Cavs, missing three All-Stars, topple Heat 130–116 in Miami
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The injury-depleted Cleveland Cavaliers stunned the Miami Heat 130–116 on Wednesday night at Kaseya Center, handing Miami its first home loss of the season despite playing without three All-Stars and two additional rotation players.
Cleveland traveled without Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jaylon Tyson and Max Strus, yet outscored Miami 37-19 in the fourth quarter to erase a deficit that had lasted nearly 37 minutes.
Luke Travers’ floater put the Cavaliers ahead for the first time with a little over 10 minutes remaining. NaeQwan Tomlin followed with a putback, sparking an 8-1 run that shifted momentum and prompted many in the crowd to head for the exits. Cleveland’s lead grew to double digits at the 5:28 mark and reached 18 before Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra emptied his bench.
Key performances
- Jarrett Allen: 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting, 10 rebounds
- DeAndre Hunter: 21 points
- Craig Porter Jr.: 19 points, eight assists, four rebounds, four blocks, three steals in 32 minutes
- Tyrese Proctor (rookie): 12 points, several late-game plays
Prior to tipoff, head coach Kenny Atkinson said he wanted his patchwork lineup to compete; the Cavaliers (8-4) delivered and will return home to host the Toronto Raptors on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.
Source: Hoops Wire
