Cavs Flying High, About to Snuff Out Heat

1. That is how a No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is supposed to behave. Dominate the paint. Suffocate a lesser opponent defensively. Rip out their basketball heart fairly quickly.

2. The Cavaliers were so dominant, it was easy to forget they didn’t have Darius Garland (sprained toe). They did this entirely by committee. A 37-point win? On the road? Without your All-Star point guard? This team just continues to impress, and then some. Series lead? Three-to-oh-just-forget-it.

3. Now, it’s all about finishing the job and getting this thing over quickly. And let there be doubt — it is indeed over. The only question is whether it goes four or five games. The Cavs should focus on what worked here and make it four. Time to move on.

4. And what an afternoon for so many people, especially Jarrett Allen (22 points, 8-of-9 shooting, nine rebounds) and De’Andre Hunter (22 points, 6-of-8 shooting). Allen just assaulted the basket with six massive dunks and 16 points in the first half.

5. Without Garland, the Cavs did the smart thing and continuously went down low to Allen and Evan Mobley (19 points, six boards). They drove into the teeth of the Heat defense. They kicked it out to shooters. They just dominated in every facet.

6. Not only were the Cavs without Garland, but fellow All-Star Donovan Mitchell scored just 13 points. That’s not a criticism — just the opposite. Mitchell forced almost nothing. He focused less on points and more on making winning plays. That was an All-Star performance.

7. This was more than just a Cavalanche. It was an example of just how good the Cavs can be, and how far they can go, when everything is clicking.

8. No less than Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was wildly impressed with the Cavs. “We laid an egg today,” he told reporters in Miami. “A big part of it was Cleveland.”

9. You could make the case that the Cavs played their best game of the season in one that they really wanted. Miami aimed to make a series of this, assuming a game at home would work in its favor. The Cavs made sure the opposite happened.

10. I repeat: It’s over.

11. Max Strus added 18 points and my gosh has this guy been good in the first three games. Sometimes, you barely notice him. But he can be a quiet killer, wearing down the opponent little by little.

12. Also, his defensive work on Heat star Tyler Herro was remarkably evident in this one, as Herro finished with just 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting. He was also only able to get off three 3-pointers. Strus and others were a big reason why.

13. For the most part, everything the Heat attempted was challenged. With the way the Cavs defended, it’s surprising the Heat were even able to close in on 90.

14. The Cavs have yet to trail beyond the first quarter in the series. After that Cavalanche in the second, they were never threatened. Interestingly, they were down by nine early. Then coach Kenny Atkinson subbed in Hunter and Ty Jerome (13 points, a whopping 11 assists). Next thing you know, the Cavs went on an 18-0 run.

15. Game. Set. Series. Bring on the Indiana Pacers or Milwaukee Bucks.

16. Mobley is coming off receiving Defensive Player of the Year honors. He showed why in this one. As Jared Weiss of The Athletic wrote: “He takes away so many good looks for Cleveland that he doesn’t even need to contest shots. He has eliminated the Duncan Robinson DHO action from the series, takes away almost every Heat player’s rim attacks, and lets Cleveland stay in switch all game so they don’t let Bam get into the short roll playmaking game.”

17. Bam is Heat big man Bam Adebayo. He scored 22 points, but on just 9-of-22 shooting. Mobley forced Adebayo into some ugly attempts and a few traveling violations. Miami has now lost seven straight playoff games at home.

18. Sam Merrill got the start in place of Garland, and Merrill and Dean Wade combined for zero points on 0-of-5 shooting, all threes. But man, each is doing the intangibles so well that Atkinson has no choice but to play them. This really is a team in the truest sense, with guys contributing in so many areas other than stats.

19. So, what now? Well, ideally, the Cavs will end this thing Monday and get some more time off. Garland obviously could use it, though his injury isn’t considered all that serious. 

20. But these are the Heat. They aren’t likely to go quietly. “Their best players are battle tested… so we’ve got to put them away,” Jerome said.

21. Finally, here’s a stat: The Cavs’ 18-0 run in the first quarter was their longest run in a playoff game since May 16, 2008, vs. Boston (19-0 run). Another run similar to that and this ends in four.

• More Cavaliers | Cavs clobber Heat, take commanding 3-0 lead
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• Related | Barkley: Cavs will win series in four or five
• Related | Cavs-Heat Game 3 halftime Dribbles
• Box Score | Cavs 124, Heat 87