Cavs vs Heat preview and gamethread

The Cavs begin their playoff run against the scrappy Heat

The Cleveland Cavaliers, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, will start their 2025 playoff run against the scrappy Miami Heat. The Cavs come in to the playoffs with a clean bill of health, plenty of rest, and will face a Heat team that has struggled to score. Miami finished tenth in the conference, but won their two Play-In Tournament games to sneak into the playoffs.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Miami Heat

Where: Rocket Arena - Cleveland, OH

When: 7:00 pm EST

TV: TNT

Line: Cavaliers -12.5

Expected Cavs starting lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Cavs injury report: NO INJURIES TO REPORT

Expected Heat starting lineup: Tyler Herro, Alec Burks, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo, Kel’el Ware

Heat injury report: Kevin Love - OUT (personal)

What to watch for

Come out firing

The Cavs finished averaging the most points per game in the league, second in field goal percentage, third in three-point percentage, and first in offensive rating. Not too bad.

On the flip side, Miami scored the sixth-fewest points per game and a bottom-ten offense in the league. The Heat also play with the third-slowest pace in the league.

There should be no question that the Cavs are the superior talent, from top to bottom, on both sides of the ball. But their offensive firepower could be the weapon that puts the Heat on their heels within the first few minutes of the game. The Cavs’ offense can get humming, and quickly, and the Heat do not have the personnel to keep up should a “Cavalanche” start rolling.

There is no Jimmy Butler to gunk up things on defense. Terry Rozier hasn't been so scary lately, and did not even play in the Play-In Tournament. The Cavs have a dynamic backcourt that can get hot at any moment, a highly efficient frontcourt, and a bench unit that can rack up points in a hurry.

Expect the Cavs, who have not played in a week, to come out firing. And they should.

They need a Herro

The one player on Miami’s roster who could cause some problems for the Cavs is Tyler Herro. Without Butler on the floor, Herro has become the number one option on offense - and has thrived in the process. Herro has scored at least 30 points in four of his last six games - including both Play-In games - and can bend defenses with his shooting.

The 25-year-old former Kentucky Wildcat averaged a career-high 23.9 points per game on 47.2% shooting, including 37.5% from beyond the three-point line. Herro also averaged a career-best 5.5 assists per game and played in more games than he ever has before (77). He is the engine that makes Miami’s offense go.

If Herro gets going, he is tough to stop. But the Cavs are also one of the best defensive teams in the league and have the personnel to make Herro’s life miserable.