The Cleveland Cavaliers delivered an offensive explosion Friday night, routing the Miami Heat 149-128 in the second meeting between the teams in three days.
Max Strus led the charge with 29 points, catching fire early and setting the tone for Cleveland’s dominant night. He knocked down six of his eight attempts from beyond the arc, including a buzzer-beating three to close the first half, giving the Cavs a commanding 81-46 lead— their highest-scoring half of the season.
Evan Mobley added 23 points, while Jarrett Allen made a strong return from a 10-game absence due to knee tendinitis, contributing 18 points and providing a major boost on both ends of the floor.
Cleveland wasted no time seizing control, building a lead that ballooned to as many as 35 points in the first half. The offensive outburst matched a franchise record for points in a regulation game and served as a statement response after Wednesday’s 120-103 loss to Miami.
James Harden continued to settle into his new role following his trade to Cleveland, finishing with 17 points and a team-high 14 assists—his best playmaking performance with the team so far. Donovan Mitchell, meanwhile, had an off night, scoring just six points on 1-of-10 shooting.
Miami showed some fight after falling behind by as many as 36. A three-pointer from Jaime Jaquez Jr. helped trim the deficit to 101-82 late in the third quarter. But Cleveland quickly shut the door, punctuated by a buzzer-beating three from Keon Ellis to take a 109-87 lead into the fourth.
Jaquez led the Heat with 20 points, while Bam Adebayo added 14 points and 16 rebounds. The loss drops Miami out of a three-way tie for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, sliding them to 10th place.
Strus, appearing in just his sixth game since returning from foot surgery, made an immediate impact—draining four 3-pointers in the final minutes of the first quarter to help Cleveland build early momentum they never relinquished.
Next up, the Heat head to face the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, while the Cavaliers travel to take on the Utah Jazz on Monday.
