The Miami Heat probably salivated when they saw the injury report and noted the lack of bigs on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ roster. Evan Mobley was announced out on Thursday with a toe injury. Early on, it looked as if they would be able to survive his absence on Friday night. However, as the game progressed in Miami, the issues only compounded.
Despite a decent first half by James Harden (20 points) and Donovan Mitchell (25 points), the Cavaliers’ offense was too dependent on outside shooting. The Cavaliers were
relying heavily on one big man on the floor throughout the game. Against most teams, this might be a fine approach. However, the Miami Heat boast a lineup with Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Heat’s All-Star duo gave the Cavaliers fits all night, running downhill and providing a huge problem that they just didn’t have the personnel to stop. The Cavs were constantly having their smaller wings and guards tossed into switches that would see them in mismatches that resulted in good looks for both Giannis and Bam.
The Cavaliers, without Mobley’s defensive presence, were not up to the task. Bam (37 points on 13-for-19 shooting) and Giannis 37 points on 15-for-20 shooting) heavily contributed to the Heat’s 54 points in the paint,. The Cavaliers were not able to generate nearly enough offense inside to match Miami’s output, scoring 40 points in the paint by comparison.
There were some bright spots for the Cavaliers. Tyrese Proctor (22 points), Meleek Thomas (12 points), and Jaylon Tyson (16 points) all contributed with timely buckets and reliable shooting on a night where the Cavaliers were playing catch-up for the whole second half.
A loss like this stings. It felt like they were generating positive momentum and turning the page from the early season struggles after their big win against the New York Knicks. However, losing Mobley and facing an imposing frontcourt like Miami’s halted any forward progress.
The Cavaliers look to turn the page when they face the Dallas Mavericks Saturday night in Cleveland.
