5-1-2021 vs Heat

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Verizon Game Rewind – Cavs vs Heat

Kevin Love with 7 3-pointers vs. Miami Heat

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Brodric Thomas With the Nice Flush

Allen Slams It Home Off the Sexton Assist

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Okoro Step-Back Jumper

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On Saturday night, the Wine and Gold tip off the final month of the 2020-21 regular season – and mark the halfway point of their five-game homestand – when they welcome Jimmy Butler and the Heat to town.

The Cavaliers dropped their fifth straight on Friday night – sticking with Washington through the first two-and-a-half quarters before the red-hot Wizards shifted into overdrive to close the period. Cleveland managed just 16 points and two assists in the quarter, and lost Darius Garland for the night with an ankle injury. Washington dominated the Cavs in the paint and in bench scoring, winning for the 12th time in its last 14 games.

The Heat aren’t quite that hot, but they have won five of their last seven, including a pair of victories over San Antonio just this past week. Miami hasn’t played since Wednesday, beating the Spurs in South Beach behind big games from Jimmy Butler and Eric Spoelstra’s second unit. With the win, Spoelstra became just one of six coaches in NBA history to get 600 wins with a single franchise.

The Cavaliers have faced the Heat twice in Miami this season and the results were unfortunately as they’d been in years past. The last time these two squads faced off in Cleveland, the Wine and Gold won a dramatic overtime contest. The two teams are quite different these days.

Facing off against the Heat means facing five-time All-Star, Jimmy Butler, the versatile star who’s already doubled-up twice against the Cavs this season.

After recently calling out his squad, Butler’s been putting his money where his mouth is and comes into tonight’s contest averaging 31.0 points per over his last two games. The 30th overall pick back in 2011, Butler has grabbed eight boards in each game and didn’t sink a three-pointer in either.

In his two meetings with the Cavaliers this season, Butler went for 28 points and 12 boards in the first and 15 points and 11 assists in the second. Tonight’s contest marks the former Bull’s 34th career matchup with the Wine and Gold.

Butler had some complimentary things to say about the man who’ll attempt to cool him off on Saturday night – Cavs rookie, Isaac Okoro.

With his 10-point effort on Friday night, Okoro tallied double-figure scoring in his fourth straight game, the first time he’s done so in his brief NBA career. Over the course of that four-game run, the former Auburn standout is averaging 13.8 points – with a career-best 20-point performance in the mix.

Okoro has not registered double-figure scoring in 27 games this year while drawing the opponents’ toughest perimeter cover on a nightly basis.

On Friday night, the Young Bull bounced back after missing the previous three games with a concussion, leading Cleveland with 22 points in the loss.

With that 20-point night, Sexton has now topped that mark in 13 straight games. The East’s 8th-leading scorer now has 41 games of 20-plus this season; 102 over the course of his career.

In his previous eight career meetings against Miami, Sexton had only hit the 20-point plateau once before doing do in the first two meetings this year, averaging 23.5 points per, shooting 53 percent from the floor (despite struggling from deep, hitting just two of 12 three-point attempts).

Sexton will likely see a lot of Kendrick Nunn on Saturday night. The sophomore from Oakland comes into the contest playing well over the last couple weeks – averaging an even 20.0ppg over his last five games, shooting 45 percent from deep and a perfect mark from the line.

In five career meetings against the Cavaliers, Nunn has topped the 20-point mark in three of them.

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Three Keys: Cavaliers vs. Heat

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Where to Watch &amp; ListenTV: Bally Sports Ohio Radio: WTAM 1100, 89.1 WNZNCavaliers LIVE begins 30 minutes prior to tipoff with postgame coverage immediately after.

To wrap-up the season series (and back-to-back), the Cavaliers host the Miami Heat at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Saturday night. Miami is coming off of a win on Wednesday night as Erik Spoelstra recorded his 600th win as head coach.

Last night's game was a close matchup for the first half before it got away from the Wine &amp; Gold in the third against the Wizards for a lopsided decision. In his first game back after a three-game absence, Collin Sexton led the Cavs with 22 points. Cedi Osman, Jarrett Allen, Isaac Okoro, and Darius Garland were also in double figures for the Cavs.

