Max Strus scored 29 points and Jarrett Allen had 18 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a right knee injury as the Cleveland Cavaliers tied their franchise record for points in a regulation game in a 149-128 win over the visiting Miami Heat on Friday night.
Evan Mobley had 23 points and 10 rebounds and James Harden scored 17 points and dished out 14 assists — his most since being acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers — for the Cavaliers (46-28), who are comfortably in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 20 points and Bam Adebayo had 14 points and 16 rebounds for the Heat (39-35), who are 1-6 since March 14 and dropped out of a three-way tie for eighth with the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic.
Strus, who played for the Heat from 2020-23, made eight 3-pointers and had eight rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench. Former All-Star center Allen, who was hurt March 3 against the Detroit Pistons, scored the first basket of the game and made 8 of 10 field goal attempts in 18 minutes.
Cleveland has won five of its last six, losing the opener of a two-game home set against Miami 120-103 on Wednesday.
Strus had 22 points and buried six 3-pointers in the first half, including a buzzer-beater in the second quarter that put the Cavaliers up 81-46. Donovan Mitchell’s two free throws in the third gave Cleveland its largest lead in the wire-to-wire win at 87-51. Mitchell scored six points on 1-of-10 shooting.
The Heat, who had nine players score in double figures, also received 15 points from Norman Powell and 14 apiece from Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis.
The Cavaliers started what is expected to be their playoff lineup for the initial time with Mitchell and Harden in the backcourt, Mobley and Sam Merrill at forward and Allen at center.
Cleveland previously scored 149 points in a win at the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 27, 2024, breaking its regulation record of 148 set in a then-NBA record 68-point victory over Miami on Dec. 17, 1991.
Jaquez, Wiggins and Adebayo scored eight points apiece in the third, pulling the Heat within 19 twice. Mobley subsequently delivered the knockout blow with three post-up hoops to start the fourth, making it 115-87 early in the fourth.
The Cavaliers’ 81 points in the opening half were a season high, with Harden and Allen each scoring 14. Adebayo had seven points and nine rebounds, but missed seven of his nine field goal attempts and all four of his 3-point tries.
Strus made four 3-pointers on his first four shots in a three-plus-minute span, helping Cleveland build a 40-27 advantage in the first. Allen had eight points and four rebounds, while Jaquez scored six points.
The Cavaliers remain without small forward Jaylon Tyson (left great toe bruise) and power forward Dean Wade (right ankle sprain), who was hurt in a collision with a ballboy while warming up Wednesday.
Miami was fully healthy for the third game in a row.
–Field Level Media
