(Photo Credit: David Liam Kyle)
The Miami HEAT extended their winning streak to 24 games with a 98-95 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The HEAT rallied from a 27-point deficit to grab the victory in the last game of the road trip. The HEAT are back in action Friday night against the Pistons.
Impact Performance of the Night: In the second half of the game, when the HEAT made their huge run, LeBron James was the driving force. He finished the game with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, but that stat line sells his performance a little short. Over the last 19 minutes of the game, where the HEAT outscored the Cavaliers by 30 points, James scored 19 points, grabbed ten rebounds, dished out six assists, tallied three steals and blocked two shots. His six assists led to 15 HEAT points. James picked apart the Cavaliers defense, either with his own shooting or by finding open teammates. It was another virtuoso performance that led to a HEAT victory.
The Deciding Run: The HEAT fell behind the Cavaliers early and couldn’t seem to find any rhythm. Tyler Zeller put the Cavaliers ahead by 27 points with 7:43 left in the third quarter and the HEAT’s winning streak was on life support. LeBron James made a free throw, Chris Bosh made a jumper and the HEAT kicked off a 37-10 over just nine minutes that tied the game at 77-77. The HEAT’s tear came on the back of HEAT three pointers, six all together during the run, and unrelenting defense.
Play of the Game: Take your pick of three-pointers. We’ll go with LeBron James’ run up three that tied the game. It came in the middle of a personal 11-0 run and closed off the HEAT’s massive run to tie the game. But really, you could pick James’ three to put the HEAT ahead, Shane Battier’s back-to-back threes or Ray Allen’s flurry from downtown.
Efficiency Rating: Offensive Efficiency: 112.4; Defensive Efficiency: 105.0
Trend to Watch: The HEAT’s resiliency is remarkable. Monday night they fall behind by 17 and 13 before coming back. Tonight, the Cavaliers race out to a 27-point lead before the HEAT snatched the victory away. It is amazing what the HEAT can do when fully engaged on both ends; there is no limit to their ability. When they needed it tonight, the HEAT were able to find open looks all over the floor and generate a string of stops. Tonight’s game doesn’t mean that the HEAT can fall behind by 27 every night, but it’s a peek into what the HEAT are capable of. There may not be a team that can match their explosiveness in the league this season,
The Takeaway: Wow. Just, wow. The HEAT kept their winning steak alive by climbing out of a 27-point hole midway through the third quarter. It was raining threes in Cleveland and there was nothing the Cavaliers could do to stop it. After the Celtics game there didn’t appear to be anything left for the HEAT to do that could surprise us. But here we are, two days later, and, wow. The winning streak is now, remarkably, 24 games long.
Notes: Mario Chalmers scored 17 points. Dwyane Wade finished with 11 points, six rebounds and five assists. Chris Bosh added 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Ray Allen and Shane Battier combined for 21 points off of the bench. Juwan Howard and Jarvis Varnado were inactive.
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Party City HEAT Win:
