Cavs overpower Heat 149-128 as Strus sinks eight threes
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CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers answered recent criticism with their highest-scoring outing of the season, routing the Miami Heat 149-128 on Saturday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Guard Max Strus paced Cleveland (46-28) with 29 points and a career-best eight three-pointers, helping the hosts pour in 81 points before halftime and build a cushion that was never threatened.
Returning from a knee injury, center Jarrett Allen supplied 18 points and 10 rebounds, while forward Evan Mobley added 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting and grabbed 10 boards. Veteran guard James Harden steered the offense with 17 points and 14 assists.
Donovan Mitchell struggled offensively, finishing 1-for-10 from the field for six points, but Cleveland’s depth rendered the All-Star’s off night irrelevant. The Cavaliers shot 55 percent overall and 20-of-41 from beyond the arc.
Cleveland’s defense, which had been questioned earlier in the week, limited Miami to 44 percent shooting and forced enough empty trips to keep the lead comfortably in double digits. The Heat (record not provided) were led by Bam Adebayo with 17 points and 10 rebounds; Tyler Herro scored 18.
The Cavaliers will try to carry the momentum into their next matchup as they continue jockeying for postseason position.
Source: Hoops Wire
