Kevin Durant scored 31 points, seven of them in the closing minutes, and the Golden State Warriors beat Cleveland 118-113 Wednesday, seizing command of the NBA Finals and extending their undefeated playoff run in dramatic fashion.
The Warriors scored the last 11 points to stretch their record playoff win streak this season to 15-0 and grabbed a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Golden State, which also had 30 points from Klay Thompson and 26 from Stephen Curry, would become the first team in NBA history to make an unbeaten playoff run to the crown by winning game four on Friday in Cleveland.
No team in NBA playoff history has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series, although the Cavaliers did become the first team in NBA Finals history to rally from a 3-1 hole to swipe the crown over Golden State last year. The Warriors, already on the longest playoff win streak in NBA history, set the North American sports playoff win streak mark with their 15th consecutive triumph, moving past the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins’ 14-game run from the 1992 and 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs.
LeBron James scored 39 points and Kyrie Irving added 38 to lead the Cavaliers.