Coming off of a 5-of-23 shooting performance in Game 2, one that saw him set the NBA Finals record for missed threes in a game with 13, Steph Curry was expected to have a bounce-back game in a serious way for Game 3.
Things didn't start out that way for the Golden State Warriors superstar on Tuesday. Curry was slow to get going, shooting 4-of-11 over the first three quarters for a modest 10 points. For an MVP and the league's best shooter, this was another uncharacteristically quiet night.
Perhaps owing to regression or a sense of the moment with the Warriors down big, Curry caught fire at the right time. He shot 6-of-9 in the fourth quarter, hit 5-of-8 from outside, and scored 17 points in the final frame, nearly willing Golden State back from the brink before they ultimately came up short.
Trailing 92-85 out of a timeout with 27 seconds to play, Curry scored from the right corner off of a beautiful ATO piece from head coach Steve Kerr, one that saw Curry trail Klay Thompson around a series of screens.
On the very next possession, Curry did it himself, blowing by a pair of screens to get a switch on to Timofey Mozgov and letting fly from outside.
That shot pulled the Warriors within three with 18 seconds to play, and while they couldn't complete the comeback, the Cleveland Cavaliers took notice of his hot quarter.
"Those threes that Steph had in the fourth quarter were the same ones he missed in the first three quarters," LeBron James said on the court after the game. "We've got some learning to do."
Even up 2-1 in the series, James is probably correct in his assessment. Curry finished with 27 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals, and if his late-game momentum can carry over to Game 4 on Thursday, the Warriors may once again resemble the Warriors.
