What a night for De’Andre Hunter, as the newest Cleveland recruit was given a place in the starting lineup so that star teammate Donovan Mitchell could rest. The 27-year-old shined as he scored 18 of his game-high 32 points during the fourth quarter to lead his team into overtime and eventually the win.
“Made open shots, tried to get to the rim and get fouled,” Hunter said of his clutch performance, which included a three pointer that put the Cavaliers up 131-129 with 30 seconds left to the final buzzer. Now the league leaders have collected their 50th win of the 2024-25 campaign.
De’Andre, who was recently acquired from Atlanta at the trade deadline, also stole an important ball and later grabbed a rebound when Trail Blazers star Deni Avdija missed a clutch shot from beyond the arc. “He carried us in every way,” said his coach Kenny Atkinson said. “No way we get this win without him.”
The Israeli star led Portland with his first-ever triple-double which included 30 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. His teammate Anfernee Simons also contributed by scoring 27 points this Sunday, as their team was winning during most of the first half, as they hoped to conquer their fifth-straight victory.
Even though the Trail Blazers were leading 54-42 by half time, the Cavs pulled level at 101-101 with 5:43 left in the fourth quarter, which eventually ended tied at 119 each, after Simmons made a pair of free throws.
After the win, the Cleveland tactician assured that they’re not waiting to start the preparation for the playoffs. According to Atkinson, their concentration and work for the postseason has already begun.
“I think we’re safeguarding against that. I’ve been part of a team, you know, that Hawks team I was with, we had a huge lead. I think more than we have now. We didn’t take our foot off the gas, but we started resting guys a lot. We really tried to almost over-strategize it,” the Cavs coach explained.
