Cavs’ defensive desperation trims series deficit to 2-1

During a stoppage in the closing seconds of the third quarter, Stephen Curry thought he’d sneak into the lane and make a layup — just to see a ball finally go through the hoop.

LeBron James saw the sequence unfolding, raced toward the rim and violently rejected Curry’s shot off the backboard.

Man, if the Cavaliers cared that much about a shot that wouldn’t have counted, you can image the desperation they brought to the defensive end during the 48 minutes that did matter in a 120-90 Game 3 NBA Finals demolition Wednesday night in Cleveland.

Don’t think Kyrie Irving didn’t hear the chatter about his lackluster defense playing a role in the Cavaliers losing the series’ first two games by a combined 48 points.

The point guard nearly smacked the floor to get into a defensive stance on the first possession, setting the tone for a night full of ball pressure.

The advantage would balloon to as many as 31 as Cleveland locked into its defensive scheme and repeatedly contested three-point shots.

The Warriors missed their first seven threes, before Marreese Speights knocked one down with 66 seconds left in the first quarter to cut the deficit to 30-13.

Among the best shooters in the history of the game, Curry and Klay Thompson, were 0-for-8 from the field, 0-for-6 from three-point range and 0-for-2 from the foul line at the end of the first quarter.

The Warriors’ conventional centers, Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli and Anderson Varejao, had more fouls (five) than rebounds (four) and as many turnovers as field goals (two).