances of the Cavs to win the title after hearing the news of a season-ending injury to Kyrie Irving after Game 1. But once again, the Cavs prevailed to hold a 2-1 lead heading into Game 4.

The Cavs have shown great character in this series. Despite playing with a tons of injuries, they managed to keep up the same defensive intensity. They will need to keep up the same intensity if they want to win the title. On the offense side of the Cavs, they shot better compare to Game 2 and there are more variety in the offense. LeBron James had so far played fantastic basketball in the first three games of the series. His statistics for the first three games (Pts-Reb-Ast): Game 1 (44-8-6), Game 2 (39-16-11), and Game 3 (40-12-8). By looking at these numbers, he has so far lived up to the expectations of being the best player on the planet. 

For the other guys on the team, Tristan Thompson had a better offensive night by scoring 10 points. Timothy Mozgov had a lower scoring game of 6 points today. But he has been playing well in this finals. If there is one guy that needs to step up his game, it’s Iman Shumpert (pic). So far, everybody in this Cavs team had step up but not Shumpert. He is a terrific asset for the Cavs on defense, but on the offense he will need to contribute more. As a starting shooting guard, he only had a total of 16 points over the course of three games. Surely, some improvement needs to be done.

Another guy other than LeBron James who showed up big time in this finals was Matthew Dellavedova. He was great defensively in Game 2. Today, he contribute to the offense of the team by scoring 20 points and fighting for every loose ball opportunities. Last year, remember Patty Mills of the San Antonio Spurs? The X Factor of the Spurs team that crushed the Heat. Dellavedova is now playing the similar role (Both of them are Aussies too!) and is the X Factor of this team, and whether the Cavs has a chance to win the title, it depends on how well he will perform for the rest of the series. 

But if you are a Warriors fan, there is no reason to be panic. There are plenty of positives to take away from this match. Firstly, it looks like Stephen Curry has found his shooting touch in the 4th quarter and led his team back despite being down 20 points at one stage of the game. Curry scored 27 points in this game and was 7 of 13 from 3-point line. And also, Steve Kerr has created more paint scoring for the team by giving more minutes to two time NBA All-Star David Lee. Lee was a critical part of the good performance by the Warriors in the 4th quarter. He played for 13 minutes, scoring 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. Although he is not a dominant force defensively, he has the ability spread the floor to facilitate the offense better. With Draymond Green struggling badly with his shooting, Lee could provide the much-needed paint scoring for the Warriors. So, do expect him to get more minutes in Game 4.

The Warriors offense was obviously held back by the Cavs’ incredible defense. Game 4 is a must-win situation for the Warriors. For the Warriors, they will need to show more passion and intensity as it was somehow lacking in Game 3. Curry and Thompson, the two top scorers for the team will need to be more aggressive and drive more to the basket. Both man attempted zero free throws in Game 3. More pick and roll needs to be created so that both Curry and Thompson has more space to either shoot and create scoring opportunities. Much like this last minute 3-pointer where three Warriors guys set up three screens for Curry to finally have the space to nail down the 3-point shot. The big men of the Warriors (Andrew Bogut, Draymond Green, David Lee, Festus Ezeli) really need to be more active to help their guys to get better shots.

Defensively, Andre Iguodala is still the best man on the Warriors roster to defend LeBron James. Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut, the other two starters on the floor have got to do a better job on both sides of the floor. Barnes scored zero points in today’s game, and hasn’t nailed a 3-point shot since the 3-point shot he made in overtime of Game 1. For Bogut, apart from making two field goals to start the second half, he had a bad game today and his minutes was largely replaced by Ezeli and Lee. A collective effort from all guys including a much better performance from both Barnes and Bogut will be needed for the Warriors to have a shot at winning the title.

Defense ultimately rules today. For the third straight game, the Cavs have managed to hold the Warriors to below 100 points in regulation time. It has put the Cavs into the driving seat to win the title, but the job is nowhere close to be done. The key for them to secure their first ever championship is whether they will be able to keep the same defensive intensity throughout the whole series. It is a tough task to ask, but surely strong determination to win will overcome it. For the Warriors, things are looking good for them still. A great way to end Game 3 even though they were defeated. For basketball fans all around the world, sit back and enjoy the rollercoaster ride we are gonna experienced in the coming games!