Cleveland Cavaliers' Matthew Dellavedova forcing Golden State Warriors' hand - Miami Heat's Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh praised Matthew Dellavedova after the Australian's meteoric rise continued in the NBA Finals.

Dellavedova has proven an unlikely hero for the Cleveland Cavaliers after all-star point Kyrie Irving went down with a knee injury in game one of the series against the Golden State Warriors.

Having relentlessly hounded MVP Steph Curry into one of his worst shooting performances of the season in game two, Dellavedova backed it up with a career play-off high 20 points in Cleveland's game three win on Tuesday.

Bosh, a two-time NBA champion, said Dellavedova had forced the Warriors into being proactive against him.

"Not only does he come in and exceed expectations, but he's holding his own to the point where Golden State now has to put him in the scouting report, and probably spend a bit of time on seeing how they can attack him without disturbing the whole flow and making it even tougher on Stephen Curry," Bosh wrote in his column for NBA Australia.

"Even on offence, he's making solid plays."

Bosh went on to compare Dellavedova's contribution to that of Shane Battier, a team man who played a key role in the Miami Heat's 2013 championship-winning line-up.

"Shane didn't dribble, didn't do much, but when you put him in he's gonna play defence, he's gonna rebound and knock his shot down and do what he's good at," he added.

"That's what makes him [Battier] such a threat out there, because he plays his role and doesn't overstep his boundaries, and he's really good at what he does."

Bosh added Golden State could take a leaf out of Dellavedova's book and lift their intensity for game four on Thursday.

"If the Warriors aren't the first on the court in loose balls tomorrow, there's a problem. Who's first to the floor? If Delly beats them again to the floor, they're gonna be in for a long night," he continued.

After Irving's fractured kneecap ruled him out of the series, Dellavedova has been forced to play a far bigger role than originally expected.

While some players would have struggled under the pressure, Dellavedova has endeared himself to team-mates and fans alike with his relentless attack on the ball.

LeBron James has been a leading voice throughout the play-offs for Dellavedova, and said his fellow "brothers" were also appreciative of his efforts.

"Everything that he has, he lays it on the floor. I think he dove on the ground last night, an NBA Finals record, six times," James said.

"He gives us everything that he has, and we all appreciate it as his brothers in the line-up beside him."