Darius Garland was held out to rest, but the Cavs got more than enough help from players like Ty Jerome and Georges Niang.
Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points in a game where the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the Miami Heat, winning 126-106. Ty Jerome also made a significant contribution with 20 points coming off the bench.
It was Mitchell’s 14th 30-point game of the season, his fifth in his last seven outings.
Evan Mobley had 22 points and 15 rebounds for Cleveland, which got 13 points from Georges Niang and 12 points and 10 rebounds from Jarrett Allen.
Miami’s Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier both added 22 points each, while Bam Adebayo scored 21 points and Duncan Robinson finished with 13. However, the Heat struggled on the boards, being outrebounded 47-35.
Cleveland improved to 29-2 when holding teams to 116 points or less — the Cavs are 9-7 otherwise — and 33-0 when leading after three quarters.
Takeaways
The Cavaliers: Darius Garland, who usually averages 21.7 points per game, was rested for this game, marking his second absence of the season. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson emphasized the importance of prioritizing Garland’s well-being, stating, “We obviously have all the numbers and the data and all that. I’m just thinking of him first.”
Heat: Miami was held to 41 points in the first half, tying a season low. The Heat then scored 43 points in the third quarter, with Herro getting eight points in the final 40 seconds to get Miami within 94-84.
Key moment
Just after Miami got within eight early in the fourth, Cleveland went on a 7-0 run in 44 seconds. Mitchell’s 3-pointer with 10:15 left made it 101-86 and the Cavs kept control from there.
Key stat
It was Cleveland’s sixth wire-to-wire win of the season — the first of those that came on the road. Miami never led, the fourth time this season that’s happened to the Heat.
Up next
Cleveland starts a three-game homestand Thursday night against Atlanta. Miami opens a four-game trip Saturday night at San Antonio.
