Kevin Durant might just have stripped Stephen Curry of his much-expected Finals MVP award following a gigantic 43-point performance in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, putting him much closer in the race than most through through the first two games of the series.
Durant's supernova Game 3 has “clutch” written all over it
The mere fact that Durant has been the reason the Golden State Warriors have dealt a huge body blow to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their own home floor speaks volumes of how impactful a player he's been to this franchise.
Not only was he incredibly efficient in his last two outings, but taking the air out of a rival is perhaps the one particular unmeasurable that both Durant and Curry have a Masters' degree on with their ability to sink the dagger deep into their opponents.
While Curry's NBA-record nine 3-pointers in Game 2 gave him a sure-fire lead over Durant, it was his partner's rousing performance which kept a struggling All-Star backcourt afloat despite their shooting woes.
Steph made an NBA Finals-record 9⃣ threes in Game 2. Let's relive them all 👇 pic.twitter.com/vSqwH0vIvZ
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 4, 2018
Curry and Thompson combined for a woeful 7-of-27 from the field and a measly 3-of-15 from deep, while Durant's strong shooting numbers definitely explain why the Warriors were still able to shoot at an uncanny 52 percent clip.
This is not being prisoner of the moment
We're often caught up on “what have you done for me lately” performances, but this is not a one-and-done outing from Durant, who did it consistently in the 2017 NBA Finals, scoring 30 or more points in every game en route to his first Finals MVP.
Two 26-point nights and this 43-point explosion only suggest that Durant has been an active contributor, even if he only shot 36.4 percent from the floor in Game 1.
His averages of 31.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game are actually better all-around, except for scoring (35.2 points per game in 2017 NBA Finals) than he was last year, which suggests he's locked into all aspects of the game.
Line-by-line — Durant takes the cake
Durant struggled in Game 1 with a 26-point outing in 8-of-22 shooting from the floor — a good night for most stars, but a subpar one by his elite standards, given the stage he's in. Yet, he managed to get to the line 10 times, knocking down nine of his free throws, grabbing nine boards and dishing out six assists, along with three blocked shots and a steal.
The 29-year-old manages to fill up the box score even in nights where he's struggling with his stroke or his shot selection, while Curry's game is somewhat limited to how far his shooting ability can carry him over the course of the game.
Curry went from averaging 31 points through the first two games of the series to a mortal 24.3 points on 38.5 percent shooting from the field, after a woeful 11-point night in Game 3, shooting 3-of-16 from the floor and 1-of-10 from three.
Sure, Curry's last 3-point attempt was the one that injected a sense of confidence in the team, coming up clutch when it counted, but it was Durant who carried the load for those initial 45 minutes before Curry could knock the cobwebs off his shot.
If that wasn't enough, Durant put the finishing touches in a 110-102 victory, drilling a 33-footer over the outstretched arms of J.R. Smith — burying any thoughts of his crucial missed box-out in Game 1.
Durant is shooting a beefy 56 percent from the field in the series and a blistering 47.4 percent from deep, being as close to automatic at the foul line, nailing 20 of his 21 free throw attempts through three games in the series.
Curry's red-hot 50 percent from beyond the arc was reduced to 39.5 percent from deep, giving Durant the advantage in every statistical category, except for assists (Curry has 7.7 and Durant 6.7).
It comes down to who will leave a lasting imprint
Curry had one of the most memorable moments in these playoffs, drilling a fadeaway 3-pointer with Kevin Love draped all over him, and later getting a 4-point play over the same victim in a perfect 5-of-5 quarter from long-range.
Are you not Entertained?!?! #StephBetter pic.twitter.com/SK0QTcuMgW
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 4, 2018
Durant replicated his 2017 iconic moment, this time victimizing Smith with a brutal 3-point dagger from even farther away to really twist the knife in the Cavaliers' hopes, now mired in a 3-0 inescapable hole.
https://twitter.com/WorldofIsaac/status/1004565367707095040
Curry has mentioned that a Finals MVP award isn't his priority, but he is rather focused in bringing another championship to the organization, but if he can't find that next-level gear soon, Durant could easily snatch that honor from him — adding to his legacy and keeping that one empty spot left to fill in Curry's Hall of Fame resume.
Whichever of the two superstars has the best and most memorable performance in Game 4 or even a potential Game 5 can walk away with the Finals MVP trophy, as Durant only holds a narrow lead over Curry with two top-notch performances in Game 2 and 3 of this series.
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