David Richard-USA TODAY Sports The Cavs were dealt a reality check by New Orleans. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ win streak has been snapped as they fall 123-104 to the New Orleans Pelicans. Stock up: Dean Wade might have gotten his groove back. He scored a team-high 20 points and is shooting 13-21 from downtown over his last four games. This is on top of being an impactful defender. Confidence has been everything for Wade. Battling inconsistency is a challenge for any shooter and the last few years for Wade have been challenging, to say the least. Perhaps, Wade has finally steadied the ship and can settle into an extended rhythm. Holding: Sam Merrill, the human torch, only appeared in 12 minutes tonight as a wrist injury held him out of the entire second half. Merrill shot 0-4 from the field, a stark contrast from his 8-14 three-point shooting the night before. Stock Down: Emoni Bates crept back onto an NBA court for the first time since Nov. 22 and despite the anticipation, Bates fell flat. He shot 1-5 and posted a plus/minus of -9 in just as many minutes. All hope is not lost, of course, This is a small sample size for a second-round pick who has appeared in fewer than 10 NBA games. Bates is averaging an assuring 24.8 points on 41.2% three-point shooting in the G-League. His raw potential is undeniable — it just might take a little while longer for Emoni to tap into it. Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2023/12/22 ... s-pelicans