NBA
Regular Season Round 145: Cleveland C. - Miami Heat 114-88
Date: April 2, 2015
For a team that has won 30 of its last 37 games, wholesale changes obviously aren't needed. Some minor tinkering is just fine, however. The Cavaliers are trying to put the clamps on the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They moved closer with a convincing 114-88 destruction of the Miami Heat on April 2 before 20,562 at Quicken Loans Arena. 'We want to continue to keep doing what we've done the last month and a half, LeBron James said. 'We want to keep fine-tuning. We want to fine-tune our offense and fine-tune our defense. If we continue to do that, we'll be ready for the postseason. The 2015 postseason is on the horizon. They have a 3 1/2-game lead on Chicago and Toronto with six regular-season games remaining. The Cavaliers (49-27) have won 17 in a row at The Q. It's the third-longest home winning streak in franchise history. 'We have an opportunity to get better, James said. 'That's what our concern is going down the stretch. Point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed shootaround with illness, fired in 23 points and dished out five assists. He was a game-time decision. 'Lying in bed for a long time, you get a lot of sleep, Irving said. 'Hopefully, you feel better in the afternoon. My teammates were checking up on me, which I appreciate. 'They gave us a butt-whippin' down there the last time. Tonight was a statement game for us. James moved into 20th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list with his first basket in the first quarter. He moved past former Knicks center Patrick Ewing (24,815). 'I never thought I'd be the scorer I am and have my name up there with those guys, James said. 'It's an honor. Brooklyn (34-40) moved past the Heat (34-41) into the No. 7 spot in the East race. The Nets would face the Cavaliers in the first round if the playoffs were to start today. James had to work extremely hard for his 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. The Cavaliers played without power forward Kevin Love, who missed the game with a sore back. He was replaced by veteran James Jones. Cavaliers coach David Blatt said he went with Jones to help spread the floor. He also knew the Heat use a lot of small lineups. Jones, making his second start on the season, managed six points and no rebounds. Love could be back for the April 5 game vs. Chicago. 'When somebody can't play, it's next man up, Blatt said. 'The sign of a good team, you can make up for that. We don't want to play without Kevin. We need Kevin. We know his value to us. A lot of guys stepped up tonight. The Cavaliers received a huge boost off the bench from guard Iman Shumpert, forward/center Tristan Thompson and guard Matthew Dellavedova. Shumpert left the previous game with a jammed left ankle. He had a Cavaliers' season high with 17 points and four steals. Thompson pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds. Dellavedova drained 4 of 5 from behind the arc for 14 points and four assists. The Cavs were 15 of 35 from the 3-point line. '(Shumpert) was really good on both ends of the court, Blatt said. 'He's so impactful on the defensive end. He's a big part of what we're doing here. He's doing such a good job for us energy-wise. No one is complaining about the Cavaliers' bench lately, especially after it outscored the Heat, 43-33. 'We're really stepped it up from that standpoint, Blatt said. 'It's another reason why our play has improved dramatically. Shumpert said the bench bunch doesn't have any cool nicknames. 'We just come in and play hard, he said. 'It's a very selfless team. James said he was impressed with the job the reserves did. 'They came in with a defensive mindset, he said. 'We didn't lose a step when those guys came in. The Heat lost All-Star guard Dwyane Wade in the second quarter with a left knee bruise. 'It just happened so fast, Wade said. 'I slipped. I came down awkwardly and banged the inside of my knee on the court, and that was that. Wade, who finished with seven points and two rebounds in 13 minutes, hopes to play in Miami's game at Detroit on April 4. However, it's probably a long shot that he plays. Forward Luol Deng and center Hassan Whiteside each had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Heat. Courtesy of: news-herald.com
