Raptors, with balanced attack, pummel short-handed Warriors 123-109, take 2-1 lead in NBA Finals – Curry scores career playoff-high 47

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Latest from Wednesday's Game 3 of the NBA Finals (all times local):

8:40 p.m.

Toronto fended off a playoff-career-high 47 points from Stephen Curry, and beat the Golden State Warriors 123-109 on Wednesday night to take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points, Kyle Lowry scored 23, Pascal Siakam and Danny Green each had 18 and Marc Gasol scored 17 for Toronto. The Raptors made 17 3-pointers and led virtually the whole way, on a night when the Warriors were without Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant because of injuries.

Curry had 47 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Draymond Green scored 17 for Golden State.

Game 4 is Friday.

___

8 p.m.

Toronto made seven 3-pointers in the third quarter, and despite a massive effort from Stephen Curry the Raptors have opened up a 96-83 lead over Golden State with one period left in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Kawhi Leonard had a big quarter and is up to 24 points for Toronto, which is trying to take a 2-1 series lead. Leonard had 15 points in the quarter.

Danny Green has 18 points, all of them coming on 3-pointers for the Raptors.

Curry has 40 points for injury-depleted Golden State, which is without Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant. The 40 points is a playoff career-best for Curry through three quarters.

The Warriors got within seven points on three separate occasions in the third quarter. The Raptors responded with baskets every time, two of them being 3-pointers and the other a long jumper.

___

7:20 p.m.

Kyle Lowry has 15 points, Pascal Siakam has 14 and the Toronto Raptors lead the Golden State Warriors 60-52 at halftime of Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

All five Raptors starters have at least eight points.

Only one Warriors starter has scored that many. That would be Stephen Curry, who leads everybody with 25 points. That ties his playoff career first-half high, and is the most he's ever had in a single half of a finals game.

The Raptors led by as many as 14. Lowry has three fouls, picking up his third with a half-minute remaining in the half.

___

6:45 p.m.

Golden State is hurting and isn't off to a great start in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard and Marc Gasol combined for 26 points and the Toronto Raptors lead the Warriors 36-29 after the opening quarter. The Raptors led by as many as 12.

Wednesday night's winner will take a 2-1 lead in the title series.

Klay Thompson is out, and Kevin Durant is missing yet again for Golden State. Stephen Curry has more than tried to pick up the scoring slack, and he has 17 points on 6 for 11 shooting so far. The 11 shots are the most he's ever taken in a single quarter of a finals game.

With Thompson sidelined with a strained hamstring, the Warriors used their 10th different starting lineup of the playoffs. That's the most that any team has ever used in a single postseason, at least since such things started being tracked in 1971.

Leonard is playing at Oracle for the first time since the game in May 2017 when Zaza Pachulia closed out on him, got a foot in his landing space and caused Leonard to turn his ankle.

That knocked him out of that season's West finals with San Antonio, and the Warriors went on to win the NBA title.

___

6:15 p.m.

Game 3 of the NBA Finals has begun with Shaun Livingston replacing of Klay Thompson in the starting lineup for the Golden State Warriors.

Thompson was ruled out shortly before the game because of the left hamstring that he injured in the fourth quarter of Game 2.

Livingston is making his second start in the postseason. He has played in all 18 games, averaging 4.1 points.

The Warriors were already without Kevin Durant and Kevon Looney because of injuries. It's their first time playing at home in Game 3 in their run of five straight NBA Finals, having opened at home the previous four times.

___

5:55 p.m.

Klay Thompson is missing a playoff game for the first time in his career.

Thompson will sit out Game 3 of the NBA Finals after the Warriors determined his sore left hamstring isn't good enough for him to play.

The All-Star guard had appeared in 120 straight playoff games.

Coach Steve Kerr said Thompson, who was hurt in the fourth quarter of Game 2, was pushing to play but the team would be smart because it was still early in the series.

___

4:30 p.m.

Klay Thompson is going to warm up before Game 3 of the NBA Finals and his status remains uncertain.

The Golden Warriors guard sustained a mild left hamstring strain in Game 2 three days ago. Thompson, who has been listed as questionable, will be evaluated by the training staff before tipoff.

Coach Steve Kerr says: "He's making a very strong case. He wants to play no matter what."

Thompson did some running and shooting earlier in the day but Kerr says the Warriors weren't going to play him "if there's risk."

The two-time defending champion Warriors and Toronto Raptors are tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Thompson is averaging 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists this postseason, including 23.0 points through the first two finals games.

BOX SCORE

TORONTO (123)
Leonard 9-17 10-11 30, Siakam 8-16 2-2 18, Gasol 6-11 4-4 17, Lowry 8-16 2-2 23, Da.Green 6-10 0-0 18, Powell 0-0 0-0 0, Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Ibaka 2-4 2-2 6, VanVleet 4-8 0-0 11, Lin 0-0 0-0 0, McCaw 0-0 0-0 0, Meeks 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 43-82 20-21 123.

GOLDEN STATE (109)
Iguodala 4-8 1-2 11, Dr.Green 6-14 3-3 17, Cousins 1-7 2-3 4, Curry 14-31 13-14 47, Livingston 1-4 2-2 4, McKinnie 1-4 0-1 3, Jerebko 1-6 3-4 6, Bell 1-1 0-0 2, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Bogut 3-4 0-0 6, Cook 4-9 1-1 9, Evans 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 36-91 25-30 109.

Toronto 36 24 36 27—123
Golden State 29 23 31 26—109

3-Point Goals_Toronto 17-38 (Da.Green 6-10, Lowry 5-9, VanVleet 3-6, Leonard 2-6, Gasol 1-4, Siakam 0-3), Golden State 12-36 (Curry 6-14, Dr.Green 2-6, Iguodala 2-6, Jerebko 1-3, McKinnie 1-3, Evans 0-1, Cousins 0-1, Cook 0-2). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_Toronto 40 (Siakam 9), Golden State 41 (Curry 8). Assists_Toronto 30 (Lowry 9), Golden State 25 (Curry 7). Total Fouls_Toronto 22, Golden State 21. Technicals_Toronto coach Raptors (Defensive three second) 2. A_19,596 (19,596).