CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers wrapped up their 2025-26 regular-season series with the Miami Heat on Friday, March 27, at Rocket Arena.
The Cavs prevailed 149-128 and did it with starting center Jarrett Allen back from a 10-game absence. Cleveland’s 149 points tied a franchise record for a game ending in regulation. The most points the Cavs have ever scored in a game is 154 on Jan. 29, 1980, in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers in four overtimes.
The Cavs tied the season series 2-2 and saw evidence of defensive improvements with the NBA playoffs set to begin April 18. The Cavs were coming off a 120-103 loss to the Heat on March 25. Last year, the Cavs swept the Heat 4-0 in the first round of the postseason before falling to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Here is how Cavs (46-28, fourth in the Eastern Conference) versus Heat (39-35) unfolded through our updates:
Cavs blow out Heat 149-128
Cavs small forward Max Strus came off the bench and turned in a memorable performance. He scored a season-high and game-high 29 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field (8 of 11 on 3-pointers) and grabbed eight rebounds in 23 minutes.
Three Cavs players recorded a double-double: Forward Evan Mobley (23 points, 10 rebounds), center Jarrett Allen (18 points, 10 rebounds) and point guard James Harden (17 points, 14 assists, which tied a season high).
Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell scored just six points, but Cleveland didn’t need its best player to go off in a wire-to-wire victory.
Forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the Heat with 20 points.
Tyrese Proctor receives flagrant foul from Myron Gardner, and Thomas Bryant draws a technical in Cavs vs. Heat
Cavs rookie point guard Tyrese Proctor took a hard foul from Heat forward Myron Gardner 4:11 left in the fourth quarter. Proctor appeared to be shaken up for a moment on the baseline under the basket.
Cavs center Thomas Bryant received a technical foul during a stoppage to review the play. During the replay review, the officials determined Gardner had committed a flagrant foul.
Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis made a free throw, and Proctor made two. The Cavs led 134-106.
Cavaliers blowing out Heat 126-101 with 6:40 left in the fourth quarter
Cavs guard Sam Merrill took a shoulder from Heat guard Tyler Herro with 6:40 remaining in the fourth quarter, drawing a flagrant foul.
Point guard James Harden made a foul shot as a result of a technical called on Herro, and Merrill made a pair of free throws as a result of the flagrant foul, giving the Cavs a 126-101 advantage.
Cavs extend lead vs. Heat to 115-87 with 10:46 left in the fourth quarter
The Cavs are not interested in an all-time collapse. They scored the first six points of the fourth quarter (all courtesy of forward Evan Mobley) to extend their lead against the Heat to 115-87.
The sequence led to a timeout with 10:46 remaining.
Cavs, Heat score as Cleveland leads big
The Cavs are cruising, now up 109-87 over the Heat entering the fourth quarter.
Max Strus is pouring it on against his former team with 26 points via seven 3s through three quarters. The franchise record for 3s in a single game belongs to Kyrie Irving, who hit 11 in January of 2025 against Portland.
Keon Ellis gifted the Heat three points and then totally redeemed himself. Ellis fouled Norman Powell with 1.3 seconds left, which led to three free throws. Max Strus then threw the in-bounds pass deep to Evan Mobley, who quickly handed it off to Ellis, who then drained a deep 3 at the buzzer to equalize the foul.
Cavs crushing the Heat
The Cavs are, quite simply, dismantling the Miami Heat. They’re now up 91-61 nearly midway through the third quarter, and this game now has the feel of an exhibition.
Jarrett Allen just secured a double-double and now has 18 points and 10 rebounds. He’s been terrific tonight, and the Cavs have barely missed all night.
Cleveland look borderline lost against this Heat zone defense 48 hours ago, and now they’re surgically picking it apart at will.
Cavs lead Heat 81-46 at halftime
The Cavs led the Heat 81-46 at halftime.
Point guard James Harden made a 3-pointer with 30.9 seconds left, and small forward Max Strus drained a corner 3 on an assist from Harden as time expired in the first half.
Strus had a game-high 22 points in the first half. He went 8-of-10 shooting from the field (6 of 8 on 3s).
Also scoring in double figures for the Cavs are center Jarrett Allen (14 points, seven rebounds) and Harden (14 points, nine assists).
Cleveland’s 35-point halftime lead is its largest this season.
The Cavs went 31-of-56 shooting (55.4%) from the field (12 of 24 on 3s, 50%) in the first half. The Heat went 18-of-45 shooting (40%) from the floor (4 of 18 on 3s, 22.2%).
In the first half, forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the Heat with 10 points off the bench.
Max Strus is flourishing for the Cavs as they maintain big lead vs. Heat
Youth basketball coaches had to love Cavs small forward Max Strus following his shot late in the first half.
