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Just a few short years ago Heat fans could pretty much buy a single ticket and get their own entire row because nobody attended their games. Now, I bet you have at least 3 relatives or tight friends who claim that they have been long-time Heat fans. That must be the greatest, huh?
Before we get into the game, I'd like to award the comment of the game award for this one that showed up just after the buzzer:
its probably been beaten to death, but the Heat have about 8 actual fans
So simple, yet so true my friend.
The Cavaliers again proved what a weird game basketball can be as they absolutely torched the Miami Heat in the first half Saturday night and took an 11 point lead into the break.
The Heat were somewhat fortunate to be that close as they used a 16-20 effort from the free throw line compared to Cleveland's 3-6 output to keep themselves in the game.
The last line should basically tell you the main details of the games through 24 minutes as the Cavs raced to that double digit lead through sensational shooting from deep. All in all, six players hit triples led my Omri Casspi's 3-3 mark.
Even that maligned Cavaliers bench was going off to the tune of 5-8 from distance. Every single one of the Cavalier players who got minutes in the first half scored at least 3 points while hardman Anderson Varejao grabbed a smooth 10 boards.
The Cavaliers, who tallied 16 assists to just 4 turnovers in the first half, carried just a 1-7 road record into this game while Miami boasted an undefeated slate in South Beach in 2012-2013 at 5-0.
What turned out to be an incredibly positive game throughout ends in bitterness as the Heat used a run 9-0 to take the game right from the Cavaliers. After Dion Waiters converted a pair of free throws and Daniel Gibson scorched the nets from beyond the arc the Cavs had a 108-101 lead with under 2:00 to play.
The Heat used a 15 point fourth quarter from Ray Allen and 30 points from LeBron James to swipe the victory from the Cavs at the death.
On the Cavaliers last final real chance down by a point under 5 seconds, Jeremy Pargo had a difficult shot near the right block swatted away by Dwyane Wade to burst the Cavaliers' bubble for the night.
A last ditch possession proved fruitless with 0.6 seconds left as the Cavaliers didn't come close to even getting a shot off around inbounding the ball backwards.
From here on out we're talking positives though.
FIrst off, check this out:
Jeremy Pargo 16,
Dion Waiters 16,
Omri Casspi 15,
Tristan Thompson 13,
Alonzo Gee 12,
Daniel Gibson 11,
Anderson Varejao 10 (and 15 rebounds),
C.J. Miles 10.
Those are the eight Cavaliers who scored in double figures tonight. The lone player who didn't was Tyler Zeller with just 5.
The Cavaliers were brilliant at worst from beyond the arc as they connected on 14-31 shots to keep the pressure on a relentless Miami team throughout the second half.
No matter the Heat challenge there was constantly a Cavalier making a huge play to push back their "rivals" and hang on to their slim lead during the stretch.
At a time when some Cavaliers fans could possibly be getting over the dislike of the Miami Heat games like this should remind them how gross everything about the Miami Heat is. For what it's worth, they also trotted out some pretty unusual uniforms tonight too.
Life rolls on as the Cavaliers play again Monday (against the NBA's "top team" Memphis) and Tuesday so get out there and cheer on your Browns, or whoever you support, tomorrow and get ready for Monday night.
All for One. One for All.