Cavaliers-Heat Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Jan 23 2012 6:17PM

Miami and Cleveland will forever be linked by LeBron James' decision to abandon his hometown Cavaliers and bolt to South Beach in the summer of 2010.

While matchups in Cleveland bring out passionate Cavs fans eager to harass James, meetings in Miami have been far more subdued.

In a game that is generating significantly less buzz than last season, James and the Heat look to hand the struggling Cavaliers a fourth straight loss Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

James and Miami took three of four from Cleveland in 2010-11 with the seven-time All-Star averaging 27.5 points, 8.3 assists and 8.0 rebounds against his former team. While the Heat would go on to reach the NBA finals before falling to Dallas, the Cavs ended the season with an Eastern Conference-worst 63 losses.

Miami (11-5) figures to contend for a title again, while Cleveland (6-9) has stumbled after a somewhat promising start.

The Heat are coming off a sluggish performance Sunday, however, losing to Milwaukee 91-82 to snap a three-game winning streak. James had 28 points and 13 rebounds, but Miami finished with season lows in points, field-goal percentage (37.3), field goals (25) and assists (nine).

The Heat were playing for the second straight night and third time in four days.

"We can't make no excuses for ourselves," James said. "But no one had energy from the start of the game to the end."

Chris Bosh scored 23 points - usually enough to help get Miami a victory - but the team lost for the first time in eight games this season when he reaches the 20-point mark.

The Heat also lost for the first time in seven games without Dwyane Wade, still nursing a sprained right ankle. Wade, who averaged 27.0 points on 54.7 percent shooting against the Cavs last season, has sat out the last four games and his status remains uncertain.

James has done a good job of carrying the Heat in Wade's absence. He is averaging 30.8 points on 55.4 percent shooting in the six games he has played that Wade has missed.

Since James left Cleveland, the Cavs have been looking for someone to heal the scar James left on the franchise, and it appears rookie guard Kyrie Irving could be up to the challenge.

Irving - Cleveland's first No. 1 overall pick in the draft since selecting James in 2003 - leads all rookies with 17.4 points per game and is shooting 42.5 percent from 3-point range and 50.0 percent from the floor. He has started every game and is playing with confidence, but the team is coming off a pair of embarrassing losses.

After falling 114-75 to a Chicago team playing without Derrick Rose on Friday, the Cavs lost 121-94 to Atlanta the following night.

"To come out (Friday) night and perform the way we did was disappointing," forward Antawn Jamison said. "But to come out again, after what we talked about, and pretty much give the same performance, is even worse.

"(Friday) night, we didn't compete at all. But (Saturday), we do stupid things."

Irving had seven of Cleveland's 20 turnovers Saturday along with a season-low two assists, and the team allowed the Hawks to shoot 55.4 percent.

The Cavs have had trouble slowing down their opponents during their three-game skid, allowing an average of 113.3 points on 51.2 percent shooting, and that could lead to problems against Miami's high-octane offense.

Before going cold against the Bucks, the Heat were averaging 110.3 points on 52.2 percent shooting in their previous three games.

Bosh's big finish helps Heat top Cavs, 92-85

By TIM REYNOLDS
Posted Jan 25 2012 12:58AM

MIAMI (AP) LeBron James was not at his best, and a game against his former team was slipping away.

Chris Bosh made sure that didn't happen.

Bosh scored 17 points in the fourth quarter - the biggest final period by any Miami player this season - and finished with a game-high 35 points, carrying the Heat to a 92-85 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Bosh shot 10 for 16 and reached the 30-point mark for the fourth time this season as Miami improved to 4-1 against Cleveland since James joined the Heat.

"Whenever I play and I don't hesitate, good things happen," Bosh said.

He was all about the points down the stretch, literally and figuratively. The 17-point final quarter matched the third-best of his career, and he capped the night with a pair of finger-wags - one at one of his shots as it hovered on the rim before falling to begin a three-point play, the other at wife Adrienne after his jumper fell for an 84-76 lead and finally allowed Miami to exhale.

"I think he made the biggest adjustment with this whole situation," James said, referring to the moves that allowed he, Bosh and Dwyane Wade - who sat out again with a sprained right ankle - to team up in July 2010. "He's done it before."

The 35 points matched Bosh's high since joining Miami.

Kyrie Irving - Cleveland's No. 1 overall draft pick and heir apparent after James as the face of the Cavs' franchise - scored 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Samardo Samuels made his first seven shots and finished with 15 points for the Cavs, who got an 11-point, 11-rebound night from Anderson Varejao and 10 points from Ramon Sessions.

"We kind of beat ourselves tonight," Irving said. "We had 22 turnovers and we lost by seven points."

Former Cleveland State star Norris Cole scored 10 for Miami, and Udonis Haslem grabbed 10 rebounds for the Heat. Miami committed 18 turnovers, leading to 22 Cleveland points, but found a way - thanks to Bosh - down the stretch.

"Finally in the last three to four minutes, the ball started the move," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Bosh made his sixth 3-pointer of the year with 4:26 left, giving the Heat some long-awaited breathing room at 75-67. And after Irving hit a pair of free throws to get Cleveland within three, Bosh went to work again.

He took a pass from James, drove the left side of the lane, got fouled and fell to the court as his shot dropped to set up a three-point play. A minute later, Bosh faked Antawn Jamison into the air and making an 18-footer for an eight-point edge, capped by that salute to his pregnant wife.

