CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers were in the midst of another one of their clunky third quarters, something that has plagued them all season.
With Kevin Love in foul trouble and Tristan Thompson needing a bit of a breather, the hard-charging Celtics had cut a double-digit lead to eight points and the Cavaliers were leaking oil, just trying to push their way to the end-of-quarter break so they could regroup.
But then came a pivotal sequence from Larry Nance Jr.
The bouncy backup center, who spoke honestly about the challenges of finding his footing in his postseason maiden voyage, rescued a pair of offensive possessions and then used his youth, length and athleticism -- the traits Cleveland craved at the trade deadline -- to block rookie Jayson Tatum's dunk near the end of the quarter.