Thanks to a Game 1 injury to Kawhi Leonard, we’ll never know how great the 2017 Western Conference Finals could have been. Instead, we’re looking at a sweep for the Warriors on the way to their third straight NBA Finals. The Spurs had already lost Tony Parker before the series even started, then in Game 1 they lost Kawhi Leonard too. In Game 3, even David Lee went down with a knee injury.
Still, the Warriors were the favorites in this series no matter what, and we’ve seen some impressive stretches from them. But it’s hard not to wonder what could have been after the Spurs had a 25-point lead on the Warriors in Game 1 on the road. Maybe a thrilling six or seven games? Even with an injury-filled Spurs roster, it still took an incredible third quarter by Kevin Durant to put them away in Game 3. It’s unlikely that Kawhi Leonard or David Lee will play in Game 4, so Coach Popovich may be throwing in the towel.
Here’s how you can watch on Monday night
TIME: 9 p.m. ET
CHANNEL: ESPN
STREAMING: WatchESPN
Series recap
Game 1 - Warriors 113, Spurs 111
Game 2 - Warriors 136, Spurs 100
Game 3 - Warriors 120, Spurs 108