The Miami Heat pulled off an impressive upset over the top-seed Cleveland Cavaliers, 122-113, on Sunday at Kaseya Center. They handed the Cavs just their fourth loss of season, as the Heat improved to 12-10–- good for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
It was also the team’s third straight win, which is the first time they’ve been able to do so this season. An overdue breakthrough with this group could potentially be in the making, as the Heat have now won seven of their last 10 games. They are a perfect 5-0 in the new blood red city edition jerseys, and 7-2 with the revamped starting five of Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith and Bam Adebayo.
There were several standout takeaways, including the production out of the Herro and Robinson backcourt. Herro was the player of the game with another second half takeover, but Robinson provided 23 points on 7 of 11 shooting and 4/6 from 3-point range. Adebayo added a 16 point, 13 rebound double-double, along with Butler’s 18 points.
Miami held the Cavs’ star Donovan Mitchell to just 12 points on 5 of 16 shooting. And despite Cleveland’s lengthy rotation, they won the rebounding battle 47-36.
Let’s take a look at some more storylines from the game in the good, bad and beautiful during the Heat’s underdog victory.
During the Heat’s last back-to-back matchups, they have gotten elite production from the starters. However, there still needs to be some bench sparks with the depth, and Dru Smith answered the bell again. The undrafted guard scored 11 points and 4 rebounds on 3/6 from deep.
All 11 of his points came in the fourth quarter, but it was much more than just the offense. His strong defensive play put together an impressive two-way effort. Smith impacts the game with all the little things, such as stepping in for charges or being active for loose balls. And that activity could earn him a regular role moving forward.
It seems like Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been in a sophomore slump all season long. His stats have gradually declined across the board, and he provided a minimal impact against Cleveland once again. Jaquez finished with just four points on 1 of 4 shooting, with the Heat being outscored by seven points in his minutes.
Opposing teams are getting more comfortable with closing down on his drives to the rim. He dribbled into a pair of turnovers tonight and failed to stretch the floor, going 0 of 2 from deep. Unfortunately, Jaquez’s playing time has looked shaky this season to say the least.
Herro is playing like a man on a mission, putting together another All-Star worthy outing with 34 points, seven assists and six rebounds on 10 of 19 from the field and 5 of 9 from beyond the arc. He was aggressive at getting to the rim and was awarded with free throws, where he went a perfect 9 of 9 from the charity stripe.
Early in the game, the Cavs were doing a decent job at taking away the 3-point looks for Herro. But he adjusted to what the defense was throwing at him until another third quarter explosion in the second half. He scored 16 points alone in the period, keeping the Heat’s double-digit lead going into the fourth until his teammates helped him close it out.
The growth in Herro’s game continues to amaze all of Heat Nation. Regardless of the team’s inconsistency this season, the one thing that is certain is he is playing at an All-Star level.