Stephen Curry had another quiet night by his standards in Game Three.Source:AFP

Cavs warriors Warriors vs Cavaliers: Game 7 NBA Finals - 06.19.16 Full Highlights 2016 NBA Finals Mini-Movie (Full) Cavs Defeat Warriors 4-3 Final 3:39 of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals Cavaliers vs. The 2016 NBA Finals head to Quicken Loans Arena where the Cavaliers will host the Golden State Warriors in Game 3. Tune into the game on ABC, WTAM 1100 or 87.7 FM La Mega. FOX Sports Ohio will. Jun 09, 2016 Live: NBA Finals Game Three, Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors. — GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) June 9, 2016. Cavs make scorching start. Final 3:39 of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals Cavaliers vs Warriors. 2016 NBA Finals Mini-Movie (Full) Cavs Defeat. Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors Game 7 Replay – June 19, 2016, watch replay stream videos online, free.

Live: NBA Finals, Game Three

Welcome to our live coverage of Game Three of the NBA Finals between Andrew Bogut’s Golden State Warriors and Matthew Dellavedova’s Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

2pm

Huge decision facing Cavaliers

Expect conversation to centre around one player after the Cavaliers’ series-saving 120-90 Game Three win — injured forward Kevin Love.

Love missed the blowout win with concussion and is still yet to be cleared to play in Game Four on Saturday (AEST). But if, as expected, he’s available, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue faces a huge decision.

Cleveland played easily its best game of the series after Richard Jefferson was inserted into the starting lineup.

Former Warriors coach turned ESPN analyst Mark Jackson led a chorus of voices calling on Lue to keep the same starting five if Love returns.

Jackson compared the situation to Steve Kerr’s decision to elevate Andre Iguodala into Golden State’s starting five at the expense of Andrew Bogut in last year’s finals — a move that was seen as crucial to the Warriors turning around a 2-1 deficit to win the championship in six games.

Prominent US media identities Bill Simmons and Skip Bayless were among those calling on the Cavs to move away from Love.

Cavs are in same spot with Love as GSW was with David Lee during 14-15 season - it's clear what they should do, but will they do it?

I've long said Kevin Love is overrated and overpaid. (LeBron wanted him.) Love obviously was not missed tonight.

Asked how he will use Love if he’s available in Game Four, Lue said: “Do I have to tell you? I’m not going to tell you.”

LeBron James (32 points) and Kyrie Irving (30 points) more than made up for Love’s absence in the one-sided contest.

The duo got going early to help the Cavs establish a 20-point first quarter lead — and while James cooled off with a 1/10 second quarter as the Warriors closed to within eight points at halftime, they reasserted their dominance in the second half.

J.R. Smith (20 points, 5/10 three-pointers) and Tristan Thompson (14 points, 13 rebounds) also played their best games of the series, while Jefferson took advantage of his increased minutes to add nine points and eight rebounds. “The guys just kept attacking all night. We never settled,” Lue said.

The Warriors were a shadow of the team which dominated Games One and Two. Harrison Barnes shone with 18 points on 11 shots but Steph Curry (19 points), Klay Thompson (10 points) and Game Two hero Draymond Green (six points) failed to fire as the Warriors finished 9/33 from the three-point line.

Asked to explain the 63-point turnaround from Game Two to Game Three, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said: “This is the NBA ... As (Spurs coach) Gregg Popovich used to tell me — the other guys get paid millions of dollars to play the game too ... Every team has great talent. Every player in the NBA is a great player.”

Kerr opted not to weigh into the Love decision after being asked if his absence made the Cavs a tougher match-up for the Warriors. “I think the game would have been the same whether he played or not,” Kerr said.

Green echoed those thoughts. “I don’t think it was much different at all. I think there’s more spacing when Kevin’s out there,” he said. “I don’t think their substitution made a big difference — their effort made the difference.”

The 35 points scored by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green is the trio's lowest in any game since 2014. pic.twitter.com/sZWQnewZca

1.35pm

Year of the blowout continues

Kyrie Irving and LeBron James combined for 62 points.Source:AFP

Cleveland continued the NBA’s record-setting postseason of blowouts and fought its way back into the series with a 120-90 Game Three victory.

Imam Shumpert hit a three early in the fourth quarter to become the first Cavs substitute to score in the game.

Shumpert (1/5) was the only bench player to even attempt a field goal for Cleveland at that point, which relied heavily on its starters in a must-win game.