Terms:
Field Goals : 2PM-A (2 point Field Goal made-attempts) 3PM-A (3 point Field Goal made-attempts) FTM-A (free throws made-attempt)
Rebounds : OFF (Offensive) DEF (Defensive) TOT (total)
Fouls : CM (Committed) RV (received)
Blocks : FV (In Favor) AG (Against)
Other terms : MIN (minutes) AST (assists) ST (steals) TO (Turnovers) PTS (points) RNK (ranking)
Regular Season Round 145: Cleveland C. - Miami Heat 114-88
Date: April 2, 2015
For a team that has won 30 of its last 37 games, wholesale changes obviously aren't needed. Some minor tinkering is just fine, however. The Cavaliers are trying to put the clamps on the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They moved closer with a convincing 114-88 destruction of the Miami Heat on April 2 before 20,562 at Quicken Loans Arena. 'We want to continue to keep doing what we've done the last month and a half, LeBron James said. 'We want to keep fine-tuning. We want to fine-tune our offense and fine-tune our defense. If we continue to do that, we'll be ready for the postseason. The 2015 postseason is on the horizon. They have a 3 1/2-game lead on Chicago and Toronto with six regular-season games remaining. The Cavaliers (49-27) have won 17 in a row at The Q. It's the third-longest home winning streak in franchise history. 'We have an opportunity to get better, James said. 'That's what our concern is going down the stretch. Point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed shootaround with illness, fired in 23 points and dished out five assists. He was a game-time decision. 'Lying in bed for a long time, you get a lot of sleep, Irving said. 'Hopefully, you feel better in the afternoon. My teammates were checking up on me, which I appreciate. 'They gave us a butt-whippin' down there the last time. Tonight was a statement game for us. James moved into 20th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list with his first basket in the first quarter. He moved past former Knicks center Patrick Ewing (24,815). 'I never thought I'd be the scorer I am and have my name up there with those guys, James said. 'It's an honor. Brooklyn (34-40) moved past the Heat (34-41) into the No. 7 spot in the East race. The Nets would face the Cavaliers in the first round if the playoffs were to start today. James had to work extremely hard for his 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. The Cavaliers played without power forward Kevin Love, who missed the game with a sore back. He was replaced by veteran James Jones. Cavaliers coach David Blatt said he went with Jones to help spread the floor. He also knew the Heat use a lot of small lineups. Jones, making his second start on the season, managed six points and no rebounds. Love could be back for the April 5 game vs. Chicago. 'When somebody can't play, it's next man up, Blatt said. 'The sign of a good team, you can make up for that. We don't want to play without Kevin. We need Kevin. We know his value to us. A lot of guys stepped up tonight. The Cavaliers received a huge boost off the bench from guard Iman Shumpert, forward/center Tristan Thompson and guard Matthew Dellavedova. Shumpert left the previous game with a jammed left ankle. He had a Cavaliers' season high with 17 points and four steals. Thompson pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds. Dellavedova drained 4 of 5 from behind the arc for 14 points and four assists. The Cavs were 15 of 35 from the 3-point line. '(Shumpert) was really good on both ends of the court, Blatt said. 'He's so impactful on the defensive end. He's a big part of what we're doing here. He's doing such a good job for us energy-wise. No one is complaining about the Cavaliers' bench lately, especially after it outscored the Heat, 43-33. 'We're really stepped it up from that standpoint, Blatt said. 'It's another reason why our play has improved dramatically. Shumpert said the bench bunch doesn't have any cool nicknames. 'We just come in and play hard, he said. 'It's a very selfless team. James said he was impressed with the job the reserves did. 'They came in with a defensive mindset, he said. 'We didn't lose a step when those guys came in. The Heat lost All-Star guard Dwyane Wade in the second quarter with a left knee bruise. 'It just happened so fast, Wade said. 'I slipped. I came down awkwardly and banged the inside of my knee on the court, and that was that. Wade, who finished with seven points and two rebounds in 13 minutes, hopes to play in Miami's game at Detroit on April 4. However, it's probably a long shot that he plays. Forward Luol Deng and center Hassan Whiteside each had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Heat. Courtesy of: news-herald.com
