The Cavs’ uneven start showed up again Friday night in Miami, where Cleveland fell 133-121 and took a step back in NBA Cup Group Play.
After a bounce-back win in New York on Wednesday, the Cavs were trying to carry that energy into a back-to-back and prove they could start stacking results. Instead, the second half turned into a Miami takeover inside Kaseya Center.
Cleveland actually had a decent grip on the game early. The Cavs led by three at halftime after James Harden drilled a fading, contested buzzer-beating 3-pointer over a pair of Heat defenders. The first two quarters were tight throughout, with 12 lead changes and seven ties, but the game changed fast after the break.
Miami poured in 79 points in the second half, and Cleveland had no answer on the defensive end. The short-handed Cavs were already without 2025 Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, who is dealing with a great toe sprain, along with Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Sam Merrill. Without that group, Cleveland couldn’t slow the Heat’s surge.
Miami shot 58.7% from the field and 46.2% from 3-point range over the final 24 minutes.
Giannis Antetokunmpo, Miami’s splashy offseason pickup, led the way with 37 points, nine rebounds and two assists while missing just five of his 20 shots. Bam Adebayo matched him with 37 points and 14 rebounds in 38 minutes.
Cleveland’s sixth different starting lineup of the season featured Jaylon Tyson stepping into the opening five alongside Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson and Jarrett Allen. Mitchell led the Cavs with 25 points, Harden added 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds, and Tyson scored 16.
Tyrese Proctor also kept his strong start going, finishing with 22 points and four rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench.
The Cavs were hanging around late despite trailing much of the third quarter, including by seven at one point. They fought back to get within one heading into the fourth, but Miami separated quickly from there.
By 9:28 left in the game, a 10-2 run had pushed the Heat ahead by nine, the biggest margin for either side to that point. Less than two minutes later, Miami stretched it to double digits for the first time all night.
Cleveland cut the deficit to six around the two-minute mark, but Miami answered and finished the game with a 13-7 edge the rest of the way.
In the final minute, the Cavs started firing away from deep in an effort to chip away at the point differential, one of the NBA Cup tiebreakers.
The loss dropped Cleveland to 1-1 in NBA Cup Group Play, while Miami moved to 2-0 and into first place in East Group B.
About 48 hours earlier, Mitchell had said a good team has to be able to string together wins. The Cavs are still trying to prove they can do that.
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Cavaliers Suddenly Have A Sam Merrill Decision Fans Didn't Expect
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The bigger issue is that Cleveland has depth on the wing, so the front office has to weigh whether Merrills long-term value to the rotation is enough to keep him in place or whether he becomes part of a trade conversation. Other teams have already shown interest, and the Nuggets are among the clubs linked to him, which only adds to the intrigue as the Cavs wait to see whether his play rebounds once he gets healthier. [Read more 🡒]