Following their tough loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, the motivation level of the Cleveland Cavaliers was open to question, given the 3-0 deficit the team is facing. However, the apparently crude actions of Warriors point guard Stephen Curry just after teammate Kevin Durant‘s crucial 3-pointer in the final minute of Game 3 appear to have provided an extra motivating force, with many of the Cavs reportedly irritated by the move.
Source tells AmicoHoops several #Cavs highly agitated about Steph's squat on KD's late Game 3 three. "Won't be forgotten come Friday night."
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) June 9, 2017
Curry squatted down just after Durant’s basket, imitating someone defecating on the court. He tried to explain his action when asked about the controversy:
“It was all spontaneous. I wish I could have a little bit more control over here. The reactions in certain situations … I really don’t know what I did last night. I saw it, but I don’t know what I was doing. I even dropped my mouthpiece because I was so uncoordinated in that sense. It is what it is.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTTvLJnjWJg
This isn’t the first time that Curry has gotten under the skin of the Cavaliers. Prior to the January 2016 regular-season matchup between the two teams at Quicken Loans Arena, Curry asked if the visitor’s locker room still smelled like champagne. That was a reference to the Warriors winning the previous year’s title in Cleveland.
While the Warriors are seeking to close out what would be a record-setting perfect postseason, the Cavaliers are simply trying to get the series back to Oakland for Game 5 on Monday night. Tipoff for Friday night’s contest will be just after 9 p.m. E/T.
