As the fourth quarter wound down in Game 3 on Wednesday night, Kevin Durant scored seven points in a row for the Warriors and put them up by three in the blink of an eye. A little more than two minutes earlier, the Cavaliers led by six points and seemed to have the game in hand. All of a sudden, Cleveland trailed and found themselves with one last crack at a game-tying shot.
LeBron James, guarded by 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, bolted to the corner on an inbounds pass and appeared to be set for a three-point attempt that would have tied things up. In a flash, Iguodala’s quick hands stripped the ball cleanly from James as he went up for the shot, a struggle for the ball ensued and James was called for being out of bounds. Just like that, the Dubs essentially locked things up. Take a look at the incredible defensive play by Iguodala.
ANDRE IGUODALA GETS HIS REVENGE ON LEBRON!
CLUTCH BLOCK IN THE CORNER! #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/siUtrwXnhx
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) June 8, 2017
The swipe capped what was Andre Iguodala’s best performance of these Finals so far. The 33-year-old played a series-high 30 minutes and scored seven points to go along with five rebounds, five assists, four steals and a block – the block that likely clinched the series.
There was another interesting angle to the play, however. More specifically, a camera angle. The replay of the shot from the baseline camera shows a pretty rough kick from LeBron to the groin of Iguodala.
https://twitter.com/LightskinKai/status/872663835529883648
James was likely attempting to make contact in an effort to draw a foul, or it may have been an accidental body motion altogether, but it sure seems reminiscent of past incidents involving a certain Warrior that was selected with the 35th overall pick. We’ll see if this play gets any negative backlash from fans or media.
Groin kicks aside, it’s hard to deny that Iguodala’s defense was just as crucial to the late comeback as Durant’s big-time shot. If LeBron gets that shot off and it goes in, Game 3 becomes a brand new ball game and the momentum swings firmly to Cleveland. If and when the Warriors finish off these Finals, Iguodala’s play at the end of Game 3 will go down in Golden State lore as a series-saver.
