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CLEVELAND — Once again, in this epic rivalry between the Warriors and Cavaliers, the star point guard came through in the clutch with a dagger shot. And it wasn’t Stephen Curry.

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Warriors begin minicamp next week, Curry and Green unlikely to participate It was Kyrie Irving, Cleveland’s answer to the two-time MVP. He hit the game-winner in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. He hit the game-winner in the thriller the Warriors and Cavaliers put on Christmas Day, securing a 109-108 win with a fade-away jumper despite Klay Thompson draped all over him.

It was Irving, again, basking in the sunshine of praise as the basketball world marvels at his skills. It was Cleveland, again, exuberant in dethroning the mighty Warriors and all their hype.

Curry? He was on the bench, pulled for the final defensive possession. He was neutered in the rematch against the Cavaliers, and this time he was healthy. He finished with 15 points on 11 shots.

Sunday underscored one of the issues the Warriors need to work out: how to unlock Curry.

The price for integrating Kevin Durant has been Curry’s brilliance. He’s shown flashes of his usual self. But he has no doubt absorbed the greatest sacrifice of the Warriors’ incumbent stars. And beating Cleveland in the Finals, presuming they meet for a third straight year, is going to require Curry being Curry.

Even with Durant, the two-time MVP can’t just blend in for the Warriors to maximize their talent.

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“Honestly, I can’t have 11 shots,” Curry said. “I’ve got to get more looks at the rim. That’s nobody’s fault. I’ve just got to figure out a way to be more aggressive in that respect. And keep the defense honest and use all the talent we have on this team, including my scoring ability.”

It’s one game. The Warriors have learned the hard way that regular season wins, even a record pile of ’em, don’t get them a championship. But if Sunday’s game did anything, it highlighted the impact the acquisition of Durant’s had on Curry.

Durant (36 points and 15 rebounds) looked every bit the star, dueling blow-for-blow with LeBron James (31 points and 13 rebouds). The Warriors went to Durant in the final seconds, hoping to answer Irving’s heroics. But Richard Jefferson stepped on Durant’s foot, causing him to stumble and fall as he caught the inbounds pass.

No foul was called. The Warriors never got a shot off.

Curry? He started off the ball on the other side of the court. He was being face-guarded by the Cavaliers’ Iman Shumpert, away from the focus of the refereers. It was a microcosm of the problem that has Curry producing below the bar he set.

It’s not just that his shot attempts are down — nearly four fewer per game, the biggest drop in his career. But his approach to games has changed. His role in the offense has been altered. And it all seems to be affecting his shooting.

With his 2-for-7 shooting performance from three, Curry fell back below 40 percent for the season from behind the arc. Most players would love to shoot 39.9 percent from 3 for a season. But that would easily be a career-low for Curry, who made 45.4 percent of his threes last season.

He is still averaging 24.1 points per game. But he isn’t dominating at will like he once did. And, against the Cavaliers, the Warriors could have used some Curry dominance.

All parties have contributed: Curry, his coaches and the opposing defenses.

Curry isn’t nearly as aggressive. Much of this is a conscious choice Curry is making. Durant has shown nothing but support of the Warriors’ star dominating, but Curry’s humility and unselfishness wins out. Even in the moments it feels like he should take over, he defers to the flow of the offense.

The problem is Curry is usually not in rhythm when the Warriors need him to be. He ends up a finisher at random instead of a creator, or jacking up a 3 when he hasn’t had a touch in a while. He hasn’t been as lights out a shooter in the supporting cast role.

“You have to acknowledge too the difference in the dynamics,” Steve Kerr said. “Not having the ball as much in his hands, that is an adjustment to make. I think there is still some adapting going on for him.”

Kerr has some part in it, too. He helps neutralize Curry by putting him off the ball too much.Away from the center of the action, defenses have much more freedom to physically handle Curry. They crowd him to avoid any daylight and jump into would-be passing lanes.

When the first attempt to get Curry the ball fails, that’s it. But when the end is result is errant lobs to JaVale McGee, or open looks for Andre Iguodala, or forced passes to Zaza Pachulia, the defense wins over the long haul.

Kerr and his staff have to do a better job of milking arguably their greatest weapon. It’s the 3-point explosions opponents fear most, which is why they face guard Curry without hesitation and double-team him as standard protocol. The right basketball play is for the ball to move to the open man.

But sometimes, especially late in games, Curry being Curry is better than the open man getting a good look. The Cavaliers have figured that out.

On the other end, Cleveland has beaten the Warriors twice now because Irving made contested shots against good defense. Cleveland’s offense becomes put the ball in his hands, even with LeBron, and let him do what’s best. And it works.

The task for the Warriors between now and the playoffs, even with Durant, is figuring out how to do the same for Curry.