J.R. Smith (20 points) followed that with a triple of his own — leaving him 5/10 from deep — as the Cavs charged to a 111-88 lead.

LeBron James (32 points) and Kyrie Irving (30) put the finishing touches on great individual performances before sitting late in the quarter.

“The coaching staff gave us a great gameplan and we executed it for 48 minutes,” James said. “(Kyrie) is a special kid and we need him to be special in this series.”

12.55pm

‘Curry has been awful’

Steph Curry is yet to catch fire in this series.Source:AFP

Stephen Curry was a shadow of the player who normally terrorises NBA defences before coming alive late in the third quarter.

The reigning two-time MVP was 1/6 from the field — including 0/4 from deep — and had three fouls and four turnovers midway through the quarter, prompting ESPN basketball writer Zach Lowe to describe his performance as “awful”.

Focus on the plus/minus of GSW's centers, sure, but Curry has been awful. Stunningly so.

But Curry responded with a 13-point outburst late in the quarter — including a four-point play — to improve his statline.

It mattered little as the Cavs continuted to dominate proceedings. Tristan Thompson helped cover the absence of injured star Kevin Love with an energetic performance.

The hard-working big man has 14 points and 13 rebounds, perfectly supplementing the scoring of LeBron James (24 points), Kyrie Irving (25 points) and J.R. Smith (17 points), as Cleveland led 89-69 at three-quarter time.

LeBron touches the sky on the slam! #NBAVine#NBAFinalshttps://t.co/8sAcknNTTW

12.15pm

LeBron James’ quarter from hell

Cleveland is leaving the door open for a Warriors comeback.Source:AP

After starting the game a perfect 4/4 from the field in the first quarter, LeBron James went ice cold in the second.

The Cavs star missed his first seven field goal attempts of the quarter — most of them contested lay-ups going left — before finishing the quarter 1/10.

As a team, Cleveland was 6/27 from the field in the second, after starting 15/21 in the first.

On top of their poor shooting, the Cavs also made several head-scratching plays to hand back the initiative, including Imam Shumpert driving one on four and James throwing away a wasteful turnover.

Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala stepped up to help the Warriors climb back into the game and Klay Thompson returned midway through the quarter after suffering a knock to his left thigh to score 10 quick points. Steph Curry, who picked up his third foul late in the second, continued to struggle with two turnovers and only two points.

Three-pointers from Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith and a reverse jam by James calmed the Cavs, but the Warriors were right in the game at halftime, down 51-43.

Cleveland Cavaliers Vs Golden State Warriors 2016 Game 3

For #Cavs: @KyrieIrving, 19pts, 8-16FG, 3-6 3pt FG; @RealTristan13, 8pts, game-high 10reb; @KingJames, 11pts, 4reb, 2asst; JR, 8pts, 3-8FG.

HALFTIME@HBarnes - 10p/6r@KlayThompson - 10p@andre - 6p/2r@Money23Green - 4p/4r/6a@andrewbogut - 4p@ShaunLivingston - 2p/3r/2a

11.35am

Cavs make scorching start

LeBron James was perfect from the field in the opening quarter.Source:AFP

Cleveland got off to the start it needed, scoring the first nine points of the game. It was the largest lead the Cavs have enjoyed in this series after they spent the majority of Games One and Two trailing.

Golden State missed its opening four shots before Andrew Bogut converted twice to trim the deficit to 9-4. But LeBron James responded with a couple of close-range shots of his own as the Cavs opened up a 21-8 advantage.

The only downside for Cleveland was another cold start by J.R. Smith, who missed three wide open three-pointers before breaking his duck with a driving lay-up.

Klay Thompson was even worse for the Warriors, missing his first five shots — including four threes — while Stephen Curry also missed his first three field goal attempts and picked up two early fouls.

It would only get worse for the Warriors as Thompson fell awkwardly late in the quarter and was immediately taken back to the locker room.

Kyrie Irving had his shot going early, making 7/9 field goals for 16 points as the lead exploded to 33-16 at quarter time.

Twice on the walk to the locker room, Klay Thompson stopped to see if he could shake off that hit, but he's in there now getting treated

10.30am

Love lost for Cleveland

Kevin Love after copping a heavy knock to the head in Game Two.Source:AP

Kevin Love can’t help the Cavaliers climb back into the NBA Finals just yet.

Love remains slowed by a concussion from Game Two and will sit out Game Three on Wednesday night, when the Cavs try to cut into Golden State’s 2-0 lead in the series.

