Matthew Dellavedova became an overnight sensation for his defensive intensity against Stephen Curry in the 2015 NBA Finals. While the Australian wasn’t impactful enough to force the series in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ favor, he made life more difficult for the reigning MVP and even ended up in the hospital because of it. Dellavedova’s former teammate, Brendan Haywood, explained how his unexpected performance came at a cost.
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As if the Cavs rotation wasn’t already thinned out enough with the first-round loss of Kevin Love, Dellavedova was forced into the starting lineup following Kyrie Irving’s knee injury in Game 1 of the Finals series. Haywood explained how the backup point guard wasn’t accustomed to the heavy workload of starting games, especially NBA Finals games.
“When you look at the starting lineup that won two games off the Golden State Warriors, it was like, Matthew Dellavedova, who wasn’t used to playing those amount of minutes at that time. After games, no lie, he was getting IVs because he was almost dead,” the retired big man shared on the Run Your Race podcast.
Then 25 years old, Delly had started just 14 games during the regular season for Cleveland. He averaged a formidable 24.6 minutes per game behind Irving. He was not accustomed to the burden of closing out contests, never mind being tasked to contain the best guard in the NBA.
“They were taking him [Dellavedova] to the hospital to get IV because he had it give it all to guard Steph,” Haywood emphasized how the hefty responsibility took a toll on the Cavs guard.
“All of a sudden, it’s the NBA Finals. This man gotta play 35 minutes a night…If you go from 15 to 20, you feel that 20… and this was like 35 guarding Steph,” the 45-year-old added.
Haywood underlined the massive expectations set upon Dellavedova, Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov, all of a sudden. Dellavedova’s story especially gained a lot of traction because of its dramatic nature and is still cited to underline Steph’s supreme conditioning. But the man himself knew better than anyone how it felt.
Dellavedova recalled his time in the hospital after guarding Steph
During the series, which the Warriors eventually clinched in six games, Dellavedova spoke about his time in the hospital and his experience guarding the rising superstar.
He shared his troubles with a full-body cramp that ailed him throughout the series and how he persevered through the ailment. Dellavedova also admitted he probably pushed himself too hard, but the stress of the moment and lack of rest in between games took a toll on his aches.
The Australian guard was noticeably affected throughout the second half of the series. But his fearless demeanor and determination to win lives on, as Delly remains one of the most beloved role players in Cavaliers history.
