Herro powers Heat to 122-113 statement victory over league-leading Cavaliers

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun Sentinel on Dec 8, 2024

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MIAMI – The search is over. This is the statement win the Miami Heat have been needing and seeking.

Yes, the Cleveland Cavaliers were without Evan Mobley for the second half with an ankle sprain. Yes, they were playing for the third time in four days.

But still, they entered a league-best 21-3, still had Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen in their Sunday mix.

So: Heat 122, Cavaliers 113.

With another sizzling third quarter from Tyler Herro, another double-double from Bam Adebayo, more 3-pointers from Duncan Robinson and bench boosts from Terry Rozier and Dru Smith, the Heat put together their most complete effort of the season, following up victories over the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.

Herro led the Heat with 34 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Adebayo added 16 points and 13 rebounds. There also were 18 points 18 points from Jimmy Butler.

But that’s not all.

Robinson added 23 points, shooting 4 of 6 on 3-pointers, with Rozier scoring 14 and Smith 11.

Garland led the Cavaliers with 23 points, with Mitchell limited to 12 on 5-of-16 shooting.

Five Degrees of Heat from Sunday night’s game:

— 1. Closing time: The Cavaliers led 25-21 after the first quarter, with the Heat turning it around to take a 59-51 lead into the intermission. It appeared the lead could have been 11, but Butler’s halfcourt heave bounded in off the shot clock, which nullified the basket.

The Heat then went up 15 in the third, before taking a 90-80 lead into the fourth.

But with Donovan Mitchell finding his offensive stride, the Cavaliers pulled within five early in the fourth, with Butler returning at that point, with 8:48 to play. Then, with 6:03 to play, Herro returned with the Heat up 107-99 with 6:03 left.

From there, Smith got hot from beyond the arc and put the Cavaliers away.

— 2. Herro ball: Herro was up to his 34 points at the end of the third period, with the Cavaliers at one point appearing to go into a box-and-one against him.

Included in Herro’s Sunday effort was a 19-point third quarter, following up on his 21-point third quarter on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Herro this time was 4 of 4 on 3-pointers in the third after making seven consecutive 3-pointers in the third quarter against the Lakers.

He closed 10 of 19 from the field, including 5 of 9 on 3-pointers, and 9 of 9 from the line.

— 3. New twists: With second-round pick Pelle Larsson missing a second consecutive game with the ankle sprain sustained during Friday’s practice, Smith, coming off Saturday’s solid game against Suns, played as the first Heat wing off the bench.

That put him in the rotation ahead of Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Rozier, among others.

Then, instead of former Cavalier Kevin Love returning for his second stint in reserve, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra turned to Thomas Bryant in that spot.

Bryant had gone 10 consecutive games without playing before getting minutes last Monday night in Boston, when Love was out due to back spasms. Bryant did not play Saturday night against the Suns.

— 4. Supporting cast: A night after going 5 of 8 from beyond the arc against the Suns, Robinson kept it going from deep against the Cavaliers.

At one point, Robinson was 4 of 6 on 3-pointers when the remainder of the roster was 4 of 18.

And this time there also was a boost off the bench, with Rozier bouncing back from Saturday’s scoreless outing against the Suns, when he closed 0 for 3, this time shooting 6 of 14, also with nine rebounds.

— 5. Now exhale: The Heat now find themselves with just two games over the next 11 days, and none until Thursday night’s visit by the Toronto Raptors.

The scheduling break is a product of the NBA Cup moving to the quarterfinal round of the in-season tournament and the league’s desire not to play other games on Cup nights.

For the Heat, that means a three-day break before hosting the Raptors, to be followed by another three-day break before a game at the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 16, and then another three-day break before the Dec. 20 home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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