De'Andre Hunter's crossover and dunk not only broke ankles and social media — it energized Cleveland's bench and ignited a crucial third-quarter run against the Bulls.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Sometimes, all it takes is one electrifying moment to change the entire complexion of a game. For the Cavs in their comeback victory over the Chicago Bulls, that moment came courtesy of De’Andre Hunter’s ankle-breaking crossover that left Josh Giddey crumpled on the floor and the Rocket Arena crowd in a frenzy.
“As he made the crossover, I was up on my tiptoe and tried to change direction and my ankle kind of just rolled a little bit,” Giddey recalled. “But yeah, it’s not a good highlight reel to be on. ... good move by him.”The play wasn’t just a highlight. It was a catalyst that ignited Cleveland’s third-quarter surge, turning a 16-point halftime deficit into a thrilling comeback victory. Wine and Gold Talk podcast host Ethan Sands couldn’t contain his excitement when discussing the sequence. “We cannot go any further without talking about De’Andre Hunter arguably having the cross up of the year already, and we’re 10 games into the season,” Sands exclaimed. “That boy put Josh Giddey into a blender. He literally almost broke Josh Giddey’s ankle and then proceeded to go and dunk on Patrick Williams.”“I was more impressed with the dunk too. Like he followed it up ... I just was in shock because I didn’t know he had that in him,” Mitchell admitted. “I knew he had the cross and then I didn’t realize that there was no contact. Like it was just straight ankle breaker. And then he got to the rim and finished.”Cavs sharpshooter is ‘progressing well’ after offseason foot surgery It jolted an energy into the Cavaliers that had been missing during a first half where they shot just 43.8% from the field and 28% from 3-point range. Hunter’s crossover seemed to flip a switch, particularly for Mitchell, who exploded for 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting in the third quarter after struggling with a 1-for-10 start. For Hunter himself, the most satisfying part wasn’t even the move or the finish—it was seeing his teammates’ reaction on the bench. “I was really just looking at the bench, you know, I want to see how they reacted,” Hunter explained. “I was turnt. I saw , he was like the first one jumped up. was jumping up and down. ... I don’t think I ever made nobody fall like that.” The play came at a critical juncture in the game. Trailing big at halftime, the Cavaliers needed something to energize both the team and the crowd. Hunter’s highlight provided exactly that, becoming the spark for a 40-point third quarter that cut Chicago’s lead to just two points heading into the fourth.Before Hunter’s crossover, the Cavaliers looked flat and uninspired against a Bulls team that was shooting lights out . Afterward, Cleveland played with renewed confidence and aggression. What makes this particularly significant is that Hunter is still finding his place with the Cavaliers. His highlight moment was a statement that he can be a difference-maker for this team beyond just scoring. His combination of scoring punch and game-changing energy will be crucial as Cleveland continues to build toward championship contention. As the Cavaliers continue their promising start to the season, Hunter’s ankle-breaker will likely be replayed countless times on highlight reels. For a team building toward playoff success, having players capable of delivering such momentum-changing moments is invaluable. And in De’Andre Hunter, the Cleveland Cavaliers appear to have found another weapon who can not only score but also energize his teammates exactly when they need it most.If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
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