CLEVELAND — Rodney Hood’s insertion into Cleveland’s rotation won’t catch the Warriors off guard.
They know the forward well.
Hood is expected to get more playing time in Game 3 of the NBA Finals after barely getting on the floor during the first two games at Golden State. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue needs some kind of spark with J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver struggling and he’s planning to give minutes to Hood, who began the postseason in the starting lineup but has seen his role reduced.
Before he was traded by Utah to Cleveland in February, Hood scored 26 points in a game against Golden State.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr says Hood is a talented player, noting that “he’s a 3-point shooter. He’s a good driver. So we know he’s very capable of coming in and being productive.”
Hood had a rough go against the Warriors in the playoffs last year, making just 1 of 15 3s for the Jazz.
Golden State’s Draymond Green is about to break one of Wilt Chamberlain’s records.
No one in Warriors history has more postseason rebounds than Chamberlain, who grabbed 922 in his time with the Philadelphia and San Francisco Warriors. Green has 921 playoff rebounds so far in his career.
Of course, it bears noting that Chamberlain grabbed his in only 36 games.
Wednesday night’s Game 3 of the NBA Finals will be the 100th playoff game of Green’s tenure with Golden State. He’ll be the second Warrior to play in 100 postseason contests, joining only Klay Thompson.
And if Stephen Curry makes one 3-pointer in Game 3, he will become the first player in NBA history with a 3-pointer in 43 consecutive playoff road games. He’s currently tied with Reggie Miller as the only shooters to do that in 42 straight postseason contests away from home.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals gives Cleveland an opportunity for its ninth consecutive home playoff win, which would be a franchise record.
Cleveland is 8-1 at home in these playoffs, losing Game 1 of the first round against Indiana but being perfect — sometimes dominant — since. The Cavaliers have outscored opponents by an average of 12 points per game in their last eight home contests.
There are also some milestones awaiting LeBron James in Game 3.
When he takes the floor, it’ll be for the 238th playoff game of his career. That will give him outright possession of fourth place in NBA history, breaking his tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in that category.
And if he scores 30 in Game 3 — or any postseason game for the rest of his career — he will break a tie with Michael Jordan for the most 30-point playoff games in league history. James and Jordan both have scored at least that many 109 times in playoff games.
The Golden State Warriors expect Andre Iguodala to play in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.
Iguodala has been dealing with a bone bruise around his left knee. He has not played since Game 3 of the Western Conference finals against Houston, and the Warriors have gone 4-2 since he got hurt.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr says Iguodala will warm up with the intention of playing in Game 3.
Iguodala’s return would be another big boost for the Warriors, who lead the Cleveland Cavaliers 2-0 in this title series and now get the 2015 NBA Finals MVP back into their rotation.
For LeBron James, losing is no longer an option.
With Cleveland down 2-0 to Golden State in the NBA Finals, James knows better than anyone that he and the Cavaliers are facing a must-win situation in Game 3 on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.
No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series. James acknowledged the Cavs are facing a “tall task” as it is against the Warriors, who are seeking their second straight title and third in four years.
Stephen Curry made nine 3-pointers in Golden State’s Game 2 win, and the Warriors, who live by a “Strength In Numbers” slogan, could get back forward Andre Iguodala for Game 3. Iguodala has missed the past six games with a knee injury but practiced Tuesday.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue plans to switch up his rotation and play forward Rodney Hood, whose role has been reduced since the start of the postseason.