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue will start Richard Jefferson and move LeBron James from small to power forward, going with a smaller line-up to match the Warriors, who won the first two games by a combined 48 points.

Love took part in the team’s morning shootaround, a positive step toward his return to the floor. Afterwards, the Cavs said his status was questionable, but the team later sent out a news release saying Love is out and his status for Game Four has not been determined.

“We know Kevin wants to play,” Lue said. “He’s frustrated.” The 27-year-old forward was diagnosed with a concussion Sunday night after he was accidentally elbowed in the back of the head by Warriors forward Harrison Barnes as they battled for a rebound in the second quarter. Love played part of the second half but took himself out of the game after he became dizzy while playing defence. He was placed into the league’s concussion protocol, a program implemented a few years ago for safety.

According to the protocol, Love is required to gradually increase his physical activity and stay symptom free before he can be cleared by Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher of the NBA and team physician Dr. Alfred Cianflocco.

Justin Bieber & Lewis Hamilton arrive for tonight's #NBAFinals Game 3 in Cleveland https://t.co/8nzWti3EZg

Love missed last year’s finals and most of the playoffs after dislocating his left shoulder and undergoing surgery. He’s been a major contributor to Cleveland’s run this postseason, averaging 16.5 points and a team-leading 9.4 rebounds in 16 games.

With Love out, Lue elected to go with the 35-year-old Jefferson, who was wearing a red jersey — designated for starters — when the team allowed media in after the shootaround. Jefferson scored 12 points in Cleveland’s 33-point loss to the Warriors in Game Two. Lue may also give centre Timofey Mozgov and forward Channing Frye more minutes.

Frye, who came over in a mid-season trade, had a major impact in Cleveland’s win over Toronto in the Eastern Conference finals with his outside shooting, but he’s had limited time against the Warriors. That could change.

“I’ve just got to stay ready,” he said before learning Love wouldn’t play. “When I came here I understood we’re a very deep team. Different match-ups work, sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. Coach is trying to figure out the line-up that’s going to work the best. I think that honestly they play small, they really aren’t playing their centres, then the next guy that comes in is about 6-foot-6. For me it’s a good and bad situation, but I’m always going to stay ready.

Cavs Vs Warriors 2016 Game 3 World Series

“I’m never one to complain about minutes or question coach Lue. I’m here to help the team win. If that’s getting five minutes, I’m going to have to bust my butt for five minutes.”

— AP

8.30am

Bogut: Warriors can play better

Andrew Bogut had a big impact in the first two games.Source:AFP

Andrew Bogut has some terrifying news for Matthew Dellavedova, LeBron James and the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Australian centre says his Golden State Warriors are yet to play their best despite going up 2-0 in the NBA Finals and winning the games by an average of 24 points.

“The crazy thing is we don’t think we have played as well as we can play these last few games,” Bogut, in an interview on NBA Radio, said.

“No disrespect to the Cavs, but we think we have made some silly errors throughout the game, had lulls where we have turned the ball over and kind of lost focus for a two or three minute shift which you can’t do in a finals series.”

James has described Game Three of the best-of-seven game series as do or die for the Cavaliers. The big positive for the Cavaliers is they will be playing in front of their home crowd at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena for the first time in the series.

“They are going to come out fired up,” Bogut said. “You expect nothing less.

Cavs Vs Warriors Game 3 2016 Box Score

“They’ve obviously been beaten down by the media the last three or four days and everyone has counted them out already.”

There has been pressure on Cavaliers’ coach Tyronn Lue to shake up his starting five, but he was left with no choice when All-Star forward Kevin Love was ruled out on Wednesday with a concussion. Lue opted for Game Two performer Richard Jefferson as his replacement.

Bogut lost his starting position in last year’s finals when Warriors coach Steve Kerr opted to go with a smaller line-up with guard/forward Andre Iguodala.

Bogut has kept his spot this year and has been the dominant defensive force, including five blocks in Sunday’s Game Two win, but he says the key to the Warriors is the players put the team first.

If Kerr tells them to go to the bench they have no qualms about doing it. “We don’t have any prima donnas that are bitching and complaining about minutes (and say) ‘I want to get mine, I’m not getting my touches’,” Bogut said. “That makes a huge difference.”

Cavs Vs Warriors 2016 Game 3 World Series

— AAP

WATCH MORE 2020 NBA FINALS GAME FREE STREAM REPLAY!