The first time the Wine and Gold’s “next man up” mantra – one that’s carried them to Game 5 of the NBA Finals – came into play this season was two days before Christmas in an otherwise inconsequential home game against the Timberwolves.
In the third quarter of that three-touchdown win, starting center Anderson Varejao crashed to the floor going for a rebound – rupturing his Achilles’ tendon to finish his season after just 26 games.
Over the next few weeks, the Wine and Gold fell on tough times, but by early January, Cavaliers GM David Griffin set the wheels in motion on a pair of trades that would change the complexion of the squad and propel them through the Eastern Conference standings – acquiring J.