It was touch and go for the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the 2017 NBA Finals, especially as the Cleveland Cavaliers jumped out to a lead that was worryingly difficult to cut away until late in the game. Of course, solid play down the stretch by the Warriors and a clutch 3-pointer by Kevin Durant allowed them to get once again within one win of the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
While Durant’s 31 points were certainly a huge factor in Game 3, the ability of the Warriors to shut down the best 3-point shooting team of the playoffs -- the Cavaliers -- was a major key as well.
Cleveland has been an excellent 3-point shooting team in these NBA playoffs, ranking in the top 2 in both contested and tightly contested 3-pointers per NBA.com.
But in Game 3 the Cavaliers shot just 12-of-44 from beyond the arc, an abysmal 27 percent.
Golden State made three big choices on how they defended the 3-point line in Game 3 and all were critical to grabbing their first win on the road.
Watch the full video breakdown above to see how they changed the game.