Every NBA team goes through a stretch of the season having to navigate injuries. The Cleveland Cavaliers did that earlier in the season when Darius Garland and Evan Mobley were both sidelined because of injuries.
Analysts openly wondered whether the Cavaliers would become sellers during the season as many expected them to sink in the standings. That didn’t end up happening as Donovan Mitchell went on a tear, leading the team to their most successful non-LeBron James stretch in franchise history.
However, they were about to be tested again with Mitchell this time sidelined because of injury. Dealing with soreness in his knee, Mitchell underwent a PRP injection which would keep him out for a minimum of five games.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Dean Wade, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers Updates
That was cause for concern as the Cavaliers are nowhere near as good when Mitchell is off the court. Against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, they experienced that the hard way as they looked like they were going to be Boston’s latest blowout victim.
In the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers trailed by 22 points and the Celtics had a 99.9 percent chance of winning the game. That was, until Dean Wade turned into the best player in the NBA, willing his team to an improbable victory.
Cleveland ended up pulling off the massive upset, defeating Boston 105-104 and snapping their 11-game winning streak. Wade was integral to the comeback, scoring 20 points in the quarter without missing a shot.
He went 5-for-5 on 3-point attempts and made both of his shots inside the 3-point line. The only miss Wade at in the quarter was he went 1-for-2 at the free throw line. His crunch-time performance is something we haven’t seen in the NBA since Kobe Bryant.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Dean Wade, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers Updates
According to OptaSTATS on X, Wade is the first player in the NBA to score 20+ points, shoot 100 percent from the field, outscore the opposing team and lead his team to a comeback win of 20+ points since 2002. On December 6th of that year, Bryant did it for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Dallas Mavericks.
Any time a player can accomplish something Bryant has done, they are doing something right. Wade has been an important part of the Cavaliers’ success during the 2023-24 NBA regular season and his performance on Tuesday night puts a stamp on that.
Without that performance from him, the talk around Cleveland would be a lot different today. Following an embarrassing loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday night, this victory over the Celtics with Wade leading the way is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
Interested in reading the latest storylines and analysis in the NFL? Check out our partner NFL Analysis Network.
