Plan B Forum

Matthew Dellavedova (born 8 September 1990) is an Australian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Saint Mary's College of California and represents Australia internationally.

The Cavs, conversely, lost more than a series opener on the road. For the rest of a much-anticipated series that may not last long, they will play without Irving, their dynamic point guard and second-best player, who in overtime fractured a left knee that has been tendinitis-ridden all spring.

Surgery looms. Cleveland mourns.

That last sequence in regulation could be remembered as the series’ crossroads. Because the sky over Cleveland’s pro teams invariably turns cloudy, and Irving’s long-term relationship with the franchise could be fractured along with his kneecap, we may have to revisit the belief that James is fated to end the city’s 51-year championship drought.

Might it all have been different had he not settled for a step-back jumper? Might he have spared Irving the injury by saving the Cavs from overtime? Part of the deal is being left to wonder.

Curry, the reigning Most Valuable Player and one of the greatest shooters who ever played, was scoreless when matched up against Matthew Dellavedova in the half court.

"It had everything to do with Delly," James said. "He just kept a body on Steph. He made Steph work. He was spectacular, man, defensively. We needed everything from him."

Now for three more in a row!

Literally half of Cleveland watched Game 3 of the NBA Finals

The 2015 NBA Finals continues to be a ratings bonanza for ABC and its affiliates. Game 3 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors earned an overnight rating of 13.7 nationally, and an incredible 49.0 rating in the Cleveland market.

The Cavaliers' 96-91 win over the Warriors on Tuesday night was the highest rated NBA game ever in Northeast Ohio, according to George Thomas of Ohio.com, and the most-watched NBA Finals Game 3 in history. The huge ratings continue a trend as fans from all over the country flock to TVs to watch LeBron James try to bring Cleveland its first championship in decades.

All three ABC broadcasts of the Finals have set records for the network, with Game 3 representing a 33 percent increase in audience size from last year's 10.3 rating. Ohio has been leading the charge, with Columbus coming in as the No. 3 market for the broadcast behind Cleveland and San Francisco, which posted a 31.6 rating. Rounding out the top five markets were Memphis and Atlanta.

The 49.0 rating in Cleveland means that 49 percent of all households with TVs in the area were turned to the game. That's an absurd number the likes of which even the Cleveland Browns rarely meet. During the 2013 NFL season, the Browns averaged a 29.0 rating. Far more people in the region watched Cavaliers-Warriors on Tuesday night.

That number also doesn't include bars or other public viewing places, so it's not unreasonable to say that roughly half of Cleveland was watching the NBA on Tuesday night. Given that fact, it should be little surprise that the broadcast set ratings records in the area. From a business perspective, the 2015 NBA Finals is looking like a major success so far.