![NBA](https://a3.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/leagues/500/nba.png&w=40)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat
· National Basketball AssociationEmbed this event in your website
Heat build biggest lead in more than a decade, roll past Cavaliers 121-84
![Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat: Game Highlights](https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/media/motion/2024/0324/ss_20240324_202358452_2532340/ss_20240324_202358452_2532340.jpg&w=900&h=360&scale=crop&location=origin)
It was that kind of night for the Miami Heat. Everything went right.
Haywood Highsmith scored 18 points, part of a 59-point effort by Miami's reserves, and the Heat built what was their biggest lead in more than a decade on the way to beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-84 on Sunday night to snap a three-game home slide.
“Our home fans really deserved this, to be honest with you,” Highsmith said. “We haven't been playing our best basketball at home. They deserve our best version of basketball and tonight was definitely fun for them.”
Adebayo had 15 points and 16 rebounds and Butler scored 15 points for the Heat, who led by 45 in the fourth quarter. Their biggest lead this season entering Sunday was 33, also against Cleveland on Nov. 22, and the 45-point cushion was their largest since leading Chicago by 46 in a playoff game on May 8, 2013.
Miami started the day seventh in the Eastern Conference and ended there as well, tied with Philadelphia at 39-32. The 76ers won at the Los Angeles Clippers earlier Sunday, but currently trail the Heat because of the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Miami was coming off a 23-point loss to New Orleans on Friday.
“This group really cares. Even after a night like the other night ... when it’s a really lopsided loss and you can erroneously say, ‘that’s a listless team,’ it’s not," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “This is a team that cares deeply.”
Evan Mobley scored 15 points for Cleveland (43-28), which lost for the seventh time in 10 games but remained No. 3 in the East, a half-game ahead of New York.
Both teams were short-handed Sunday. Cleveland got Mobley back after a nine-game absence with an ankle issue, but was again without Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus and Dean Wade. Miami played without Tyler Herro, Kevin Love, Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
“Mentally, physically, we're worn,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It's on us all to figure it out. There's no excuses. It doesn’t get any easier. But I just think tonight was one of those nights where collectively, it just set in on us.”
It was the first time since Jan. 30, 2008, that Cleveland had only one player in double figures; it was LeBron James that night.
“Just one of those nights,” Bickerstaff said.
Terry Rozier and Thomas Bryant each scored 14 for Miami. It was Miami’s biggest victory margin of the season and Cleveland’s most lopsided loss; the previous entry in both cases was also a Heat-Cavs game, the 129-96 win by Miami in November.
The Heat got a buzzer-beating layup from Rozier to end the first quarter with a 30-22 lead. Rozier did the same thing to end the second quarter, that score pushing the Miami margin out to 60-39.
And in the third, it became a runaway. A 23-2 run over a five-minute stretch wound up pushing Miami's lead to 86-46. Cleveland pulled all five starters just 3 1/2 minutes into the third and four of them — Isaac Okoro, Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert and Darius Garland — stayed there the rest of the way.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Host Charlotte on Monday.
Heat: Host Golden State on Tuesday.
Regular Season Series
MIA wins series 3-1
Matchup Prediction
Recent Plays
4th 0.0 | ![]() |
End of Game | 84 - 121 |
4th 0.0 | ![]() |
End of the 4th Quarter | 84 - 121 |
4th 0.1 | ![]() |
shot clock turnover | 84 - 121 |
4th 23.1 | ![]() |
Thomas Bryant defensive rebound | 84 - 121 |
4th 26.1 | ![]() |
Sam Merrill misses 25-foot three point jumper | 84 - 121 |
Statistics
![]() |
![]() |
|
---|---|---|
30-72 | FG | 43-83 |
41.7 | Field Goal % | 51.8 |
9-29 | 3PT | 15-38 |
31.0 | Three Point % | 39.5 |
15-20 | FT | 20-23 |
75.0 | Free Throw % | 87.0 |
30 | Rebounds | 44 |
4 | Offensive Rebounds | 9 |
26 | Defensive Rebounds | 35 |
24 | Assists | 29 |
3 | Steals | 13 |
3 | Blocks | 0 |
17 | Turnovers | 9 |
0 | Team Turnovers | 3 |
17 | Total Turnovers | 12 |
0 | Technical Fouls | 1 |
0 | Total Technical Fouls | 1 |
0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
35 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 11 |
2 | Fast Break Points | 24 |
34 | Points in Paint | 50 |
16 | Fouls | 17 |
3 | Largest Lead | 45 |
Game Information
![](https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/venues/nba/day/3438.jpg&w=743&h=311&scale=crop&cquality=100&location=origin)
Location: Miami, FL
Attendance: 19,645 · Capacity:
2023-24 Southeast Standings
TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
- | 35 | W1 | 0.5731707 | 47 |
![]() |
1 | 36 | W2 | 0.5609756 | 46 |
![]() |
11 | 46 | L6 | 0.4390244 | 36 |
![]() |
26 | 61 | W1 | 0.25609756 | 21 |
![]() |
32 | 67 | L6 | 0.18292683 | 15 |
NBA News
![Inside the Paul George free agency showdown: How the Sixers landed the nine-time All-Star](https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/photo/2024/0702/r1353382_576x324_16-9.jpg&w=360&scale=crop&location=origin)
Inside the Paul George free agency showdown: How the Sixers landed the nine-time All-Star
The Sixers' first attempt to land Paul George came a year ago, and they bided their time. Then, finally, came a meeting Sunday night.
![NBA free agency 2024: Latest signings, news, buzz and reports](https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/photo/2024/0701/r1353258_1296x729_16-9.jpg&w=360&scale=crop&location=origin)
NBA free agency 2024: Latest signings, news, buzz and reports
All the deals we've seen so far -- including Klay Thompson's big move to the Mavs -- after a wild start to free agency.
![James Wiseman's best plays of the season](https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/media/motion/2024/0702/ss_20240702_134933338_2597957/ss_20240702_134933338_2597957.jpg&w=360&scale=crop&location=origin)
James Wiseman's best plays of the season
Check out some of James Wiseman's best moments this past season after he signed a two-year deal with the Pacers.
![Sources: Pacers, James Wiseman agree to 2-year contract](https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/photo/2023/0320/r1147513_1296x729_16-9.jpg&w=360&scale=crop&location=origin)
Sources: Pacers, James Wiseman agree to 2-year contract
The Pacers have agreed to a two-year contract with former No. 2 pick James Wiseman, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
![Early NBA contender tiers after an Eastern Conference superstar shakeup](https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/photo/2024/0702/r1353566_576x324_16-9.jpg&w=360&scale=crop&location=origin)
Early NBA contender tiers after an Eastern Conference superstar shakeup
Here's where all 15 Eastern Conference teams land after some game-changing moves to start free agency.