Facing a front line of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo is a tall task for any team — especially one without the services of Evan Mobley (toe). The Miami Heat’s ability to attack the depleted frontcourt led to a 133-121 loss for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Three stars of the game
First star: Giannis Antetokounmpo
37 points on 15-of-20 shooting, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
Typically, the Cavs use Jarrett Allen as the primary defender on Giannis, with Mobley shading in his direction to provide help at the rim. Without Mobley, Allen was left on an island
guarding Giannis without much help behind him. Allen fought hard, but he could only do so much.
The Heat have struggled as a team this season, but those issues haven’t come at the expense of Giannis’s individual numbers. He’s still been playing at a superstar level.
Second star: Bam Adebayo
37 points on 13-0f-19 shooting, 14 rebounds, 3 assists
Peyton Watson drew the primary assignment on Adebayo with Mobley sidelined. Watson needed to help on Giannis drives and was giving up considerable strength in that matchup. These two factors allowed Adebayo to get whatever he wanted inside, as evidenced by shooting 9-of- 12 in the paint.
Third star: Donovan Mitchell
25 points on 9-of-21 shooting, 7 assists, 4 rebounds
This was a good game from a process perspective. Mitchell got rid of the ball when traps came his way, and trusted his teammates when he needed to. Miami’s defense was collapsing inside on any dribble penetration, leaving room for outside shots. Mitchell took advantage of this, going 8-for-17 on jump shots. The issue came on drives and floaters inside, where he was just 1-for-4.
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Dud of the game
Peyton Watson
4 points on 2-of-10 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
This was a tough matchup for Watson. He was asked to guard a player he had no business defending due to injuries and, unsurprisingly, struggled. The issue was that he couldn’t take advantage of Miami’s propensity to shrink the floor on the other end.
Watson’s struggle from the outside continued in Miami. He went 0-for-5 from three on a night when the Cavs desperately needed some additional floor spacing.
The process hasn’t been an issue for Watson. He’s taking the right shots and doing some encouraging things on the defensive end, but the results just haven’t consistently been there.
Cavalier who deserves a shoutout
Tyrese Proctor
22 points on 7-of-9 shooting, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Proctor has been coming into his own over the past week. At the start of the season, he seemed hesitant to put the ball on the floor and attack as a scorer when given opportunities. That has gradually shifted in recent games, culminating in an impressive offensive performance in Miami.
On Friday, Proctor was hunting for his outside shot. He didn’t hesitate when the ball swung to him on the perimeter. That’s the confidence the Cavs need from someone who should get plenty of open looks given the attention the starting guards draw.
The version of Proctor we’ve seen over the past few games is indeed a rotation player. At this point, the question is whether he can still maintain that confidence in all aspects of his offensive game when he isn’t shooting as well as he has recently.
Play of the game
Quote of the day
“Bam and Giannis kind of had their way with us.”
– Kenny Atkinson on what went wrong in this game
You’re just winning a game like this when Miami’s front court combines for 74 points.
Stat of the game
The Miami Heat were in the 98th percentile for offensive rating this tgame (137.1).
Miami dominated inside. They retrieved 34.8% of their missed shots (73rd percentile), had a free-throw rate of 33 (85th percentile), and scored 56 points in the paint. Controlling the paint and forcing your way to the free-throw line is still the most effective way to generate a great offense.
As easy as it would be to blame the Cavs for these issues, sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other team. Miami had the personnel to take advantage of Cleveland’s injuries, and they did.
Main takeaway from this game: The Cavs’ supporting players are altering their identity
Zach Lowe made a good point on his most recent pod that I believe is worth expounding on: The Cavs have slowly been evolving their identity.
Cleveland found out in their 2025 series with the Indiana Pacers that they need more well-rounded players who can pass, dribble, and shoot.
Their initial effort in identifying those supporting pieces didn’t necessarily work out (Lonzo Ball), but their recent attempts have been much more encouraging. Guys like Peyton Watson, Mario Hezonja, Meleek Thomas, and Tyrese Proctor can fill multiple roles on the court and are more than just specialists. Jaylon Tyson also fits that box, although he was drafted before the Pacers series. This archetype stands in stark contrast with previous supporting players like Dean Wade, Georges Niang, De’Andre Hunter, and Keon Ellis, who were more specialized in one particular skill.
Quietly, the Cavs have shifted from a team with specialists around their core players to one where their core is insulated with more well-rounded skill types.
It made sense to put specialists around the Cavs in 2023. That team desperately needed more shooting around the original core four after Mitchell’s first season in Cleveland. It’s nearly impossible to win playoff series if you can’t spread the floor in any meaningful way. Prioritizing shooting allowed them to win playoff series in subsequent years, but if they intend to take the next step, they needed to diversify their rotation players.
Early injuries to Sam Merrill and Nae’Qwan Tomlin have given some of the newer supporting players more room to shine, and they’ve taken advantage of it. Against the New York Knicks, it was Thomas and Proctor who carried them through some of those bench lineups, and it was Watson who made the game-saving block. Here, it was Proctor who provided consistent scoring, Thomas (12 points) who supplied some shot-making at the end of the third to get them back into the game, and Tyson (16 points) who filled in well as a starter.
The Cavs are still figuring some things out, and are far from a finished product. But if you wanted something positive to hang your hat on early in the season, it’s the fact that the supporting pieces have the potential to change how this team plays.
Stars still matter. The Cavs will have a tough time winning playoff series this spring if Mitchell or Harden lay an egg. But the emergence of some of these supporting pieces has the potential to change what is asked of the stars during close postseason games. Maybe Thomas can carry some of the scoring load for stretches in the second and third quarters. Maybe Watson’s ability to recover defensively alters how the two-big front line operates defensively and further insulates the guards. Maybe Proctor can help bring the ball up against the press, alleviating that burden from the stars.
The Cavs didn’t get the win on Friday. Trying to defend a Giannis-led team without Evan Mobley is a tall task. Allen did his best, but the lack of a second-side rim protector and an increase in Thomas Bryant minutes made that a challenging task. Results notwithstanding, we’ve seen some encouraging steps forward from some of the supporting cast the last week or so. That could make a huge difference if the stars can get healthy and more in sync than they have been.
