To say that the Cleveland Cavaliers had their backs against the wall in the fourth quarter on Tuesday night would perhaps be a massive understatement.
Cleveland trailed the Boston Celtics 93-71 with nine minutes remaining in the final period. According to ESPN, the Wine and Gold had just a 0.1% chance to win at this point in the game. The Celtics were also on both an 11-game winning streak, the longest such streak in the NBA this season, and an eight-game road winning streak.
The Cavaliers also lost star big man Evan Mobley earlier in the game after he sprained his left ankle, and were without five-time reigning All-Star Donovan Mitchell and fellow starter Max Strus as well.
However, despite this myriad of elements not in their favor, Cleveland refused to quit.
In one of the most improbable NBA comebacks in recent memory, the Wine and Gold outscored Boston 34-11 over the game’s final nine minutes to come away with a thrilling 105-104 victory.
According to the Cavaliers on X, their 22-point fourth-quarter comeback was their largest in franchise history.
During this stretch, the Wine and Gold’s offense shot an incredible 11-for-12 (91.7%) from the field, including a perfect 7-for-7 from three-point range. Cleveland forward Dean Wade played a critical part in this ferocious rally, scoring 20 of his career-high 23 points in this span.
After the game, Wade described how this win reflected the team’s mindset.
“This group, we just never stop fighting. We have full belief in ourselves and each other, and tonight really showed that no matter what happens, we’re going to play hard and play together. And the fourth quarter really showed that for us.”
Up next, the Cavaliers will face the Atlanta Hawks on the road on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.
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