Wire-to-Wire Win Against Heat

In just over 18 minutes of work, J.A. finished with 18 points and a team-high-tying 10 rebounds, going 8-of-10 from the floor. His frontcourt mate, Evan Mobley, benefitted from Allen’s return as well, netting his 24^th double-double of the season with 23 points and 10 boards of his own, adding three assists and a steal. 

“People look to me for being a defensive stopper and protecting the rim, just being the communicator on the defensive end,” said Allen. “And it just seemed like we were lacking a little bit when I was out. So, I came back and I made that an emphasis to try and help out.”

And both big men benefited from James Harden – who handed out a game-high 14 assists, his high-water mark with the Cavaliers, adding 17 points and a pair of steals in the win. 

Sam Merrill was the fourth Cavs starter with double-figures – his seventh straight game doing so – chipping in with 10 points, four assists and three steals. 

As good as Cleveland’s starters were on Friday night, it was Max Strus would stole the night – splashing home eight triples against his former team, going 8-of-11 from long-distance, 10-of-14 from the floor overall for a game- and season-high 29 points, three shy of his career-high, adding eight rebounds in just 23 minutes of work off the bench. 

Thomas Bryant notched double-figure scoring for the seventh time since the All-Star break, adding 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting, and Keon Ellis added 10 points on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting to round out the Cavaliers in double-figures. 

Overall, the Wine & Gold shot 54 percent from the floor, draining 19 three-pointers and shooting 84 percent from the stripe. Cleveland handed out 38 assists and committed just 10 turnovers. 

Jaime Jaquez Jr. led Miami with 20 points off the bench on 9-for-13 shooting and Bam Adebayo pitched in with 14 points and a game-high 16 boards in the loss. 

*** After thrashing the Heat on Friday to wrap up the regular season’s final homestand, the Cavs hit the road for their final extended roadie, traveling to Salt Lake City for a Monday night matchup with the Jazz followed by a date with the Lakers on Tuesday in Tinseltown. Cleveland tips off the month of April two nights later against the Warriors in San Francisco before returning home for an Easter Sunday meeting against the Pacers at Rocket Arena. 

Allen was one of three Cavalier starters to notch a double-double, and Max Strus erupted off the bench as Cleveland scored a season-high 81 points before intermission and at least 40 points in three of the game’s four quarters, running out to a 36-point third-quarter lead and coasting to the finish line in a Friday night drubbing that was never close. 

“The guys kept asking me: ‘When’s (Jarrett) coming back?’ They know – especially Donovan and guys that have been here a long time – they know how important he is,” said Coach Kenny Atkinson. “There’s that ‘perimeter-gravity’ that you get from shooters. He’s got that ‘rim-gravity’ and that helps everybody and you get that rim-protection with him. I felt like the spirit was better with him out there.”

*** If anyone was wondering what kind of impact Jarrett Allen’s return would have on the Cavaliers, Friday night answered that question from the opening tip. 

Cleveland’s beloved big man picked up where he left off before a knee injury sidelined him for the previous 10 games – scoring the game’s first points to ignite the Wine & Gold’s wire-to-wire win – blowing out Miami, 149-128, to split the two-game set at Rocket Arena.