Nothing much has gone right for the San Antonio Spurs in the first three games — all definitive losses — to the Golden State Warriors in their Western Conference first-round playoff series.

Now Tyron Smith Jersey , with the prospect of a second consecutive four-game playoff sweep by Golden State, everything has to go right for the Spurs to even extend the series past Sunday afternoon’s Game 4 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

San Antonio will be behind the eight ball even before the game tips off as the team announced Saturday that coach Gregg Popovich will again be missing from the sidelines as he remains with his family in the aftermath of his wife’s death Wednesday.

Popovich did not coach the Spurs during their 110-97 loss to Golden State in Game 3 on Thursday, handing those duties over to first assistant Ettore Messina.

Messina will also be at the helm Sunday as San Antonio tries to stay alive and push the series to a fifth game Tuesday in Oakland. But even those chances are slim, and it’s all but a given that the Warriors will win the series and move on to the conference semifinals.

The Spurs lost Thursday because they didn’t shoot well, a theme throughout the first three games of the series. San Antonio shot 42.5 percent from the field and made only 7 of 33 from 3-point range. That poor performance from beyond the arc came after a 4-for-28 showing from long distance in Game 2 on Monday.

“Our guys focused in and we came in and we played,” said Spurs All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who led the team in Game 3 with 18 points and 10 rebounds. “It’s been the same thing. We just aren’t making shots that are there.

“They’re (Warriors) doubling and doing their things. We have open shots, but they just aren’t going in. Our guys are competing, following the game plan, and trying to give ourselves a shot Donte Jackson Youth Jersey , but when don’t make shots, it’s always tough.”

Tony Parker added 16 points off the bench for San Antonio in Game 3, bit most of those points came in garbage time, when things were already out of hand.

The teams could not have had a more contrasting series over the first three games, as for everything the Spurs have done wrong, Golden State has done right. It’s been a totally dominating performance so far for the defending NBA champions, even without guard Stephen Curry — who is out rehabbing a knee injury.

Kevin Durant led the Warriors in Game 3 with 26 points on 9-for-17 shooting, nine rebounds and six assists. Klay Thompson added 19 points, and Shawn Livingston hit for 16. In all, six players scored in double figures for Golden State.

Thompson said the Warriors’ success in the first three games has been predicated on their willingness to go the extra mile on defense.

“We rely on our defense when we’re not making shots Baker Mayfield Browns Jersey ,” Thompson said. “Our defense can be a constant for us and dictate how far you play. If we get open looks, they’re eventually going to fall.”

Durant and Livingston rolled their ankles in the fourth quarter of Game 3, adding some suspense, at least on the injury front, for Sunday’s game.

“They’re going to be OK,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Durant and Livingston. “Shaun’s was probably a little worse than Kevin’s. Both sprained ankles, but I think they’ll be all right.”

Montreal coach Claude Julien acknowledged the Canadiens can benefit by losing, increasing their chances in the NHL draft lottery.

Julien, though, insisted coaches and players are wired to win and refuse to compete with any other goal in mind.

Nicolas Deslauriers‘ second goal put Montreal ahead late in the second period and they held on to beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Thursday night.

The Original Six teams are out of the playoff race Cheap Marcedes Lewis Jersey , finishing up the season playing only for pride.

”Both teams want to win. It’s engrained in us,” Julien said. ”I’ve been told – I can honestly tell you – to try to win every game we can.”

Antti Niemi had 23 saves for the Canadiens, started in place of struggling star Carey Price.

Detroit’s Jared Coreau stopped 24 shots, giving Jimmy Howard the night off.

Montreal took advantage of the Red Wings turning the puck over, including early in the third period when Artturi Lehkonen scored to create a two-goal cushion.

”We’re always trying to force turnovers and play a fastbreak game,” Lehkonen said. ”We got some opportunities and we did a good job finishing them.”

Darren Helm scored less than a minute later to pull Detroit within a goal, but it couldn’t’ score again to extend the game.

Montreal had won just two of its previous 10 games and will miss the playoffs for the second time in three years.

”I’m not used to losing. I don’t like to lose,” Julien said. ”But at the same time, I have to be objective and look at the situation and there were some challenges along the way that we didn’t expect, a number of injuries Lamar Jackson Youth Jersey , and players having to move up in the lineup in areas they weren’t quite ready for.”

The Red Wings have lost two straight and 15 of their last 19 games. They will be relegated to watching the postseason for a second consecutive season after earning a spot in the playoffs 25 straight times.

”We’ve found ways to lose too many times this year,” Detroit defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said. ”We lost a lot of one-goal games after leading games in the third. And, it’s just not acceptable that we didn’t close out more games.”

The storied franchises hope they’re fortunate enough to get the No. 1 pick overall to likely draft Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.

Detroit wants to rebuild around Dylan Larkin, who split two Canadiens on a rush and beat Niemi with a backhander late in the first to make it 1-all after Deslauriers had his first goal early in the game.

”Dylan continues to build his game,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. ”That goal, I think, is a good sign for us.”

Tyler Bertuzzi put the Red Wings ahead early in the second, but they lost the lead as they have many times this season.

Brendan Gallagher pulled the Canadiens into a tie midway through the second period and Deslauriers’ 10th put them ahead with 5:21 left in the period.

”It’s been a tough year so this was a nice bonus at the end of the year,” Deslauriers said.

NOTES: Montreal D Jeff Petry was cheered on by at least one fan in the stands. His father, Dan Petry Authentic Joe Mixon Jersey , an 18-game winner for the 1984 World Series champion Detroit Tigers, attended the game. … Coreau, who has spent much of the season in the AHL, is 0-5 with the Red Wings this season. … Gallagher has a team-high 31 goals, a double-digit lead over the rest of his teammates and seven more goals than he scored in any of his previous five seasons. … Larkin has a five-game points streak.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: Wrap up the season Saturday night at Toronto.

Red Wings: End the season at home against the New York Islanders on Saturday night.

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