![\"Heat](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-4-21-11.54AM-edited.jpg\")
The Cleveland Cavaliers secured a 121-100 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday. (Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images)<\/p>\nThe Cleveland Cavaliers secured a 121-100 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday. (Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
The No. 8-seeded Miami Heat dropped <\/a>their inaugural game of the 2024-25 NBA Playoffs to the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, 121-100. It was far from a perfect performance from the Heat, who made history last week by being the first team in NBA History to win two play-in games on the road.<\/p>\n It\u2019s just one game, but here are six glaring statistics the Heat will need to correct if they want any chance at winning this series.<\/p>\n 178.3 \u2014 It did not take long<\/a> for the Cleveland Cavaliers to expose Tyler Herro\u2019s biggest shortcoming (defense) in Game 1. On the 36 possessions that Herro was the primary defender on Cleveland\u2019s top-3 guards (Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Ty Jerome), the Cavaliers posted a 178.3 offensive rating, according to NBA.com\u2019s tracking data. The aforementioned trio exploded for 85 of the Cavaliers\u2019 121 points. They became the fifth trio since the turn of the decade to score at least 27 points each in a playoff game, including the first guard trio in NBA History to do so. <\/p>\n 7 \u2014 Throughout the season, I was critical of the team\u2019s lack of deflections\u2013an area they\u2019ve been so prideful of in previous seasons. Miami had the 8th-fewest deflections per 48 minutes while being a middle-of-the-pack team in opposing turnover rate. However, it did generate more deflections (19 to 14) than the Cavaliers. But they only forced seven turnovers (8.2 oTOV%) Sunday; Cleveland\u2019s defense doubled that (14 Heat TOs). To be competitive against a No. 1 seed as a No. 8, you have to win on the margins. That\u2019s not going to cut it.<\/p>\n -12.6 \u2014 Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra experimented with the double-big frontcourt this season with Bam Adebayo and rookie Kel\u2019el Ware. The offense was shaky, but the duo posted a plus-6.1 in 541 minutes together this season. Well, against Cleveland\u2019s stout double-big lineup (Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen) that\u2019s one of the best in the sport, they sported a minus-12.6 NET, albeit on 21 possessions. In 57 against the Cavaliers, they have an even more damning minus-24.8 NET Rating together. The Heat don\u2019t have the bodies to match size otherwise, so that must be corrected.<\/p>\n 5 \u2014 I have good news and bad news. The Heat shot 100 percent at the rim! Who would\u2019ve thought?!? Bad news: They only attempted five of their 80 shots in the restricted area; Cleveland shot 14. Miami\u2019s 8.4 rim frequency (in non-garbage-time) is its second-lowest of the season. It shot a respectable 17-of-30 (56.7) on non-paint-2s and is up against an exceptional defense led by Mobley, so getting to the rim won\u2019t be easy. But it must find ways to generate more frequent rim attempts\u2013both in the halfcourt and in transition\u2013which is far easier said than done. <\/p>\n 12 \u2014 Miami attempted just 12 free throws in Sunday\u2019s 21-point loss, tied for its fourth-fewest of the season. This goes hand in hand with rim pressure. You\u2019re not going to the charity stripe often if most of your diet is jump shooting. Cleveland finished just outside the top-10 during the regular season in free-throw rate allowed (Fun Fact: Heat were 3rd-best). This goes back to winning on the margins\u2013get to the charity stripe, slow the game down and apply (more) pressure on the Cavaliers that way, allowing the Heat to set their defense on the other end. <\/p>\n 142.4 \u2014 Not to harp on it, but Miami\u2019s defense was bad on Sunday. Cleveland\u2019s 142.4 offensive rating in non-garbage-time placed in the 100th percentile, according to Cleaning The Glass. It was their second-best output of the season. Need I say more?<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n To check out our other content, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter\/X\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Subscribe to our YouTube channel\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t\t\t