Dean Wade played the role of hero for the Cleveland Cavaliers in a wild comeback against the red-hot Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.
While Cleveland trailed by 22 points early in the fourth quarter, Wade outscored Boston by himself 20–17 in the final frame en route to a 105-104 victory.
After knocking down five three-pointers in the final 12 minutes and scoring the go-ahead bucket with 19 seconds left, Wade had a great response to his stellar fourth quarter.
“It’s kind of like, your mind’s quiet, and the rim looks huge. That’s all I can tell you,” Wade told Cavaliers sideline reporter Serena Winters. “… The rim looked like a swimming pool.”
The Cavaliers’ victory snapped the Celtics’ 11-game winning streak and came with two starters—Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus—sidelined. Wade finished the night with 23 points and eight rebounds over 21 minutes off the bench.
Jarrett Allen fueled the Cavaliers’ first unit, scoring 21 points with 12 rebounds, while Darius Garland added 16 points and 11 assists. The win moved Cleveland to 40–21 on the season. They have a stronghold on the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference while also sitting just a half-game behind the Milwaukee Bucks.
