(CNN Philippines) — Almost but not quite.
That was the case for the Cleveland Cavaliers who looked primed to take Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors, with multiple scoring machines at their disposal, went on an 11-0 run in the last three minutes of the hotly-contested match en route to the 118-113 victory on Thursday at the Quicken Loans Arena in Ohio.
Kevin Durant tallied 31 points, while Klay Thompson and Steph Curry had 30 points and 26 points apiece for the Warriors.
Cavs star guard Kyrie Irving felt that his teammates gave all they got.
But the team still fell short of preventing Golden State on taking a commanding 3-0 series advantage.
“It’s definitely tough. It hurts. Did some great things tonight. Came down to the stretch, and they made some big time plays,” Irving, who finished the game with 38 points, six rebounds, and three asssits, said.
Cleveland was able to overcome a 1-3 hole to capture the crown last season against the same squad. Now, they have to sweep the remainder of the series to retain the title.
Facing a must-win situation, Irving is anticipating another exciting showdown in Game 4.
“I look forward to it. Another challenge for us, another challenge for us to get better and go against a great team,” he said.
“They’re a juggernaut of a team. They’re definitely a different team than they were last year,” he added.
Game 4 is slated on Saturday (Manila time) at the Quicken Loans Arena.
