Player Grades: Cavs at Heat Game 3
Cavs put on a show.
The Cleveland Cavaliers put on a dominant display of basketball for 48 minutes in Miami. Even without Darius Garland, who missed today’s game with a toe injury, the Cavs led by as many as 40 points and took a 3-0 series lead.
Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
13 points (4-14 shooting), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Mitchell didn’t shoot the ball well today. He did finish 3-of-8 from deep, though. His step-back three-pointers felt like daggers to a Miami team that was struggling to stay in the game.
You’d assume the Cavs would need a monster game from Mitchell to overcome Garland being on the sideline. But that hasn’t been the case all season. The Cavs are deep enough to win even when their backcourt isn’t leading the way.
I can’t knock Mitchell too much for this performance. The box score isn’t impressive, but he was active on defense and it never felt like Mitchell was hijacking the offense in an effort to break out of his shooting slump. He understood it wasn’t his game and took a backseat in a huge Playoff victory.
Grade: C
Jarrett Allen
22 points (8-9 shooting), 9 rebounds, 1 assist
The Heat did a fine job of keeping Cleveland’s bigs out of the paint in Games 1 and 2. That wasn’t the case today. Allen set the tone early by charging to the basket repeatedly.
Allen finished nearly flawless from the field for a team-high 22 points. His thunderous dunks were energizers for the Cavs. His activity and constant pressure on the rim has always made Allen a luxury. This was on full display today. He’s simply too much for opponents to handle when they are already concerned with defending everyone else around him. Allen filled the gaps perfectly.
Grade: A+
Evan Mobley
19 points (8-13 shooting), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
This was Mobley’s first game since winning the 2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He didn’t disappoint.
Miami was hopeless whenever Mobley was defending them. He repeatedly shut down the paint and was holding Tyler Herro in a straitjacket any time he switched onto the perimeter.
Offensively, Mobley canned a pair of triples. More importantly, he assaulted the rim and made it impossible for the Heat to contain him.
Grade: A+
Ty Jerome
13 points (2-8 shooting), 11 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Jerome is looking comfortable and confident in his first playoff series. He torched the Heat with his scoring in Game 1 and decided to try his best Darius Garland impression today with a career-high 11 assists. Jerome was in full control of the offense and Cleveland didn’t miss a beat with their All-Star point guard on the bench because of Jerome’s playmaking.
He also drilled a 29-footer just for fun.
Grade: A+
Sam Merrill
0 points (0-3 shooting), 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Merrill started in place of Garland today. He wound up playing just 19 minutes as he didn’t have it going while others around him did.
Merrill wasn’t a total negative. He actually played great on defense. But 0-3 from deep and nothing else to show for it is a tough break.
Grade: C-
Max Strus
18 points (7-13 shooting), 9 rebounds, 5 assists
This might actually be the most impactful game Strus has played for Cleveland. Certainly in the playoffs, at least.
Strus was everywhere. His defense was a difference-maker as he even stood up Andrew Wiggins at the rim. He cleaned the glass with a game-high 9 rebounds (tied with Allen and Bam). Then on offense, he nailed four three-pointers and distributed the ball for 5 assists. This was a full Mad Max explosion.
Grade: A+
Isaac Okoro
9 points (4-6 shooting), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 9 minutes
Okoro only played 9 minutes, most of them coming in garbage time. Still, the freedom of playing in a game that had already been decided allowed Okoro to play more comfortably. He was fine in his few meaningful minutes today.
Grade: C+
De’Andre Hunter
21 points (6-8 shooting), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 28 minutes
Talk about efficient. Hunter was red-hot from the field and his only misses came from deep. He buried three triples and worked himself to the free throw line for six attempts. This was the ideal version of Hunter you want to see in Cleveland. He was an elite three-level scorer who also exerted himself on defense. Four rebounds and some tight rotations made him an overwhelming positive for the Cavs.
Grade: A+
Dean Wade
0 points (0-2 shooting), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 22 minutes
We know what to expect from Wade at this point. He’s never going to be a three-point gunner off the bench. What he brought today was elite, switchable defense and an active body on the glass. This was a good game from Wade, even if the box score won’t impress you. His versatility on defense will be useful throughout the playoffs. He played a big role in holding Herro to just 13 points on 13 shots today.