Staying Alive-Cavaliers rebound over Warriors

The Cleveland Cavaliers needed to hold serve,if they were to have any chance of winning the NBA championship and they did just that as they rolled over the Golden State Warriors in game three 120-90 in Cleveland.
LeBron James scored 32 points with Kyrie Irving adding 30 with J.R.Smith tossing in 20 more.
Golden State leads the series two games to one with game four Friday night in Cleveland.

Swashbucklings

1) Cleveland had to have this game and they played like the team that needed it rather than wanted it.
The Cavaliers took the game to the Warriors and outhustled them.
Cleveland needs to play like this,they don't shoot as well as the Warriors and can't afford to come out flat...

2) The scene was set early when the Cavaliers scored the first nine points of the game and outscored the Warriors by 17 for the quartet.
Did Golden State make a run? Sure and trimmed the lead to eight at the half,but I never felt like the Warriors were ever really in this game.

3) Tristan Thompson was very valuable in the win with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
One cannot expect Thompson to post similar numbers every game,but in this one,he was explosive on the inside and he did one thing that he doesn't always do.
Often,Thompson will grab an offensive board and kick the ball out,in this one,Thompson was much more offensively aggressive and put the ball right back up...

4) Big elephant in the arena-How does Kevin Love fit back in,if he can return for game four?
Considering the way Richard Jefferson has played in this series,could Love benefit by coming off the bench and being the top option among the second unit?
I'm not positive that would work out,but it might and if so,the Cavaliers might see a huge payoff...

5) Nice to see some production from J.R.Smith,who had struggled in the Oakland games,but drilled five three pointers in this win.
Smith is usually only helpful on the offensive end,so when the shots aren't falling,Smith can be a drag on the team..

6) Klay Thompson said he thought the collision with Timofey Mozgov that sent him from the game was a dirty play.
I didn't see it that way.I certainly thought Mozgov committed a foul,but it looked like a pick to me-not a dirty play.

7) Stephen Curry had a big third quarter,but was otherwise quiet in scoring 19 points.
Combine that with Klay Thompson's ten in smaller minutes and Cleveland continues to control the Splash Brothers.
Curry finished the first half with just two points...

8) So,can Cleveland win game four and tie the series up to swing the pressure back to the Warriors?
Yes,Home court has meant and will continue to mean so much,but they are going to have to come up with another superlative effort.
It'll be interesting to see how Kevin Love is brought back into the offense and can the defense keep up its strong play?
See you Friday...