Cavs extinguish the Heat 149-128
CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 27: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball during the game against the Miami Heat on March 27, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images It was a tale of two games for the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the second being a lot more to their liking.
Max Strus hit eight threes, Jarrett Allen had a double-double in his return to the starting lineup, and James Harden added 17 points and 10 assists as the Cavs throttled the visiting Miami Heat 149 to 128. After laying an egg Wednesday night against the very same Heat team, it was a full 180-degree turnaround in front of a raucous Cleveland crowd. Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson talked about Allen’s return to the starting lineup and how much it meant, and he may have undersold it.
Allen’s paint presence as a defender, ability to run to the rim off screens, and his sense as a roller of the pick-and-roll was on full display in the first half. The Cavs clearly missed him, on several levels. Atkinson mentioned pregame how much of a difference it is having both Allen and Evan Mobley patrol the interior, and he was right.
The Heat only attempted just 24% of their shots in the paint per Cleaning the Glass, almost 8% lower than their team average. That is an indicator of how much of a deterrent having two bigs is for opposing teams when facing a healthy Cleveland front court. Despite the Cavs putting up 149 points, it was not because of Donovan Mitchell.
The superstar shooting guard had a quiet scoring night, but still dished six assists and had four steals. Truthfully, there was not a need for him to carry the offense when everyone else was clicking so well. Harden put together a 17-point 14 assist double-double, making the role of point guard look far too easy.