The Miami Heat bounce back in a huge way as they blew out the Cleveland Cavaliers inside the Kaseya Center, 121-84. This was a much needed victory for the Heat as they are fighting to get out of contention for the play-in tournament and get a top six seed.
Even though the team was coming off of am ugly loss to the New Orleans Pelicans and the slew of key players getting injured, including rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. who was ruled out beforehand, there could've been concern heading into this contest. Miami shut down all those questions and absolutely dismantled the Cavs as they were led by Haywood Highsmith who had 18 points (4 of 4 from deep), Jimmy Butler who had 15 points, and Bam Adebayo who had 15 points and 16 rebounds.
Here are three takeaways from the Heat's ginormous win over the Cavs Friday night:
A breath of fresh air in the first half
With all the frustrations around the organization in terms of disappointing losses and constant injuries, the first half showed how the Heat can be dangerous if they play to their strengths. The Heat led 60-39 against the Cavs by the end of the first half which set up their performance for the rest of the game.
A standout of the fist 24 minutes was forward Haywood Highsmith who led the team along with Jimmy Butler with 13 points as he made five of his six attempts from the field with the one miss being an easy dunk. More importantly, he made all of his three attempts from three-point range and excelled on the defensive end which showed off his two-way ability.
Caleb Martin would also contribute with nine points including hitting both of his makes from deep which was a good sign as he struggled to make a shot last game where he was o-8 from the field. Plus coming into the game with discomfort in his left knee or ankle area, there was concern he would miss the game, but with the way the game started, he seemed injury-free.
Bam Adebayo would be close to another double-double as he finished the first half with 11 points and seven rebounds. While most aspects were working well, the team still only made six shots out of their 17 attempts from three-point range. Not as horrid as the loss to the Pelicans, but there is no doubt that their defensive performance as a whole has been making up for the flaw.
A stellar second half for Miami
While fans have been hesitant about the Heat holding on to a big lead heading into the second half, there was not any worry this time around as the Heat led by as much as 40 points with over four minutes left in the third quarter. The massive 40-point lead is a rarity that the Heat haven't had since Oct. 21, 2021.
On top of everything going right for the Heat on their front, the Cavs were just getting dismantled play after play on both sides of the floor. If there was one aspect Miami excelled at, it was capitalizing off of Cleveland's mistakes as by the end of the third quarter, the Cavs committed 14 of them leading to 27 points.
Having a 3rd quarter like that will make you feel a way pic.twitter.com/3MYG8uJdrA
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 24, 2024
At one point in the game, Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff benched every player in the starting lineup with the down performance from the group that is already missing star Donovan Mitchell. However, the Heat have been missing stars all season which could've prepared them for these types of games.
When it came to the fourth quarter, Miami quickly took out their starters as the game never became close again.
Positive momentum heading into a crucial next two games at home
This was the best case scenario for how the game could've went for the Heat as they bulldoze through an opponent to give them all the momentum in the world. Especially at this point of the season where there is no room for error, the team can get any type of momentum possible.
The win is also significant as the Heat's record this season at the Kaseya Center has been middling to say the least as they were 17-16 coming into this outing. Sunday was a perfect way to possibly turn the ship around and prepare for the next two games to finish out the home stand.
While they have been an inconsistent team this season, the Golden State Warriors led by star Stephen Curry visit Miami next Tuesday followed by a rematch against the Portland Trail Blazers that Friday. In the home stretch of the season, Heat fans better be on the edge of their seats as the standings in the Eastern Conference can change sporadically as Miami is now 39-32.
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