Cavs: Isaac Okoro, Cedi Osman, Darius Garland

Heat: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kendrick Nunn

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Cavs vs Heat | Rocket Mortgage Game Preview

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There are no moral victories in the NBA, but the shorthanded Cavaliers can at least take solace that they were outstanding offensively against one of the league’s stingiest squads.

The Wine and Gold shot 50 percent from the floor and 50 percent from long-range – drilling 20 triples on the night – but the Heat were even better on that end and pulled away in the second half to seal the season sweep, taking the 124-107 decision on Saturday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The Cavs trailed by eight at the break and cut Miami’s edge to six early in the third, but the Heat methodically began pulling away – taking a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter and cruising to the finish line from there.

One night after not attempting a shot from the floor, Kevin Love notched a game-high-tying and season-high 25 points, going 9-for-14 from the floor, including 7-of-10 from long-range, adding six boards and three assists.

Collin Sexton also tallied 25 points in the loss on 8-of-20 shooting, including 4-of-6 from deep, adding eight assists, a pair of steals and a block.

Dean Wade came off Cleveland’s bench to finish with 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc.

Cedi Osman got the start with Darius Garland out with a left ankle sprain suffered on Friday night against Washington and once again responded well – chipping in with 15 points and a game-high 11 assists in the loss.

Isaac Okoro rounded out the Cavaliers in double-figures – his fifth straight game of doing so – finishing with 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting.

Jarrett Allen was the only Cavaliers starter to miss double-figure scoring, but he did manage to led both squads with 14 boards, adding six points, a pair of assists and a block.

As good as the Cavs were offensively, the Heat were even slightly more effective – shooting 54 percent from the floor and, like Cleveland, an even 50 percent from long-distance.

But Miami was able to limit its mistakes – committing eight turnovers that led to just two Cavalier points while the Wine and Gold committed 19 miscues that the Heat converted to 24 points.

Kendrick Nunn led Miami with 22 points, going 9-for-14 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Duncan Robinson added 20 points in the win, going 6-for-8 from deep.

Miss any of the action? Find all the highlights and photos in the Game Tracker.

Kevin Love goes 7-10 from behind the arc, and 9-14 overall as he dropped 25 points against the Heat.

Saturday’s loss was more a case of death by a thousand cuts than a single watershed moment, but a brief moment early in the third quarter certainly shifted the tide.

After Collin Sexton’s second free throw got Cleveland to within a half-dozen just after intermission, Miami capitalized on back-to-back turnovers by Cedi Osman to take their second double-digit lead of the night.

During that stretch and in the immediate minutes after, Duncan Robinson drilled three of his six triples – helping the Heat balloon their edge to 18 points with just over seven minutes to play in the period. The Cavs wouldn’t get within single-digits again.

By the Numbers - 14.6 … points per game that Cedi Osman is averaging over his past five outings – notching double-figure scoring in four of them.

Over that span, the sixth-year man is shooting 43 percent from the floor, averaging 5.0 assists per and has drilled all 13 free throw attempts.

Dean Wade, on how he was able to shoot the long-ball so effective on Saturday  …

”(Miami’s) defense makes you make that one more pass; that’s how you’re going to be successful against them. They thrive off turnovers and try to get out in transition. I just stood in the corner and guys made amazing passes, easy passes, and once you get the ball it’s hard for them to close out all the way across the court and it’s hard for the defense to stay in front of you.”

Enjoy the best broadcast calls of the night from Cavaliers Radio Network's Tim Alcorn and Rafa Hernandez-Brito from Power 89.1.

With Saturday’s lopsided defeat to the Heat, the Cavaliers five-game homestand rolls on with the Wine and Gold still searching for their first win – and a pair of tough Western Conference foes on tap to close it out next week.

On Tuesday night, it’s a visit from Chris Paul, Devin Booker and the Suns followed by a matchup against Damian Lillard and the Blazers on Wednesday to wrap up the five-gamer.

Next Friday night, the Cavs travel to Dallas for a meeting with Luka Doncic and the Mavericks, who come to Cleveland the following Monday to tip off a three-game homestand – the Wine and Gold’s final games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse this season.

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Cavs Offense Clicks, But Can't Beat the Heat

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5‑1‑2021 vs Heat