MIAMI – Death, taxes and the Cleveland Cavaliers lose in Miami. These are the three certainties of life. Benjamin Franklin just did not know the last part.
The Cavs lost 115-101 to the Heat again on Saturday night. They have not won in Miami since January 25, 2010. These are 20 consecutive trips without a win.
Cavs coach JB Bickerstaff was questioned earlier in the morning about the futility. Many of the losses came before this group of players. But everyone knows. This is a clear weight. At some point it should end, right? Should the odds shift? Just not Saturday.
In the first half, the defense was Cleveland’s issue. The Heat completed 67 points while shooting 58.1% and 47.6% of the 3-point range. Four Miami players have already scored double figures at the end of the hissing 24 minutes. The Cavs made halftime adjustments, picked up the physicality and limited Miami to 48 points over the last two quarters, including a meager 17 in the third. But Cleveland’s offense faded and the first point in five games barely dropped the 100-point mark.
“I thought it was a two-half story,” Bickerstaff said after the loss. ‘I thought we did a fantastic job in the second half. I thought our scrap and our grain was much better in the second half. You play a caliber team like this with the weapons they have, you have to play for 48. There were only small plays that I think failed early on. ‘
Starting center Jarrett Allen, who is back home after a concussion, missed his fourth straight game. Larry Nance Jr. also did not undertake the journey, absent for a third consecutive time. Kevin Love limited another short time, playing 23 minutes before pulling in the fourth quarter and riding the exercise bike for the rest of the night.
In its sixth game this season, Love finished with a double-double and scored 10 points, with 10 rebounds.
“We’ve increased a bit from the last game,” Bickerstaff said of Love’s minute. “He’s catching his rhythm. He’s making the tries he’s got tonight, he’s going to catch his rhythm and it’s going. But you see his presence on the defensive glass, you see how teams respect him and how they protect him, it also helps his teammates to open up. ”
Collin Sexton took the lead and threw a game-high 26 points from the field on 11-of-17. Taurean Prince, who recently returned from a sprained shoulder and is playing through an ankle of less than 100 percent, has hacked 19 points off the bench. Rookie Isaac Okoro added a career high 17 on 5-of-7 shooting. Cleveland shot 47.3% that night. It made 10 three-pointers. 25 strokes on 35 shots made. But also committed 16 turnovers that turned the Heat into 16 points.
Miami uses a surgical, balanced approach to the offense. Seven players scored double figures, led by Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson. They each scored 18. Miami scored 15 tries.
With 1:47 left in the game, starting guard Darius Garland tried to take a charge against Trevor Ariza. Referee Dannica Mosher calls it rather a block. As he lay on the court, angry at the call, Garland hit the ball over Mosher’s head and kept shouting his displeasure. He was whistled for a technical foul and his first career output.
“They decided to throw him out on one technique, which I totally disagree with,” Bickerstaff said. “There is no justification for throwing him out of the game in one technical way.”
That moment caught Garland’s frustration – and so did the Cavs. Traveling to Miami has become a nightmare.
Following
The Cavs will continue their tryout game against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night. Tipoff is set for 19:00
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New Cavs face masks for sale: Here you can buy Cleveland Cavaliers-themed face masks for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($ 14.99) and a 3-pack ($ 24.99). All NBA proceeds are donated to charity.
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