Live Thread: Cavs @ Heat
2022-03-11Good evening CtB!
Tonight is the first of two massive clashes among the Eastern Conference elite, with the Cavs taking on the Miami Heat along the shores of Biscayne Bay. Both teams impose their wills with elite defense and clutch shooting. Unfortunately for the Cavs, the defense has taken massive losses with injuries to Ricky Rubio and now Jarrett Allen. Reclaiming that defensive identity has been the recent challenge for this young Cav team.
Miami has been on an absolute tear since the beginning of February. They’re healthy and winning, although they just suffered a brutal loss at home to the Phoenix Suns without their leader Chris Paul. They’ll be looking to avenge that poor effort against the Suns and keep their grips on the top seed for the playoffs.
Statistical keys to the game
The Heat are an elite passing team, top three in the NBA in assist rate. Their ball movement, shotmaking, and tenacious attitude on the boards will give the Cavs all they can handle. What can the Cavs do to counter? Create turnovers and run. The Heat are among the NBA’s worst at taking care of the ball. They are also one of the slowest paced teams in the NBA. The Cavs will have chances to get their hands in passing lanes and avoid playing against the Heat’s half-court defense. The other key is obviously the Cavs’ weakness, defensive rebounding. The Cavs will need to win the rebounding battle on both ends of the court to stay in the game. This game is a quintessential “dawg vs. dawg” game, who can be grittier, tougher, more competitive?
Tip off is scheduled for 8:00PM ET and will be broadcasted live on Bally Sports Ohio/Great Lakes, Go Cavs!
That is 3 TOs for DG this quarter.
Kev gets us some FTs.
JB sat on his ass for way too long during that offensive drought wtf
#StealthTank
TALK TO EM NATE!!! LMFAOOOOO
I do t like where they’re running the p/r. Should be at wing.
Where the hell is Love?
100% asking the same thing
Not gonna win many games when you go half a quarter without scoring.
Wow 11-0 run after being up 5.. sigh.. can’t leave it get too out of hand right now; we know how those shut out runs like the 19-0 run against Indi fuels a crowd.
thats 3 shots cmon man
Run some plays DG, please….
Not much movement…
I really don’t love watching Mobley getting moved out of the way with a slight breeze in the paint
4+ minutes and no points.
WTH are we doing on offense?
Jacking too many threes.
4 missed threes, 1 missed 10 footer from Wade and a TO.
Up 5 to behind and wasting some good D.
Got to convert this good defense into points
Perhaps I am an old fart, but I just think we shoot too many threes. Up 5, 3 straight triple tries. Get a layup get to the line. Make ’em feel you. Not that those were bad shots, but I like more aggressive play.
We shoot dumb threes. def not near too many
Thats what got Cavs back into it. Weird they would move away from it.
Not a chance we should more lmfaooo
But Lowry never looks happy.
Kyle Lowry is sometimes the smartest player on the court and sometimes the dumbest.
Nice flop attempt, Lowry…
Cavs D are adapting to everything Heat throw at them
DWade and Lauri’s d skills are so fun to watch
Nice! Up four. Wade scratches & DG with a triple!
Wade IMPOSES himself!!!
DG STEP BACK!!!!!!
DEAN WADE!!!
I’m not sure Goodwin is playable against this team.
Neither is Rondo but we did that lol
That was a really nice second quarter.
Would have been nice to see a little Goodwin rather than a little Rondo
Hero needs to be stopped, 16 pints on 6-10 shooting, with and 1’s is enough for 1 game.
Paging Isaac okoro
Nice quarter.
That boy Strus can shoot…
Great 2nd quarter after a lousy first…
What a turnaround, from 15 in the first?
Woohoo!!!! 4 pt play!!
LAURIIIIIIIIIIIII
Mobley has to go up faster
Dg to Mobley what a play!!!!
DG’s influence on the rise…
Garland ridiculous there. Great stroke, Ice
Herro is a good player, but comes off as such a dbag…DG keeping Cavs in this…
LET GOOIOOOOOIIOIIIIIIII
Lauri is so damned coordinated for his size.
There’s some physicality off ball in this game. Both teams want this.
Lauri coast to coast!!!!
Miami not even pretending to guard ice.
As awful as Cavs have been, I still think Heat are vulnerable.
100% cavs just weren’t ready for the revenge
I hate Miami. I hate games against Miami.
Especially in Miami
Bench came in settled it down, soon as they wore down Miami jumped on them again
Cant teach height. D d is big
Has DG left the court?
Challenge that crap, JB…
Love’s vision saving the Cavs right now
So many bad shots tonight
Love and Stevens at least presenting.
Man, Cedi has been a pretty big zero on O for a while now…
Gotta snap out of it, he is in freefall
Cavs clearly not prepared for sort of good defensive pressure. Pretty putrid so far
Rondo just a total turd on both ends.
Thank god Stevens hit it….
Yeesh
Good lord I thought that was his back…thank God it was just Jimmy Butler smacking him in the face and scraping his eye
Cedi had no idea where he was when he shot that ball.
Kev kind of left DG in no man’s land on that handoff.
Great D!!!
Lookin better.
On the board !
Woof.
God, hope it’s not going to be one of those lid on the rim games…
Inefficient offensive attempts so far.
Scoring gonna be hard to come by.
Brooms out 🧹
That’s right simmo!
If the Cavs win one of these weekend games, it’s a huge win…I think tonight might be the more attainable win of the two…
Anybody watch the suns game and identify what they did so well to throttle Miami that badly?
Suns smashed them on rebounds.
No Butler helped. Hearing he is back for this game.
Now hearing he is out 🤷🏼♂️