Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
If the Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Golden State Warriors to win the 2015 NBA Finals, there is no question LeBron James will get a majority of the credit. He is the reason the Cavaliers are in position to win their first championship in franchise history. Not to mention, he has scored a combined 83 points in the first two games of the series. Even though James is a huge part of the success, it is backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova who will be the ultimate reason the Cavaliers win the NBA Finals.
Dellavedova saw his minutes more than quadruple from Game 1 to Game 2 due to Kyrie Irving being done for the series. Despite scoring only nine points in 42 minutes on 30.0 percent shooting from the field and 16.7 percent from the beyond the arc, it was his rebounding and stellar defense that made him the hero of Game 2.
Dellavedova’s five rebounds and three steals played key roles in Cleveland’s victory. But, nothing comes close to his awe-inspiring defensive performance against NBA MVP Stephen Curry, who shot a mere 5-of-23, including 2-of-15 from 3-point range. When Dellavedova defended Curry in the second game of the series, the Warriors’ point guard went 0-for-8 from the field, 0-for-5 from beyond the arc, recorded zero points and four turnovers.
Golden State claimed it was nothing more than a bad night from Curry, with head coach Steve Kerr saying even the greatest players struggle every now and then. When asked what Dellavedova did to ensure Curry would have very low production, Curry responded:
“Nothing really. Just besides playing their game plan and playing defense like every pro is supposed to. Not giving up on any possession.”
“I doubt this will happen again,” Curry continued later in the press conference, “with the adjustments I’ll make once I’ll look at the film. And like I said, one game is not going to make me stop shooting or alter my confidence at all.”
Curry is a phenomenal player who is not too far off from becoming the best in the league on a permanent basis. With that said, there is no denying Dellavedova deserves an enormous amount of credit for his outstanding performance. How he was able to consistently stifle Curry not only gave Cleveland the necessary motivation to win Game 2, but also the confidence that they can emerge champions at the conclusion of the series.
Michael Terrill is a Senior Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelTerrill, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
