Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Every team and fan base hopes for a player of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova’s caliber to thrive in the biggest moments. A player who has been relatively unknown in his short career to step up and dominate when it matters most. What makes Dellavedova that much more special is he is making the most of his opportunity and putting his body on the line to ensure the Cavaliers win their first NBA championship in franchise history.
After a remarkable Game 3 performance, Dellavedova was hospitalized with severe cramps. He was placed on a stretcher in the Quicken Loans Arena parking garage and driven to the Cleveland Clinic in an ambulance. Other than him getting an IV for a loss of fluids, there is no more news on his condition, although one can safely assume he is going to be just fine.
Cleveland needs him more than ever. His 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in Game 3 was remarkable. However, it is his stifling defense against NBA MVP Stephen Curry that makes him the true game-changer that he is. More importantly, his gusty performances the past two games have given his teammates the necessary motivation to go above and beyond their typical play. The result is back-to-back victories to take a 2-1 series lead in the NBA Finals.
“He plays as hard as he can every day,” Cavaliers head coach David Blatt said, according to ESPN. “He plays right. He’s not afraid. He plays courageously. And everybody on his team has his back. It’s not an issue of confidence. He is going to give you whatever he has.”
The real issue is Dellavedova taking care of himself. Cleveland cannot afford to lose more players after seeing Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Anderson Varejao all absent due to injuries. If another player goes down, the Cavaliers may not have the necessary manpower to pull off the series win. Dellavedova’s effort is necessary for the team to be victorious, but he needs to make sure he is available for the remaining games in the series.
Cleveland will look to take a 3-1 lead against the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 Thursday night.
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.
