Comprehensive Preview: What to Expect in the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat Game

The Cavs will try to win their sixth game in a row against another playoff team.

On Thanksgiving Eve, the Cleveland Cavaliers (8-6) host the Miami Heat (9-5) to Rocket Mortage Fieldhouse in search of their fifth consecutive victory. Cleveland is coming off two gutsy victories over the Denver Nuggets and the Philadelphia 76ers, both without Donovan Mitchell.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat

Where: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse – Cleveland, Ohio

When: 7:30 p.m. EST

TV: Bally Sports Ohio

Spread: MIA -2.5

Expected Cavs Starting Lineup:

Darius Garland, Max Strus, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Cavs Injury Report: Ricky Rubio (Personal, OUT), Ty Jerome (ankle, OUT), Isaac Okoro (knee, OUT), Isaiah Mobley (G League, OUT)

Expected Heat Starting Lineup:

Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith, Bam Adebayo

Heat Injury Report: Bam Adebayo (hip, PROBABLE), Kevin Love (personal, OUT), Tyler Herro (ankle, OUT), Nikola Jovic (G League, OUT), Jamal Cain (G League, OUT), RJ Hampton (knee, OUT), Cole Swider (G League, OUT)

What to look out for 
Big after big after big…

After getting worked by the New York Knicks in the playoffs last season, there was a lot of chatter about the toughness of the Cavaliers’ big men throughout the summer, but that talk has been a little quiet so far. Jarrett Allen, who drew the greatest criticism for not performing well in the postseason and then admitting the lights were too bright for him, has held his own in back-to-back games against Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. Allen averaged 20.5 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in those games. He restricted Jokic to only 18 points and battled Embiid all night, commendable performances against the league’s two finest centers.

The rough sledding continues Wednesday night against a rested Bam Adebayo, who led the Heat in scoring against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. Adebayo is one of the league’s greatest centers, averaging 22.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Given the fact that this is a back-to-back, how Cavaliers guard Adebayo limits his influence passing and rebounding will be a solid indicator of Cleveland’s chances in this game.

Garland’s Hand

Darius Garland’s hand was clearly troubling him last night against the Sixers. Dribbling and shooting were strained, and there was some doubt about whether the Cavs would be able to survive without him. Craig Porter Jr. helped to right the ship, but Garland’s hand is worth watching, especially considering the ailments in the backcourt.

One statistic to keep an eye on

With Mitchell and LeVert out recently, the Cavs have forced to revert to their offense from two years ago, when they emerged as a tough opponent. One of these methods is to get into the paint and work down low with the double-big lineup. The Cavs have outscored their opponents in the paint by large margins in every game during their winning streak (+24 against Portland, +12 against Detroit, +10 against Denver, +16 vs Philadelphia). According to NBA.com, Miami allows the tenth-fewest shot attempts in the paint per game. The Cavs average 18 shots in the paint per game and have recently been pushed to take more. The effectiveness of that method against the stout Heat defense will determine how well the Cavs generate offense.

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Max Strus feels he may go after Bam Adebayo a few times during the Miami Heat-Cleveland Cavaliers game.

With his new team, the 27-year-old has been playing fantastic basketball. Strus has averaged 14.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from behind the 3-point line in 14 games with the Cavaliers this season.

On Tuesday, he produced one of his best all-around performances of the season against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers in Cleveland’s In-Season Tournament game. In 44 minutes of playing time for the Cavaliers, he scored 20 points while shooting 7-of-15 from the field and 5-of-10 from beyond the 3-point line.

Strus also had five rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block in a game that the Cavaliers won 122-119.

Cleveland improved to 8-6 overall and 5-3 on the road with the victory. The Cavaliers are now ranked eighth in the Eastern Conference, with the same record as the New York Knicks.

Meanwhile, the Heat are coming off an 18-point win over DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 20, which stopped Miami’s seven-game winning run two days earlier.

Duncan Robinson’s hot shooting led the club to victory. In 30 minutes of action, the 29-year-old made six 3-pointers.

Adebayo was also a standout for the Heat. He finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and one steal.

Miami is one game ahead of the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference rankings heading into Wednesday’s game, with a 9-5 record.

The Heat’s game versus the Cavaliers looks to be an exciting contest between two teams who have been playing well recently. Fans in Miami should not be surprised if the game goes to the wire.