 CLEVELAND C. (coach: Kenny Atkinson)114 |
| FIELD GOALS | REBOUNDS | FOULS | BLOCKS | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | NAME | MIN | 2PM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OFF | DEF | RB | AS | F | RV | ST | FV | AG | TO | PT | RNK | +/- |
| 8 | oQLajD, KFQaR | 41 | 0-65 (05%) | 4-9 (38.7%) | 3-3 (655%) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 84 | 62 | 5 |
| 84 | ziBRs, vRmQIj | 40 | 2-63 (09.6%) | 6-8 (05%) | 3-0 (25%) | 6 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 84 | 82 | 5 |
| ABaUh, z.e. | 44 | 6-8 (05%) | 4-65 (45%) | 6-8 (05%) | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 68 | 7 | 5 | |
| 64 | whIBpsIj, wQasUij | 87 | 4-3 (90%) | 5-5 (5%) | 8-3 (05%) | 0 | 65 | 60 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 67 | 5 |
| AhuBpRQU, oBij | 89 | 3-1 (11.9%) | 4-1 (05%) | 5-5 (5%) | 8 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 69 | 61 | 5 | |
| 2 | gRlliLRdILi, biUUhRT | 84 | 5-8 (5%) | 3-0 (25%) | 8-8 (655%) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 63 | 63 | 5 |
| bIJDIL, waBIfRF | 84 | 8-3 (05%) | 5-5 (5%) | 4-3 (90%) | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 5 | |
| 6 | zIjRs, ziBRs | 84 | 5-6 (5%) | 6-3 (80%) | 4-4 (655%) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | -4 | 5 |
| ORQVajs, KRjdQaZV | 3 | 8-8 (655%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-6 (5%) | 5 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | |
| HiQQas, zIR | 3 | 5-5 (5%) | 5-6 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | |
| 62 | ballRQ, baVR | 4 | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
| wIUil | 80-30 (00.1%) | 60-40 (38.7%) | 67-80 (91.5%) | 65 | 44 | 34 | 84 | 86 | 5 | 68 | 9 | 5 | 63 | 663 | 662 | |||
 MIAMI HEAT (coach: Erik Spoelstra)88 |
| FIELD GOALS | REBOUNDS | FOULS | BLOCKS | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | NAME | MIN | 2PM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OFF | DEF | RB | AS | F | RV | ST | FV | AG | TO | PT | RNK | +/- |
| 7 | gRjD, vuIl | 41 | 1-68 (05%) | 6-4 (44.4%) | 8-8 (655%) | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 69 | 63 | 5 |
| gQiDaZ, GIQij | 44 | 6-1 (61.9%) | 8-3 (05%) | 4-4 (655%) | 6 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 66 | 66 | 5 | |
| 48 | qjjas, ziBRs | 82 | 8-4 (11.9%) | 6-3 (80%) | 0-0 (655%) | 8 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 68 | 60 | 5 |
| WhaURsadR, Hissij | 89 | 2-66 (98.9%) | 5-5 (5%) | 6-4 (44.4%) | 8 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 69 | 61 | 5 | |
| 60 | ChilBRQs, biQaI | 81 | 8-3 (05%) | 5-6 (5%) | 8-8 (655%) | 5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| zIhjsIj, wFlRQ | 81 | 4-9 (38.7%) | 6-8 (05%) | 8-8 (655%) | 5 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 66 | 65 | 5 | |
| WilVRQ, mall | 69 | 5-6 (5%) | 6-8 (05%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 5 | |
| 66 | SjdRQsRj, ChQas | 61 | 6-8 (05%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 5 |
| 4 | WidR, gTFijR | 64 | 6-3 (80%) | 6-8 (05%) | 8-3 (05%) | 5 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 5 |
| mRislRF, baZhiRl | 64 | 6-4 (44.4%) | 5-8 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | -3 | 5 | |
| gQiDaZ, cIQij | 3 | 5-6 (5%) | 5-6 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | -8 | 5 | |
| wIUil | 80-03 (31.4%) | 9-86 (44.4%) | 69-86 (26.5%) | 2 | 82 | 41 | 80 | 84 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 61 | 22 | 94 | |||
Terms:
Field Goals : 2PM-A (2 point Field Goal made-attempts) 3PM-A (3 point Field Goal made-attempts) FTM-A (free throws made-attempt)
Rebounds : OFF (Offensive) DEF (Defensive) TOT (total)
Fouls : CM (Committed) RV (received)
Blocks : FV (In Favor) AG (Against)
Other terms : MIN (minutes) AST (assists) ST (steals) TO (Turnovers) PTS (points) RNK (ranking)
