Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Matthew Dellavedova, an unlikely hero of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, was taken to the hospital following an incredible effort to help the Cavaliers to a 2-1 series lead.
Dellavedova, filling in for injured All-Star Kyrie Irving, played a whopping 38 minutes in Game 3, pouring in 20 points to go with four rebounds and four assists. He also played tenacious defense on the current MVP of the league, Stephen Curry, holding him to just three points in the first half.
Throughout the game Dellavedova made tough shots, fought through multiple screens to stick to Curry, and was routinely the first man to jump on loose balls. The effort left Dellavedova struggling with severe cramps by the time the final horn sounded, and he skipped the post game press conference to receive treatments with IVs.
Head coach David Blatt said he was not surprised with how Dellavedova stepped up in the face of numerous injuries. "He plays as hard as he can every day," Blatt said. "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."
After the game LeBron James gave Dellavedova props as well. James scored 40 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out eight assists and recorded four steals, but they still wouldn't have eked out the victory without the point guard's contributions.
"I know one thing I'm going to count on Delly, as always, is how hard he's going to play," James said. "He's going to give everything he's got. His body, he's going to throw his body all over the place. And he's going to compete at a high level however many minutes he's out on the floor.
"Tonight it was 38½ minutes, and for 38½ minutes he gave everything he's got."
[NBA.com]
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