NBA-Australian 'Delly' breathes new life into Cavs' title hopes

June 8 (Reuters) - Matthew Dellavedova has been counted out most of his basketball career, but the gritty Australian guard has breathed new life into the Cleveland Cavaliers' NBA title hopes with a timely display of defensive prowess. Dellavedova, who started Sunday's Game Two of the NBA Finals in place of the injured Kyrie Irving, shut down league Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry as Cleveland earned a pivotal series-tying 95-93 overtime win over the Golden State Warriors. "It had everything to do with Delly," Cavs forward LeBron James told reporters. "He just kept a body on Steph. He made Steph work. He was spectacular, man, defensively." Curry, considered by many to be one the game's best all-time shooters, had 26 points in Game One and was expected to have an easier time after point guard Irving suffered a series-ending knee injury late in the Finals opener. But Dellavedova, an undrafted second-year guard who was cut twice from the Australian national team, held Curry to 0-for-8 shooting in Game Two and forced him into four turnovers. Dellavedova, 24, also drained a pair of free throws to put the Cavs ahead with 10 seconds to play and then forced Curry into an air-ball jumper seconds later. "Obviously he's a guy that's been counted out his whole life," said James. "Probably people have been telling him he's too small, he's not fast enough, can't shoot it enough, can't handle it good enough, and he's beat the odds so many times. "The confidence that we have in him allows him to be confident in himself. He goes out and he just plays his tail off, and when a guy like that does that, he gets great results." Dellavedova's performance could not have come at a better time for a team seeking a maiden NBA title and the city's first professional championship since 1964. Teams that go up 2-0 in the NBA Finals have won 28 of 31 series. For Dellavedova, who was born and raised in Maryborough, a small city in Victoria, Australia, the skeptics who have doubted his game do not give him added motivation. "I don't really pay attention to anything outside of the locker room because none of that stuff really matters," said Dellavedova. "As for the motivation part, it's the NBA Finals, and if you need to be looking for extra motivation, you probably shouldn't be playing." The best-of-seven series resumes Tuesday with Game Three in Cleveland. (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)