The Eastern Conference No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers look to take a commanding 3-0 lead on Saturday afternoon when their first-round playoff series vs. the eighth-seeded Heat shifts to Miami for Game 3.
The Cavaliers rode back-to-back 30-point performances from Donovan Mitchell in home wins to open the series. Cleveland cruised in Game 1 last Sunday, 121-100, then weathered a 33-point performance from Miami’s Tyler Herro in a 121-112 win on Wednesday.
While the Cavaliers have an opportunity to move within a game of advancing, coach Kenny Atkinson stressed he expects a fight from the Heat.
“This is not your typical 10-seed,” Atkinson said in reference to Miami, which finished 10th in the Eastern Conference regular-season standings before securing the No. 8 seed with play-in round victories over the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks.
Both of the Heat’s play-in games were on the road, making Saturday’s contest their first in Miami in almost two weeks. They capped the regular season with a 119-118 loss at home to Washington on April 13.
Miami battled back from a 17-point deficit in Wednesday’s Game 2, largely due to to Davion Mitchell’s 14-point fourth quarter.
Heading home, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra emphasized the importance of avoiding early holes against Cleveland, which led the NBA in scoring at 121.9 points per game.
“We had our opportunities there,” Spoelstra said. “We struggled to contain Mitchell there down the stretch. He made some tough shots. He did what he typically does.”
“That’s Donovan Mitchell,” said Cleveland forward Evan Mobley. “Great leader, right there.”
Donovan Mitchell’s two 30-point games to start this playoff series were his second and third performance of at least 30 against Miami this season. He went for 34 points in a 126-106 Cleveland rout on Jan. 29.
The Cavaliers won the regular-season series 2-1, with the only loss coming in a December matchup when the Heat held Donovan Mitchell to just 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting from the floor.
Slowing down Cleveland’s top scorer, who averaged 24.0 points in the regular season, is critical for Miami.
The Heat could also use a boost from Andrew Wiggins. The midseason acquisition, received in a deal that sent Jimmy Butler to Golden State, is shooting just 8-for-21 in the series.
Wiggins did not play in the fourth quarter of the Game 2 loss.
Spoelstra said Wiggins’ limited playing time down the stretch was not due to the swingman’s performance, but rather Miami riding the momentum of the lineup that engineered its comeback.
Nikola Jovic delivered a strong performance for the group, scoring 11 points and grabbing eight rebounds off the bench. His minutes late and Davion Mitchell moving into the starting lineup were two notable roster tweaks Miami made between Games 1 and 2.
Cleveland, meanwhile, has featured a steady starting five through the second-best regular season in franchise history, scoring 64 wins with a lineup of Mitchell, Mobley — named Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday — Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and, when healthy, Max Strus.
The Cavaliers’ depth has also played a role, continuing in the playoffs with De’Andre Hunter coming back from a scoreless Game 1 to notch 12 points in Game 2.
–Field Level Media
