NBA Finals 2019: Toronto Raptors vs Golden State Warriors - Game 3 MVP
The Golden State Warriors find themselves in uncharted territory after dropping Game 3 of the NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors. For the first time since 2015, the Warriors are staring at a deficit in the NBA Finals.
Golden State were riding a wave of momentum after their stunning come-from-behind victory in Game 2 in Toronto, but all that was washed away even before tip-off with Klay Thompson being ruled out of the game.
Five minutes in and Warriors fans knew they were in for a long day as the Raptors surged to an early 10-point lead.
There was no looking back from thereon and despite a Steph Curry masterclass, Kawhi Leonard and his side never trailed by more than 1 point, cruising to a 123-109 victory.
Game 3 MVP: Steph Curry
Stat line: 47 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 14-of-31 shooting, 6-of-14 from 3-point range
In the absence of Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, the scoring burden fell solely on Steph Curry's shoulders and he embraced it in style.
Curry singlehandedly willed the Warriors on, pouring in a playoff career-high 47 points despite having to constantly fight through double and even triple teams. At halftime, he had scored 25 points. To put the magnitude of his achievements into perspective - the rest of the team had managed just 27 at that point.
He finished with 47 points on 14-of-31 shooting from the field. Curry also made 6 of his 14 attempts from long range and added 7 assists and 8 rebounds in what was a LeBron-esque performance.
In fact, over the course of the night, Curry became just the second player to score 47 points in an NBA Finals defeat - joining LeBron James who achieved the feat against the Warriors last season.
Is the Warriors dynasty finally coming to an end? We'll know in a week's time, but what we can be sure of is that Steph will not let it end with a whimper.
Other notable performances
Kyle Lowry - 23 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 5-of-9 from three-point range
Kawhi Leonard - 30 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 10-of-11 FTs
Draymond Green - 17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals