CLEVELAND, Ohio – Kevin Love had no problems shooting this time around.
Less than 24 hours after Love failed to attempt a field goal, he tried to piss off the understaffed Cleveland Cavaliers against the Miami Heat. Instead, the heat swept the season row, beating the Cavs 124-107 on Saturday night.
Playing the second game of a back-to-back game with seven players, including starting point guardian Darius Garland, Cleveland had the sizzling start it needed. The Cavs were leading 36-29 after the first quarter. But Miami took over two points in their 5:42 win in the second quarter thanks to Bam Adebayo’s Dunk. The heat never let up.
Without Garland, the heavy-legged Cavs couldn’t keep up their pace in the first half. After taking 60 points in the first two quarters, Cleveland stumbled to just 47 points in the last 24 minutes.
Love – the target of recent criticism for a childish breakout earlier in the week and unwillingness to shoot during the Washington loss on Friday – had its most productive game in more than a calendar year. He hit a season high of 25 points to 9 of 14 from the field and 7 of 10 from the 3-point range to get six rebounds and three assists. It is the most points Love has scored in a game since March 7, 2020.
Collin Sexton, who moved to point guard in the absence of Garland, also scored 25 points for eight assists in 39 minutes. Cedi Osman, back on the grid, had 15 points, a career height of 11 assists and seven rebounds. It’s his first double-double of the season. He had not achieved this since February 21, 2020.
The Cavs moved the ball continuously and distributed 30 assists on 37 field goals scored. Eight players had at least one helper. They also made 20 3-pointers. Shot 50% from the field and deep. It still wasn’t enough.
The Cavs were unresponsive to the defense and made too many mistakes (19 turnovers that Miami made 24 points). They allowed six Heat players to hit double digits, led by Kendrick Nunn’s 22 points on 9-of-14 and 4-of-6 from beyond the bow. Miami left the field 47-of-87, including 18-of-36 on 3s.
Cleveland limps on to the finish line. Literally. Saturday marked the sixth straight defeat – the worst stretch since February that threatened to overshadow some of the positive results shown at various points this season.
Next
The Cavs will continue their homestand against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday evening. The tip is set to 7pm
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New Cavs Face Masks For Sale: Here, you can purchase Cleveland Cavaliers-themed face covers for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($ 14.99) and a pack of 3 ($ 24.99). All NBA proceeds were donated to charity.
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