The Cleveland Cavaliers (2 - 1) defeated the Golden State Warriors (1 - 2), 96 - 91, on Tuesday at the Quicken Loans Arena to take Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Cleveland yet again imposed its will for the majority of the game, led by LeBron James and company. James was n't the only Cavaliers player to change the game Tuesday, however, as Matthew Dellavedova again made a number of plays that are n't easily noticed from glancing at the box score. In addition to his career playoff best 20 points, Dellavedova was a defensive force and made a number of plays on loose balls. The Cavaliers took a 20 point lead in the third quarter and the game appeared to be in hand, but the Warriors battled back in the fourth. Stephen Curry, who was ice cold for most of the first three quarters, found his shot and had 17 points in the fourth quarter. The game could have swung in Golden State's favor after Curry drilled a three to pull the Warriors within one point, but Cleveland's Dellavedova answered with a three point play of his own. The Cavaliers now have an opportunity to take a 3 - 1 lead in the series with a win at home Thursday in Game 4. For Golden State, it was too little too late. Stephen Curry put forth a Herculean effort in the fourth quarter to keep the Warriors in the game, but the Warriors simply did not make enough plays at crucial times to get the edge. One statistic that underlies Golden State's lack of efficiency through the first three quarters is that it was held under 60 points through that time frame for just the second time all season. The only other time was in Game 2 of the Finals. Thompson and Curry combined for just nine points at halftime. David Lee saw his first action since Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against Houston. Lee was effective with 11 points in 13 minutes, which could warrant him some playing time in the next game. The Warriors will need get into an offensive rhythm more quickly in Game 4 to avoid going back to their home court facing elimination. Cleveland ground Golden State's offense to a halt and imposed its own will on offense. James notched his second 40 - point game of this series and added 12 rebounds and eight assists. There were some defensive miscues down the stretch that allowed the Warriors to storm back, but in the end, the Cavaliers survived to notch another victory. Tristan Thompson put up a double - double with 10 points and 13 rebounds over 44 minutes on the floor, continuing to show how valuable he is on the glass. Iman Shumpert was limited to just three points in 32 minutes after suffering a shoulder injury early in the contest. The Cavaliers can dramatically shift the direction of the series with a win Thursday, but they will have to continue their stalwart defensive efforts to ensure that they avoid a similar charge from Golden State in the fourth quarter of Game 3.
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