March 16 vs Heat

clejgabriele

Wrap-Up – On Monday night in Miami, the Cavaliers were closing out a four-game road trip, part of grueling post-All-Star road schedule  – and unfortunately they looked every bit the part. And after a close first quarter, Dwyane Wade and the Heat blew the game wide open and didn’t look back – handing the road-weary Wine and Gold the 106-92 loss at American Airlines Arena.

LeBron James scored 16 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter as he tried to ignite a Cavaliers comeback. His late surge cut Miami’s 24-point fourth-quarter lead to just a dozen with 2:41 to play, but when Hassan Whiteside’s hookshot put Miami up two touchdowns with a minute remaining, Coach Blatt pulled his superstar – who added four assists and a pair of rebounds in the loss.

Kyrie Irving cooled down a bit on Monday night – although he couldn’t get much hotter after his previous two games – following up with 21 points on 5-for-15 shooting. The only other Cavalier in double-figures was Timofey Mozgov, who finished with 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting.

Kevin Love sat out his second straight game just to get some general rest before the season’s homestretch. And Shawn Marion, who hadn’t seen action since February 12, saw some late-game action, logging eight minutes and finishing with five points.

The Cavaliers fell for the second time this season on South Beach, dropping a Christmas Day decision before topping the Heat at The Q on February 11. Dwayne Wade led all scorers with 31 points in that Christmas Day decision and he repeated the feat on Monday night – netting 16 of his 32 points in the decisive second quarter.

The Heat shot 55 percent from the floor to the Cavaliers’ 38 percent. Miami outrebounded Cleveland, 44-32, and outscored them in the paint by the same margin, 44-32.

Mozgov throws the hammer down, plus the foul.

Watch final game highlights from Monday's game.

Turning Point – The Cavs fell behind early on Monday, trailing by 10 within the first four-and-a-half minutes of the game. But Cleveland rallied early and tied the game on an and-1 by Timofey Mozgov – who crushed a left-handed dunk off a beautiful baseline feed from Kyrie.

But Miami scored the final five points of the period and would proceed to hold the Cavs to just 16 points on 33 percent shooting in the second quarter. Dwyane Wade took over in the second and the Wine and Gold found themselves down 18 at intermission.

By the Numbers – 3 … home games that the Cavaliers have played of the 14 contests since the All-Star Break. They close out the season with eight of their final 13 at Quicken Loans Arena.

Quotable – LeBron James, on the Heat taking advantage of a tired Cavaliers squad …

”(Miami) knew what our schedule has been for the last couple weeks and they came out and wanted to push the tempo and get up and down the floor. And they did a great job of doing that.”

Up Next – Following Monday night’s loss in Miami to close out the four-game road trip at 3-1, the Wine and Gold finally head home where they’ll play two straight at The Q for the first time since the All-Star Break (and before hitting the road for three more away). On Wednesday, they welcome the Brooklyn Nets to Cleveland before heading to Indiana on Friday, trying to avenge a pair of consecutive road losses to the Pacers. Cleveland plays every Sunday afternoon for the rest of the season, beginning with this weekend’s trip to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks.

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Road-Weary Cavs Fall in Miami

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(On the game): “We (Cleveland Cavaliers) have been on the road for quite some time this month. The Miami HEAT played well. We just didn’t have our normal energy and bring our normal game. We have to try and fight through it.”

“We did not have our normal ball movement tonight or our normal pace. We paid for that.”

“The NBA schedule can be rough and it might have caught up with us tonight.”

“We wanted to try and give it one more run in the fourth quarter tonight. We were almost there to do it but we just sputtered.”

“I thought that we showed that we were not giving up during the fourth quarter. We stayed in there; we played hard. I didn’t see the Miami HEAT let up. We just came up short.”

(On LeBron James): “He (LeBron James) has been playing a lot of very good basketball. Like everyone else, he looked a little bit tired. He played through an injury tonight but he didn’t do any worse than anyone else.”

(On the Cleveland Cavaliers): “We have 14 more games to go. We are fighting and will fight, probably till the last days for what looks like the second position in the Eastern Conference.”

