Cleveland unleashed chaos at Tuesday’s Celtics-Cavaliers game.
If Travis and Jason Kelce bobblehead night wasn’t enough of a draw, and Joey Chestnut’s halftime pierogi-eating contest didn’t suffice, the Cavaliers came through to snap the Celtics’ 11-game win streak with a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback.
Boston entered this contest on the longest win streak in the NBA this season and looked like it was going to cruise to the finish line after it took a 22-point lead in the final frame. The Cavaliers were without All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell and lost rising star forward Evan Mobley to an ankle injury earlier in the night, but they still had Dean Wade.
Wade played the unlikely hero, single-handedly outscoring the Celtics 20-17 in the fourth quarter. He converted all seven of his field goal attempts and went 5-for-5 from 3-point range in the period, carrying Cleveland back into the game.
Already engulfed in flames, Wade buried a clutch go-ahead triple with two and a half minutes to play. The Celtics countered to retake the lead and forced Darius Garland to miss a layup with 19 seconds remaining, but Wade came flying in for a putback dunk to put the Cavaliers back out in front.
As Jayson Tatum sized up Cleveland’s defense for a potential game-winner, controversy ensued.
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Celtics-Cavaliers controversial ending, explained
Boston appeared content with a win-or-go-home situation, taking the final shot all the way down to the final seconds despite trailing by one.
Tatum walked the ball over halfcourt and got the mismatch he was looking for, attacking the smaller Garland off the dribble with under 10 seconds to play. Tatum rose up for the potential game-winning midrange jumper with less than two seconds remaining and the shot fell off the mark, but a foul was called on Garland’s contest.
(Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis was in the perfect position to flush the game-winning putback, but the basket didn’t count because of the foul.)
Jayson Tatum is going to the line after refs called a foul on Darius Garland. Cavs will challenge. pic.twitter.com/VYT3CuDKMC
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzellNBA) March 6, 2024
The Cavaliers challenged the ruling before Tatum stepped to the line and the call — rightfully — was overturned. The referees ruled that the contact was initiated by Tatum’s leg kick, resulting in a jump ball at center court with 0.7 seconds remaining.
Once the ball was tipped, the buzzer sounded. The Cavaliers, led by Wade’s scorching hot hand, came away with the largest fourth-quarter comeback in the NBA this season.
With the Kelce brothers in attendance, Travis made sure to pay his respect to Cleveland’s star of the night.
Travis Kelce hyped for tonight’s hero Dean Wade! pic.twitter.com/hsaCyjQjfG
— NBA (@NBA) March 6, 2024
MORE: Why the Cavaliers are honoring the Kelce brothers in Cleveland
Travis and Jason Kelce bobblehead night
The game wasn’t the only attraction at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on Tuesday.
The Cavaliers paid tribute to two Cleveland legends, having Travis and Jason Kelce bobblehead night with both brothers in attendance.
Following Jason’s NFL retirement announcement Monday, the Cavaliers paid respect to a future Hall of Famer with a framed jersey and a touching tribute video during the first quarter.
The Cavs honored Cleveland-native Jason Kelce with a tribute during tonight’s game following his retirement from the NFL 💛
🎥: @H_Grove
pic.twitter.com/E4oGQZbKkF
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 6, 2024
Both brothers got in on the postgame celebration with the team after Cleveland pulled off a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback over the hottest team in the NBA.
Joey Chestnut wins a pierogi-eating contest
And if the comeback with the Kelce brothers in attendance wasn’t enough action for one NBA game, how about the greatest competitive eater of all time putting his title on the line?
Joey Chestnut was the halftime show, facing off in a 3-versus-1 pierogi eating contest.
Three fans combined couldn’t touch Chestnut as he downed 39 pierogis in two minutes. The trio of contestants finished with 23.
Chestnut was awarded a championship belt for being the “Cavalier Pierogi Champion of the World.”
Joey Chestnut went 3v1 on this Perogi Eating Contest and still came out on top. 😂🙌@joeyjaws | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/ZKr8tgBqrE
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 6, 2024
It was a confounding night in Cleveland, to say the least.
