Cavs Lose Game 3 Of NBA Finals — Series Close To Over

CLEVELAND, OH — The Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals and now face a seemingly insurmountable deficit. No team has ever come back from an 0-3 hole in the NBA Finals before.

There are two important things to note about this Game 3 loss for Cleveland fans. First, the Cavaliers had a chance to win this game and couldn't get it done. Second, the referees didn't do the hometown team any favors...again.

While things evened out in the second half, the Cleveland Cavaliers shot no free throws in the first half of the game. It's a disparity that drew the attention of several NBA writers and league officials.

Kevin Durant finally showed up in a big way in this series, pouring in 43 points on Wednesday night, on an efficient 15 of 23 shooting night. It was more than enough to compensate for a lackluster showing from one of his star teammates. Stephen Curry, the man who became the NBA's first unanimous MVP in history, went 3 for 16 in Game 3, scoring 9 points.

LeBron James had a pedestrian performance from a scoring perspective, notching 33 points, but needing 28 shots to get there. The King did squeeze out a triple double, pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists.

For once, James' teammates shouldered more of a burden in the game. Kevin Love had 20 points and 13 rebounds and the once-beleaguered Rodney Hood scored 15 points, injecting life into the team from the wing. It wasn't enough.

The team is down 3-0. And the lights are getting dimmer in Cleveland.

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch