The Miami HEAT defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 100-94 Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena. Justise Winslow led the way for the HEAT with 27 points.
1. Winslow Dominates From The Start
Soo…Winslow pretty much did whatever he wanted against Cleveland.
Whether he attacked the basket in the half court, took it coast-to-coast in transition or spotted-up from deep, he found success more often than not.
In particular, Winslow put the Cavs on notice in the third quarter with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting thanks to a barrage from downtown, but we can’t forget about this strong drive and finish late in the first quarter:
Oh yeah, the 22-year-old also did his thing on the defensive end and forced Collin Sexton into a big miss down the stretch.
That’s big.
In addition to his team-high 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, Winslow also tallied seven boards, two assists and a block.
2. Whiteside Punishes The Rim
From the start, Hassan Whiteside set great screens for his teammates and rolled to the rim with force.
All told, the big fella had five dunks on the night, including this alley-oop jam in the third quarter courtesy of James Johnson:
When it was all said and done, Whiteside had 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, a team-high 13 rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and a team-high plus-19 rating.
3. Jones Jr. Brings Energy As Usual
Simply put, Derrick Jones Jr. was ready to rock from the very moment he stepped onto the floor.
In fact, the 21-year-old scored seven straight points shortly after checking in late in the first quarter. And while that stretch was impressive, we can’t forget about this one-handed jam in transition a little later thanks to quick hands from Bam Adebayo:
Speaking of quick hands, Jones Jr. also played well on the defensive end, especially at the top of Miami’s zone.
In all, “Airplane Mode” recorded 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 10 rebounds and a block.
Other Takeaways:
-Dwyane Wade came through with this awesome jam in the fourth quarter:
The wily vet finished with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Game Notes:
-Goran Dragić (Right Knee Surgery), Yante Maten (Sioux Falls Assignment) and Duncan Robinson (Sioux Falls Assignment) were inactive.
-Dion Waiters (Illness) was an active scratch.
Looking Ahead:
-Up next for the HEAT are the New York Knicks on Sunday night at 7:30 PM. Miami’s next home tilt will be on Wednesday against the Bulls. Tickets for that game at AmericanAirlines Arena can be found here.