“This was a successful week for us. We didn’t finish well, but it still was successful for the team.”

“We have to finish in second place. Where and if there is a chance to rest guys, we will. We certainly want to do as well as we can to finish as high as we can.”

(On the game): “We took a hit tonight versus a very good team, they’re fighting for a playoff spot. They were making shots and our defensive breakdowns cost us since we were playing catch up all night. The flow of the game tonight wasn’t in our favor but we kept trying to fight. LeBron (James) tried to get it going in the fourth quarter as much as possible but it’s hard to play down (by that many points) in someone else’s home. Their intensity was at a high level and they made shots, you have to give them credit. Not every game is going to be perfect for us, it’s part of the game and we understand that. We just have to watch film, learn from it and go from here.”

(On fatigue setting in from last game of road trip): “I want to get something straight, obviously we are not going to make excuses for ourselves. They were the better team tonight, we had defensive breakdowns that cost us and that was the flow of the game. We fell behind they went up, continued to make shots, continued to attack the paint. Their penetration got them open threes and it felt like they didn’t shoot a lot of threes but it seemed like they made a ton (of threes).”

(On going down during the game): “I banged my quad, I’ll be alright.”

(On the game): “They [Miami HEAT] came out and wanted to push the tempo and go up and down the court. They did a great job of that. Every game presents different challenges.  You learn from your mistakes. You learn from the things that you did well. This was a tough stretch for us [scheduling-wise]. I felt that our legs just kind of gave out.”

(On if the Miami HEAT are motivated to play against him): “Of course. Of course”

(On his increased energy in the fourth quarter): “I made shots. I stuck with it and found a good groove in the fourth quarter and try to put some pressure on their defense.”

(On his health): “I was a game-time decision. I went through my extensive treatment throughout the whole day. I felt pretty good when I was done with it all, so I gave it a go [tonight]. I need to get out there for my teammates. Every game is another opportunity for us to get better. If I’m able to go, then I’ll be out there with my teammates. That’s just how it is. Everything hurts, but I’m alright.”

(On Dwyane Wade): “He [Dwyane Wade] has been a good groove the last couple of weeks. He did it again [tonight]. When his pull-up [shot] is going, then you can’t do much with him [to stop him]. He even took one off the glass, so you knew he has a good groove. It was good to see him play with a bounce in his step for sure.”

(On the road trip): “It was a great road trip. We are in a good groove. Tonight, it’s something that we can learn from, for sure. I’m confident in the team’s abilities.”

(On the game): “Good win.  Our guys wanted it very badly tonight.  We understand what the playoff race is right now.  It felt like an old Miami Heat game with the normal Miami Heat huddle - guys screaming at each other, a lot of passion in this game and it was much needed.”

“There is a human element to this game.  I don’t think any of the guys had to look on the schedule to see who we were playing, but the bigger part of the picture is we’re in an absolute playoff hunt right now.  We’re playing for our playoff lives.”

(On Dwyane Wade’s play): “He’s been playing great basketball.  He really has.  Since he was able to get into rhythm and he understands moments as much as anybody in this league; and what his basketball team needs and it needed him to play with great force tonight, which he did, and guys really fed off of that.  It was easy to play with confidence when you’re best player is leading you and playing the game like that.”

(On Luol Deng’s play against LeBron James and how that set the tone for the rest of the team): “It has to be a great effort.”

“Luol is a dynamic wing defender with a lot of versatility.  He plays all of his minutes to exhaustion and that’s what you need to do against a great player like LeBron.”

“Our perimeter really competed on the ball so our ‘bigs’ didn’t have to clean-up as much as they typically have to.”

(On Hassan Whiteside’s play): “He was able to adjust as to how the game was playing and he gave us a big presence in the paint.  We need it.  He’s learning and applying on the run, in a playoff hunt.  [It’s the] first time he’s had this responsibility and we love it, because he’s pure.  He comes into work every single day to try and get better.  Sometimes that result is not always going to be what everybody wants, but he’s working at it and I commend him for that.”