Cleveland got within three points twice in the final moments after scores by Irving, but no closer.

"Stayed in the game for 48 minutes," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "And the only thing I'm disappointed in is the fact that we had 22 turnovers. That's killing our young team."

Miami improved to 7-1 this season without Wade. His status remains day-to-day.

It was the fifth meeting between the Heat and Cavaliers since James made his decision to switch jerseys. James' first return to Cleveland was one of the signature moments of last season, and the other three matchups between the clubs - while nowhere near the spectacle of that first game - were accompanied by an extraordinary amount of interest and excitement.

This time, Heat vs. Cavs was just another game. No huge media crush, no extra security presence, no hubbub of any kind.

"I think after a year of kind of going through it, I think it's just like any other basketball game right now," Scott said.

So the game lacked the off-the-court buzz.

In fairness, it was missing any on-court buzz, too.

Samuels had a grand total of four baskets in 2012 entering the game, then posted that many dunks in the first half, coming off the bench to start 5 for 5 and help Cleveland leave for the break with a 39-37 lead.

Here's how offensively troubled the first half was: Cleveland lost two points during intermission.

Following a lengthy review after the teams left the floor, referee Tony Brothers ruled that a basket by Jamison with about 49 seconds left came after the shot clock expired. The basket was wiped away, knotting the game at 37.

Things picked up somewhat in the third, with Irving using a screen to go past James, then leaping through a maze of three Heat defenders for a layup and a 45-43 Cleveland lead. Soon, though, Miami put together its best stretch of the night - a 12-2 run, including James hitting a 3-pointer from about 30 feet as the shot clock expired, and ended up taking a less-than-secure 61-58 edge into the final 12 minutes.

The Heat never trailed again.

"It'd have frustrated me a lot if we lost," James said. "I'm all about team. When I don't play well and we lose, I feel like I didn't do enough. But my teammates picked me up."

NOTES: Cavs rookie Tristan Thompson missed the game with a sprained left ankle, though is expected to be listed as questionable for Wednesday's game in Cleveland against New York. ... Cleveland returns to Miami Feb. 7, with James' lone scheduled trip back to his former home building this season set for Feb. 17.

Notebook: Heat 92, Cavaliers 85

By Shandel Richardson, for NBA.com
Posted Tuesday January 24, 2012 11:44PM

THE FACTS: The Miami Heat shook off a slow start to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 92-85 Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Forward Chris Bosh led all scorers with a season-high 35 points.

Bosh did most of his work in the fourth quarter, scoring 18 points. The Cavs, despite 22 turnovers, were able to keep it close before Bosh closed out things. Cleveland rookie guard Kyrie Irving scored a team-high 17 points.

The Heat concluded their homestand by winning four of five. Forward LeBron James finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists. It was Miami's fifth straight game without Dwyane Wade, who continues to recover from a sprained ankle.

QUOTABLE: "Just playing the game. Shooting the ball without hesitation, my teammates finding me in the right spots. I just wanted to make sure that I pulled the trigger without kind of hesitating. They kept coming to me, they showed trust in me."
-- Bosh on his big fourth quarter

THE STAT: Despite this being an ugly game, the Heat were nearly flawless at the foul line. They were 23-for-26 to help offset their poor field-goal shooting (45 percent).

TURNING POINT: With the Heat needing a spark, Bosh answered the call. He scored 18 of his game-high 35 in the fourth quarter. Bosh helped keep the Cavs from rallying by scoring 12 points in the final 4:26, including a key 3-pointer.

QUOTABLE II: "Obviously, I felt that was a lot better. That's more like us as a basketball team, just playing good, solid defense. We stayed in the game for 48 minutes. The only thing I'm disappointed in is the fact we had 22 turnovers and that's killing our game."
-- Cavs coach Byron Scott

HOT: Although Bosh poured in a season-high 35 points, he was most effective from the foul line. He finished 14-for-14 on free throws. Bosh also had seven rebounds and two assists.

NOT: James put up solid numbers, but wasn't as strong as he's played this season. James was just 8-for-21 from the field, and had a couple critical turnovers in the fourth quarter.

GOOD MOVE: Without Wade and with James struggling in the fourth quarter, the Heat put the game in the hands of their third superstar. They ran the offense through Bosh, who shook off a slow start to finish strong.

BAD MOVE: Just too many mistakes for the Cavs. They finished with 22 turnovers. Defeating the Heat is already tough enough, but becomes more difficult with so many errors.

NOTABLE: The Heat have won all four games when Bosh scores at least 30 points this season. Through 17 games, Bosh has one more 30-point game than he had all last season. ... Miami is now 7-1 in games without Wade. He has missed five straight games with a sprained ankle. His status for Wednesday's game at Detroit is questionable.

UP NEXT: For the Heat, Wednesday @ Detroit, Friday vs. New York, Sunday vs. Chicago. For the Cavs, Wednesday vs. New York, Friday vs. New Jersey, Sunday @ Boston.

• Cavaliers: Thompson, Thompson
• Heat: Gladness, Wade

• Cavaliers: --
• Heat: --

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 10

• Arena: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
• Officials: #25 Tony Brothers, #7 Kevin Fehr, #38 Michael Smith
• Attendance: 19600
• Duration: 2:19