The Dean Wade Game; Cavs win 105-104 Ending the Celtics 11- Game Win Streak

Photo by Charles Murray

Cleveland Oh. – There are some games where it just seems like it’s meant to be. With nine minutes to go in the game, and the Cavs down twenty-two points, Dean Wade decided it was his time to get it going. With Evan Mobley going down in the third quarter, and Donovan Mitchell already out. Max Strus out. Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro banged up… Dean Wade stepped up and made five threes in the fourth quarter outscoring the Celtics by himself 20-17.

 

In a game that could have been a giveaway game, the Cavs showed guts to come back. They could have easily laid down. Instead, they came away with one of the more impressive wins this year. Teams just don’t come back from down 22. ESPECIALLY in the fourth quarter with your star player out, and your big man hobbles out the game. But they went with what they know works.

When Darius Garland and Evan Mobley went out in December, the Cavs leaned on the lineups with a lead guard, (Mitchell at the time) three shooters, and a big man, (Jarrett Allen). While Mitchell is out for the next two games at least, Garland is a former All-Star lead guard and Jarrett Allen is a dominant force in the middle.

And there’s a plethora of shooting from the outside. Tonight, Dean Wade was the guy. Wade told us after the game that George Niang told him to empty the clip, and that’s exactly what he did. Playing in front of Cleveland’s own, Jason and Travis Kelce, Wade who is a big Chiefs fan was able to tie his career high with 23 points. But the 20 in the fourth were what was needed for the Cavs. When asked how long ago a night like that was, Wade said “Maybe high school… maybe before high school.”

This was the kind of response the Cavs needed after Sunday’s performance against the Knicks. A game where they fought back and beat the best team in the league. A game they probably had no business winning. But still, the Cavs are a GOOD TEAM! And tonight, the rest of the league got a chance to see just how good they can be. Thank you, Dean Wade!