“He needs to keep his composure, but the fine line is, he has to give us a physical disposition and a presence in the paint [and] at the rim.  That’s who he is.  He’s a physical player, so he has to be that for us but obviously in the confines of the rules.”

(On Goran Dragic’s play with Dwyane Wade): “He’s a playmaker.  You need great play making in this league to win - that’s why we went after him so hard.  You never get the sense that Dwyane and he are taking turns.  There is a collaboration.  They are playing basketball.  They are playing off of each other, but they are both very capable playmakers.”

(On tonight’s game): “It was a great atmosphere with one of the greatest players to play the game.  You always want to bring your best when you are going against the best.  We needed it as a team, we needed this game.  We knew we had to win on our home floor, no matter who was coming in we needed to win on this floor to be in the playoff race.  We just all worked together.”

“This is who we are right now.  We have to figure out ways to win, we have enough to win games, and we just have to understand that it is hard to win games.  We have can’t just come into a game and feel it out, we have to go from the beginning to the end.  If we want to win games and give us a chance, we have to play that way.  Our teammates played very aggressive today.  Everybody was playing together on both ends of the floor.  It was one of our better home wins.”

(On Luol Deng guarding LeBron James): “He did a great job.”

(On Hassan Whiteside): “He was a little bit more aggressive.  He played a good solid game.  I don’t know his numbers but I know he was big for us.  He was active.  That is the way that we want him to play.”

(On the game): “When we share the ball, we’re a whole different team. We had 20-plus assists and when we move the ball like that with low turnovers, I feel that we can beat anybody. We are a whole different team when the guys share the ball like that.”

(On LeBron James returning to Miami): “When LeBron comes to town it rallies the fans up, it’s a different atmosphere and we feed off that. He’s a great player.”

(On facing LeBron James): “We just tried to keep him in a crowd and keep him off balance. I was trying to really plug the lanes up for him and not let him get any downhill, full-head of steam dunks and just try to keep him contained.”

(On Dwyane Wade): “I didn’t even know he had that many points till after the game. DWade (Dwyane Wade) is a Hall-of-Famer anyway. It doesn’t even surprise me.”

(On his development): “I feel the guys trust me more in the post. I have been really working on my free-throws; taking my time. In practice, I can make 20 straight as crazy as it is. Then in the game, I’m missing them. I just watch video, watch what I’m doing, and just take my time. The guys foul me a lot more.”

(On his jump-hook shot): “Until the end of my career, you’re going to see that hook.”

(On his injury at the end of the third quarter): “I got the wind knocked out of me but it’s a physical game. I just kept playing through it.”

game-quotes-cavaliers-at-miami-heat-march-16

Game Quotes: Cavaliers at Miami Heat - March 16

Listen to Radio Play-by-Play announcer John Michael's Call of the Game during the Cavaliers at Miami Heat game on March 16, 2015. Timofey Mozgov throws the hammer down, plus the foul, after a nice dish from Kyrie Irving.

Escucha a la voz en español de los Cavaliers Rafa "El Alcalde" con la narración de la jugada del partido entre Los Cavaliers de Cleveland y El Heat de Miami en el American Airlines Arena de Miami, FL el 16 de Marzo del 2015. Los Cavs perdieron el último partido de la gira de 4 al caer frente al Heat 106-92. Iman Shumpert participo en uno de los mejores momentos de Los Cavs en el partido cuando arrancó la jugada con un robo y la culminó con una clavada de Alley-Oop de pase de JR Smith.

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Call of the Game: Cavs at Miami Heat - March 16

cleveland-cavaliers-at-miami-heat-march-16-2015

Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat - March 16, 2015

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Key 1: That Christmas Day game in Miami feels like a long time ago for the Wine and Gold, who lost nine of the next 11 games and still are 26-14 since that loss on South Beach. Since that time, the Cavs have vaulted solidly into the East’s second spot, now 10 games behind the Hawks, but three games ahead of the third-place Raptors.

At 29-36, the team that’s coming off four straight Finals appearances is struggling just to reach the postseason, sitting one-half game behind the Hornets for the final playoff spot in the East with 17 games to go.

The Cavs wrap up their longest road trip remaining this season, looking to sweep the Sunshine State after topping two Texas teams that had given them fits forever.

