Photo: Peter Baba

Matthew Dellavedova recalled needing hospital treatment after Game 3 of the 2015 NBA Finals because of severe cramping following his defensive assignment against Stephen Curry. The Cleveland Cavaliers guard said the physical demands of chasing Curry through screens left him unable to recover normally after the game.

Cleveland faced the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 on June 9, 2015, with Dellavedova tasked with defending Curry. The Cavaliers won 96-91 in overtime to take a 2-1 series lead, and Dellavedova played 39 minutes while Curry finished with 27 points, 10 assists and five rebounds.

Dellavedova described the defensive assignment as particularly demanding because of the constant movement required to stay with Curry. Golden State’s Andrew Bogut, Draymond Green and David Lee were repeatedly setting screens, adding to the physical toll on the Cleveland guard.

“Obviously it’s like an impossible task chasing Steph around,” Dellavedova said. “He never gets tired.”

The Cavaliers’ veteran players also emphasized the importance of Dellavedova’s effort throughout the game. He recalled Mike Miller and James Jones grabbing him during timeouts and telling him, “You got to get every loose ball.”

By the end of the game, Dellavedova was struggling physically. He said his head was “wobbling around” before the game ended, and the problems intensified once he reached the locker room.

Dellavedova began experiencing severe cramps in his quadriceps and hamstrings during the postgame period. Team personnel cut his tights and attempted to treat the cramps with ice, but the simultaneous problems in both muscle groups made stretching difficult.

“I was just in a world of hurt,” Dellavedova said.

The Cavaliers eventually placed Dellavedova in an ice bath as the cramps gradually subsided. However, Cleveland had only one day between Game 3 and Game 4, leaving limited time for recovery before the series continued.

According to Dellavedova, team coach and the team doctor determined that the best way to prepare him for the next game was to receive intravenous fluids at a hospital overnight.

“They were like, ‘Yeah, your best shot at getting ready for the next game is going to the hospital and just getting an IV overnight,'” Dellavedova recalled.

Dellavedova returned for Game 4 and played 42 minutes in Cleveland’s 103-82 loss on June 11. He scored four points and recorded five assists, while Curry had 22 points, six assists and four rebounds as Golden State tied the series 2-2.

The Cavaliers ultimately lost the Finals in six games, but Dellavedova became one of the central defensive players in Cleveland’s run. He averaged 7.2 points and 3.0 assists across six Finals games while playing 34.9 minutes per game.

The 2015 Finals marked Dellavedova’s first NBA Finals appearance and his defensive workload against Curry became one of the defining aspects of Cleveland’s series. His account adds another detail to the physical demands involved in defending one of the NBA’s most active off-ball and pick-and-roll guards.