As the Miami Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, the roster had a chance to stack wins after their recent five-game losing streak in a rematch with the same team on Friday night. Despite the Heat getting the best of the Cavs in Wednesday's matchup, Cleveland came back with a force with a dominant 149-128 win, garnering the attention of head coach Erik Spoelstra.
The defensive showcase for Miami was a major problem, allowing back-to-back quarters of at least 40 points in the first half, with the offense lacking. Spoelstra wouldn't hold back his concerns in his post-game press conference, citing the defensive effort as being “extremely disappointing,” especially since the team has been top-10 in defensive rating, specifically now at ninth in the NBA.
“It’s extremely disappointing,” Spoelstra said, via the team's YouTube page. “We’ve put in the time. The guys have put in blood, sweat, and tears to develop a top-four defense two weeks ago. And when we need it the most is when we’ve let it disappear. And that’s just unacceptable at this time.”
The 149 points by Cleveland were the most points Miami has allowed in a game in franchise history.
The Heat's effort against the Cavs showcases a worrying trend
With the Heat's defense being a key part of their identity, seeing it as a major fault at this point of the season, with little time remaining, is a concerning trend. It was a full-team effort from Cleveland in scoring at will against Miami, with Spoelstra expressing more of his disappointment.
“It’s not like we’re trying to fabricate something out of nothing,” Spoelstra said. “We have five months of great defensive habits, and we’ve put in a lot of work to develop those habits, and you develop pride in your defense.
“It would be one thing if we had the 20th-ranked defense for months, and I’m saying, ‘Hey, we have to defend.’ Literally two weeks ago, or less than, we had the fourth-ranked defense,” Spoelstra continued.
The Heat look to bounce back in a major way on Sunday evening against the Indiana Pacers.