After playing 11 of their 14 games on the road after the All-Star Break, the Cavaliers head home after Monday’s contest to play eight of their final 13 at The Q.

Key 2: Naturally, the biggest storyline for tonight’s contest is the return of LeBron James to Miami. This mid-March visit doesn’t have all the fanfare of his first visit back on Christmas, but will still draw plenty of attention. But after taking a tough third-quarter spill on Sunday night in Orlando, there’s no guarantee that the four-time MVP will even be able to go on Monday.

The Cavs decided to rest Kevin Love against the Magic as the postseason rapidly approaches and might be cautious with LeBron as well. He’ll receive treatment on Monday and will likely be a game-time decision. He’ll want to give it a shot against his former mates and try to help his squad bring an undefeated road trip back to Cleveland. But he and the Cavs are thinking big picture and there’s no need to push guys at this point.

Shawn Marion returned from a hip injury and, though he didn’t see action, was active on Sunday. If LeBron can’t go on Monday night, there’s a chance Marion gets the nod.

Key 3: It’s been a difficult season for the Heat, losing LeBron in free agency over the summer and having to get through the second-half of the season without Chris Bosh, who was diagnosed with a blood clot in one of his lungs and was forced to shut down his season. But one of the true (and unexpected) bright spots for Miami has been the development of Hassan Whiteside – who went from the D-League in December to be one of the better young big men in the Eastern Conference since.

Beginning with Miami’s February 11 loss in Cleveland, Whiteside posted six double-doubles in his next eight games, including a 14-point, 24-rebound effort against Atlanta and an 18-point, 25-rebound outburst against the Lakers. A one-game suspension for striking Boston’s Kelly Olynyk slowed his roll of late, but he’ll be a presence that Cleveland’s frontline of Timofey Mozgov, Tristan Thompson and possibly Kevin Love will have to deal with on Monday night in Miami.

Key 4: Another positive development for Miami this season was the addition of Goran Dragic – who was acquired by the Heat in a three-team deal with Phoenix and New Orleans.

Dragic and Dwyane Wade give Miami one of the most dynamic backcourts in the Conference and last year’s Most Improved Player is having another stellar campaign, shooting better than 50 percent from the floor and averaging 16.4 ppg in 10 games with the Heat. But Dragic has a ways to go to compare with Kyrie Irving’s recent run at the point for Cleveland.

On just the recent road trip, Irving is averaging 37.3 ppg while shooting 63.3 percent from the floor. He broke the Cavaliers’ single-game scoring mark last Thursday night in San Antonio and followed up with 33 more points on Sunday night in Orlando.

Over the past two games, the three-time All-Star is 12-for-13 from beyond the arc and odds are he’ll be a handful again on Monday evening on South Beach.

Key 5: The other half of that potent Miami backcourt is, of course, Dwyane Wade. And game-planning for the Heat always begins with No. 3. The three-time NBA Champ and 11-time All-Star has been trying to will his squad into the postseason, averaging 28.0 ppg since March 4.

In the previous meeting between Cleveland and Miami in South Beach, Wade led everyone with 31 points and has averaged 26.3 ppg against the Wine and Gold over the course of his career.

This year, Wade leads the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring at 7.0 – just ahead of LeBron James at 6.9. But one difference between that Christmas Day game and tonight’s tilt is J.R. Smith, who’s coming off a 25-point night against Orlando and has been rock-solid on both ends of the floor since his arrival in Cleveland.

He’ll try to make Wade work on both ends of the floor tonight, while trying to contain the future Hall of Famer in the fourth.

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Five Keys: Cavaliers at Heat - March 16, 2015

The Cavaliers will conclude their four-game road trip tonight in Miami against the Heat. Tipoff is at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Cleveland (43-25) sits atop the Central Division and enters tonight's contest with the 2nd-best record in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers improved to an NBA-best 24-5 (.828) since Jan. 15 after their 123-108 victory over the Magic in Orlando on Sunday.

