Dennis Schroder proves to be loud voice, hot hand Cavs needed

CLEVELAND — This one turned on a voice in the locker room and a heater in the fourth.

Dennis Schroder didn’t like the feel of it at halftime. The Cavs were down, the building was uneasy, and the series had tilted the wrong way.

“We needed to win this game,” Schroder said. “It’s all about momentum. They had it coming in. We didn’t play how we should play. I felt like I had to say something to the group, so we can rise and go play Cavs basketball and play to our standards.”

He didn’t just talk. He went out and owned the fourth.

Schroder scored 11 of his 19 in the final period, played the entire quarter, and steadied everything. The Cavs tightened up defensively, took care of the ball, and rode him to a 125-120 win and a 3-2 series lead.

The message, he said, was simple. Get back to the identity.

“Play through the bigs. Be aggressive. Bring energy,” he said.

Coach Kenny Atkinson has seen this before.

“When we were talking about trading for him, that was one of the things,” Atkinson said. “He’s played in huge games. This type of game fits him. He was, as we like to call him, Dennis the menace tonight.”

There was even a moment where Atkinson looked ready to sub him out. Donovan Mitchell wasn’t having it.

“It’s about the group,” Mitchell said. “This is working. We’re getting stops. It isn’t about one person. You ride the hot hand.”

Even James Harden kept it light when asked about the late-game ball security.

“Give Dennis the ball,” he said, smiling.

And Schroder? He’s been waiting for this stage.

“Big games. I love big games,” he said. “I love the playoffs. Every player is working for that moment.”

Atkinson thinks it matters beyond one night.

“We’re trying to get over the hump,” he said. “Game 5, 2-2, high pressure. You’re down, the crowd feels it. I think we took a step tonight.”