MIAMI – The Miami Heat were riding high on the Andrew Wiggins game-winning dunk to put away the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime on Monday, but Wednesday was a different story, with the team dropping the rematch, 130-116. As the Heat's season has been highlighted by the new offense, the loss showed there is still more work to be done, as the team suffered its first loss on its home floor.
This was a game that Miami should have won, especially since Cleveland was missing Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley. There's no denying that something was off from Miami as the game went along, with the gas running empty as the team committed 21 turnovers that led to 29 opposing points.
Plus, with the amount of fouls that led to the Cavaliers shooting 31 free throw attempts to Miami's 13, the hungry Cleveland team got the better of the Heat. Head coach Erik Spoelstra would say after the game that Miami did not have its “normal energy.”
“We didn't have our normal energy,” Spoelstra said. “There are pockets of the game where you saw the energy, but it was really more of a grind to get, the running out in transition, the cuts, the swings, the catch-and-go drives, everything was just a little bit late, and again in the first half, that's the area where we probably could have taken control of the game better. And when you don't take care of the game, when you can in those areas, then it's tough to get it back sometimes. And that's what happened in the second half.”
On the Heat not generating a lot of foul shots, the turnovers, the fouls, Erik Spoelstra said the team didn’t have their “normal energy” in regards to play in transition, cuts, swings, etc. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/FJebiMT6jb
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 13, 2025
Heat started fast like usual in the first half, but Cavs wouldn't go away
With the Heat looking for consistency under the new offense, they displayed how effective it was once again on Wednesday night against Cleveland. Scoring 38 in the first period, it has become the norm to see Miami score more than 30 in the opening frame of games, entering Wednesday averaging 34.6 points in the first quarter, which leads the NBA, up from 28 last season.
Relying more on a faster pace and free-flowing offense, the Heat's instincts have been impressive in each player playing their role in attacking the basket with variations of drives, or kicking out to an open man at the three-point line. That led to the team shooting 60.9 percent from the field and four of eight from beyond the arc, led by Powell with eight points, once again showing him as the leading scorer, with Tyler Herro still out.
However, the second quarter would see Miami lose some steam as its lead would dwindle to Cleveland, tying the game at one point towards the end of the period, despite the Heat leading by as much as 12 points. The disappointment came more from the defensive side of the ball, as, besides the Cavaliers missing Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley, the team scored 37 points compared to Miami's 31.
The Heat would also have 10 turnovers in the first half, leading to 12 Cleveland points, leading to what needed to be a much better showcase in the second half.
The Heat's second half is one to forget
As the Heat have looked different this season with their new offensive philosophy, the team of old has crept into the second half. Miami fans will remember that the team was towards the top of the league in blown double-digit leads, which the Heat led by as much as 12 points, but with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Cleveland was up by 10.
Once again, the team was without their arguably three best players in Mitchell, Garland, and Mobley. However, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson no doubt put the team in the best position with the right game plan, as in the second half, it was clear to see they upped the pressure on the defensive end.
Cleveland was clogging any driving lane that had led to Heat success earlier in the game and in the season overall, leading to the Cavaliers taking over the game, especially in the fourth quarter, holding Miami to 19 points and scoring 37. Spoelstra would credit the undermanned opponents.
“And again, you just have to credit them,” Spoelstra said. “They played with great force, great energy with this lineup.”
“We just did not handle that well enough, and this will be a lesson, not for this weekend, but to have that maturity, to be on edge, to really treat it with the same urgency as the other night, Spoelstra continued. “Even if the guys weren't feeling great, you know, physically and everything, you know, you find a way to get it out. And 130 IS not a way to gut it out.”
At any rate, Miami is now 7-5 on the season with a chance to get rid of the sour taste out of their mouths as the next game is on Friday night against the New York Knicks.