Kyrie Irving continued his hot shooting, going 12-of-15 from the field on his way to a game-high 33 points. J.R. Smith went 5-of-6 from beyond the arc for 25 points while LeBron James tallied 21 points, eight rebounds and a game-high 13 assists.

Miami (29-36) trails the Charlotte Hornets by one-half game for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.

Dwyane Wade enters tonight's contest averaging 28.0 points over his last five games after scoring 25 points in Friday's 102-92 loss at Toronto.

WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 FM La Mega, AM 1590 WAKR (Akron)

Get into the conversation with other die-hards.

Current Starters/Status Update*presented by Cleveland Clinic

Status Update: Anderson Varejao, (Left Achilles Tendon Rupture, Out)

Heat: PG - Goran Dragic, SG - Dwyane Wade, SF - Luol Deng PF - Udonis Haslem, C - Hassan Whiteside

Status Update: (Heat) - Chris Bosh, (Blood Clot, Out), Josh McRoberts, (Right Meniscus Tear, Out)

The two teams last met on February 11th at The Q with the Wine and Gold defeating the Heat, 113-93. The Cavs put the game away early by going on a 36-12 run to go up by 26 points (52-26) with 8:11 remaining in the second quarter. The Heat didn’t get any closer than 10 the rest of the way.

LeBron James posted his second straight double-double and 15th of the season after finishing with 18 points, a team-high 10 rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 31 minutes.

Timofey Mozgov registered a season-high 20 points on 9-11 (.818) shooting from the field, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 34 minutes of play.

The Wine and Gold trail the all-time series against the Heat 40-56 (27-21 Home, 13-35 Road).

TV: FOX Sports Ohio, ESPN, Radio: WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 FM La Mega, AM 1590 WAKR (Akron)

Tune into #CavsLive on FOX Sports Ohio starting at 7:30 p.m.

For live in-game updates, follow @cavs, @CavsJoeG, @CavsFredMcLeod, @MrCavalier34, @CavsJMike, @chones22, @FSOAllieOop and @ElalcaldeRafa on Twitter.

After tonight's game, the Wine and Gold return to Cleveland to square off against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET.

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GameDay Preview: Cavaliers at Miami Heat

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Make no mistake in The Buckeye State – we are ALL Cavaliers, and Columbus will soon be buzzing with Cavs excitement as local fans gather at the Buckeye Hall of Fame Grill (775 Yard Street, Grandview, OH) for a FREE Cavaliers Official Watch Party on Monday, March 16th beginning at 6:30 p.m. Fans of all ages are invited to come together and tune in on more than 40 big-screen, high-definition TVs as the Cavs tip off against the Miami Heat at 8:00 p.m. on Fox Sports Ohio!

To showcase a true “We Are All Cavaliers” spirit, fans are encouraged to wear their Wine &amp; Gold gear and arrive early to celebrate with music, interactive games, trivia, giveaways, prizes and more! The Cavs will also bring many elements of their award-winning game entertainment show to the Watch Party, with Cavs in-arena hype man Ahmaad Crump overseeing the fun and special appearances from the Cavalier Girls, Cavs Scream Team and Cavs mascot Sir C.C.!

“We love opportunities like this to visit Cavs fans across the state and see how they can rock the house during our games,” said Len Komoroski, CEO of the Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena. “Our great fans across Ohio are ALL a part of Cavs Nation, and we’re looking forward to joining some of our biggest fans in Columbus for a fun and energy-filled night.”

Fans are encouraged to share their experience on social media by using the official watch party hashtag, #AllForOhio. To stay tuned to all Cavaliers news, fans can follow the Cavs on Twitter (@Cavs), Facebook (Facebook.com/Cavs) and Instagram (@Cavs).

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Cavs to Host FREE #AllForOhio Official Watch Party in Columbus

Presented by:

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REMAINING ROUND 2, GAME 4 TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW. <strong><a href="https://seatgeek.com/cleveland-cavaliers-tickets?market=open&amp;aid=15870&amp;pid=web&amp;rid=50624&amp;utm_medium=partnership&amp;utm_source=cavs_ticketing&amp;utm_campaign=web&amp;utm_content=playofftickets">FIND SEATS &gt;&gt;</a></strong>