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CLEVELAND — The Golden State Warriors have been in this precise position before Anthony Munoz Jersey , and they suffered a hiccup before they tasted champagne.

Golden State is the only team in NBA history to lead consecutive Finals 3-0. Both times it was against the Cleveland Cavaliers, including the 2018 Finals that could end with a Warriors win in Game 4 on Friday.

Last season, with a chance to clinch its second title in three years on Cleveland’s home court, the Cavs banged 24 3s and forced a Game 5.

“It’s different, man. I keep telling people,” Golden State’s Kevin Durant said. “It’s just a different vibe because we’ve been through a season with each other already as champions, going through a whole season. So we know exactly what we need to do in order for us to win.

“We wanted to do that, focus on that as much as possible. The emotions and all that stuff doesn’t really matter. We just try to play a solid, focused game, and we’ll figure out how to feel afterward.”

The Warriors are searching for their third title in four years — all against Cleveland — and their sixth title overall, which would tie them for third all time.

Durant, solid through the first two Finals games, jockeyed into pole position to win Finals MVP for the second consecutive season in Game 3 with his playoff-career-high 43 points in the Warriors’ 110-102 win.

Durant is averaging 31.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in the Finals. His numbers are a little behind those of LeBron James (37.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 10.7 assists) in this series Pernell McPhee Jersey , but Durant has the better team.

Stephen Curry set an NBA record with nine 3s in Game 2 and then shot 1 of 10 from 3 in Game 3. And the Warriors still had enough to beat the Cavs for the 10th time in the last 11 games, counting the regular season.

“We’ve had an opportunity to win two of these games in this three-game series so far, and we haven’t come up with it,” James said. “Obviously, from a talent perspective, if you’re looking at Golden State from their top five best players to our top five players, you would say they’re stacked better than us.

“We have a lot of talent as well. We’ve been in a position where we could win two out of these three games. So what do we have to do?”

No team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit in the NBA playoffs (0-131). But the Cavs are nonetheless a tough out. They’re 7-2 in elimination games since 2015 and have successfully faced down elimination three times already this season.

Kevin Love has registered at least 20 points and 10 boards in all three games so far, giving James at least one layer of support against the vaunted Warriors.

“We’ve given ourselves a chance,” Love said. “I know that we’ll come out in Game 4 and really compete. We’re not going to give in.”

The Cavs blew a 13-point lead in Game 3, and their disastrous final 36 seconds in regulation of Game 1 took away a win. This series could look a lot differently than it does right now, and the Warriors say they think the Cavs aren’t quite finished just yet.

“Just understand the details defensively of what we need to do against a team like Cleveland, with the threats that they have,” Curry said. “Understanding that Game 4 is going to be the toughest game that we’ve played in the series, to close it out. We’re going to need energy, effort, focus from every guy that steps foot on the floor for 48 minutes.”

James could be a free agent at season’s end. If he leaves Cleveland for a second time, the Cavs’ run of four straight Finals would almost certainly end. They could seek to trade Love and rebuild if that domino falls.

“These four years have been great DeMarcus Ware Jersey ,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. “It’s not over. It’s not over. But, I mean, I wouldn’t trade it in for anything in the world.”
Tarell Basham, Jabaal Sheard and John Simon spent the offseason brushing up on the nuances of playing defensive end.

They worked on quick first steps, honing their swim and spin moves and, of course, getting re-acclimated with the three-point stance.

All three played the spot in college, left school with conference defensive player of the year awards, moved to linebacker in the NFL and now find themselves back in their old spots as the Indianapolis Colts make the switch from the 3-4 defensive front to the more traditional 4-3.

It's certainly taken some getting used to.

"When you're at linebacker, you think a lot more," said Simon, a six-year veteran who hasn't played defensive end since leaving Ohio State. "You have to communicate a lot more and your vision has to open up a little bit. Here, with your hand in the dirt, it's a little more attack-oriented. Don't worry so much about what they're doing, just get up field and be disruptive."

It sounds simple and that's by design.

But it may be the quickest fix to one of the Colts' biggest flaws 鈥?a lagging pass rush.

New defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus inherited a unit that produced only 25 sacks last season, second-worst in the league, and only 93 over the past three years.

The consensus among Eberflus Tre'Davious White Jersey , coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard was to bring back the defense Tony Dungy popularized in Tampa Bay and relied on as the Colts made their Super Bowl-winning run following the 2006 season.

So far, the transition has been relatively smooth as the first week of training camp draws to a close.

"It's an adjustment," Eberflus said. "It's always about trying to put the best people on the field. Like I said, you get your athletic, speed players out there and we'll find those guys."

Basham could be part of the solution.

Indy selected the former Ohio star and sack specialist in the third round of the 2017 draft and immediately plugged him at linebacker. Basham made slow, steady progress throughout the season but never really felt comfortable.

Since the switch back, the 6-foot-4, 266-pound Basham looks leaner, stronger and sounds more confident.

"After the draft last year, things were just like going every which way, trying to get settled, trying to establish a role on the team, trying to learn this whole new position that I've never played before in my career ever, really, besides high school 鈥?which doesn't count," he said. "It was hectic for me last year, trying to find where I fit into the team and on the defense."

The older guys seem to have embraced the transition Allen Hurns Jersey , too.

At 6-2, 260 pounds, Simon appears undersized against some of the mammoth-sized offensive linemen. But he has impressed Eberflus during the first three days of training camp in Westfield, Indiana, a northern suburb of Indy, especially Saturday when the Colts practiced in pads for the first time.

"I would say in the limited time we've seen him in pads, I think his effort is good and he's a really smart player," Eberflus said.

Sheard has had a different experience.

He played his first two NFL seasons with Cleveland at end then moved to linebacker for the next two years. Indy signed Sheard in March 2017 to be a rush linebacker but now believe he's a better fit on the defensive line where he's getting some help from pass rushing consultant Robert Mathis, the Colts' career sacks leader and master of the spin move.

"You're getting after the quarterback and getting after the running back," Sheard said, explaining the philosophical principle Eberflus has adopted. "For me, it's the consistency of defense in football."

The first real test of the new system comes Aug. 9 at Seattle, but the Colts may not get their first real grades until the regular season opener Sept. 9 against Cincinnati.

But Eberflus is convinced his simpler system will work with the players he already has.

"It's always rush and cover," Eberflus said. "You always want to build it on rush and cover for sure. When you have four guys humming, the ball comes out fast and then your athletic, speed players affect the pass."

Notes: Andrew Luck worked out for the first half of practice before leaving the field. He was not scheduled to practice Saturday but is expected to throw in pads for the first time Sunday night. ... Defensive ends Anthony Johnson and Denico Autry both received medical attention on the field Saturday but were able to finish practice. ... Offensive lineman Jack Mewhort was one of several players who did not practice Saturday.
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