Strus missed a 3-pointer (it’s OK because he has drained 5 of 7 of them thus far) but got the rebound and made a layup to give the Cavs a 75-42 lead with 2:19 left in the second quarter.
Strus has a game-high 19 points at this juncture.
Cavs are giving better defensive effort vs. Heat
Three days after Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson publicly called out his team for poor defense, Cleveland is giving much better effort on the defensive end of the floor.
Here’s one example: With 4:23 left in the second quarter, Cavs center Jarrett Allen attempted to block the shot of Heat counterpart Bam Adebayo in the paint. Allen was called for a foul, but Atkinson challenged the ruling. The Cavs lost the challenge, and the foul stood. Adebayo split a pair of foul shots to cut Miami’s deficit to 65-40. Still, the Cavs will live with Allen aggressively protecting the rim in his first game back from a 10-game absence caused by injury. Frankly, they need much more of it.
Cavs take 56-36 lead vs. Miami Heat with 6:10 left before halftime
Heat forward Andrew Wiggins committed an away-from-the-play foul with 6:10 left when he tangled with Cavs small forward Max Strus, sending Strus to the floor.
After a brief replay review, point guard James Harden made a foul shot to give the Cavs a 56-36 lead.
Cavaliers lead Heat 50-34 with 8:36 left in the second quarter
The Cavs used an 8-0 run to take a 50-34 lead against the Heat with 8:36 left in the second quarter.
Point guard Dennis Schroder produced a three-point play and Sam Merrill drained a 3-pointer on an assist from fellow guard Donovan Mitchell to help the Cavs go on the run.
Max Strus catches fire as Cavs score 40 points in first quarter vs Heat
Max Strus drilled four 3s and the Cavs put up a 40-point first quarter to lead the Heat 40-27 after the first 12 minutes.
Already 3-for-3 from 3, Strus pulled up quick and buried his fourth 3 to give him 12 points in the quarter.
The Cavs are above 50 percent both from the floor (52 percent) and from 3-point range (54).
That first quarter was a total 180 from how the Cavs opened Wednesday night’s game.
Jarrett Allen a focal point as Cavs lead Heat early
Jarrett Allen hasn’t just returned to the floor, he’s been the focal point thus far, as he’s led the way to this point with eight points and four rebounds, as the Cavs lead Miami 21-12 with 5:19 to go in the first quarter.
Cavs, Heat score update as Jarrett Allen returns from injury
It was a near-perfect first two minutes back for Cavs center Jarrett Allen.
Allen hit the first basket of the game, grabbed the first rebound and then was on the receiving end of an alley-oop pass from Sam Merrill. That Allen dunk made it 10-2, and the Cavs then extended that lead to 15-2 with 9:28 left in the first quarter.
Merrill also drilled a 3-pointer during the Cavs’ run to start the game.
Below is some pregame information.
Cavs vs. Heat injury report. Cavaliers announce Jarrett Allen will return from knee injury and start
The Cavs initially listed center Jarrett Allen (right knee tendonitis) as questionable to play, but they later upgraded him to probable. About 40 minutes before tipoff, the Cavs confirmed Allen would be active and start against the Heat. He missed the past 10 games.
The Cavs ruled out forward Dean Wade (right ankle sprain), wing Jaylon Tyson (left big toe bone bruise) and point guard Craig Porter Jr. (left groin strain).
Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers injury report
The Heat listed forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (right ankle sprain) as questionable to play but later upgraded him to available.
The Heat also listed forwards Nikola Jovic (lower back injury management) and Andrew Wiggins (left big toe sesamoiditis) as available to face the Cavs.
Who do the Cleveland Cavs play in the first round of the playoffs?
The Cavs will have eight games left in the regular season after they face the Heat.
If the playoffs were to start on March 27, the Cavs would be the fourth seed in the East and face the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks (41-32) in the first round.
The top six teams in each conference at the end of regular season automatically qualify for the playoffs. The teams placing seventh through 10th compete in the Play-In Tournament for the final two postseason seeds.
As it stands right now, the Heat would be the East’s No. 10 seed and face the ninth-place Charlotte Hornets in the Play-In Tournament.
The Play-In Tournament is slated to run from April 14-17. The playoffs are set to begin April 18.
The Cavs’ regular-season finale is scheduled for April 12 against the Washington Wizards in Cleveland.
Cavs starters vs. Heat
The Cavs announced they will start the following players:
Miami Heat starters vs. Cleveland Cavs
The Heat announced they will start the following players:
How can I watch Cavs vs Heat tonight? Cleveland Cavaliers’ radio, streaming, broadcast information
The March 27 game between the Cavs and Heat will be televised locally by FanDuel Sports Network — Ohio. The local radio broadcast can be heard via WTAM (1100-AM) or WMMS (100.7-FM).
The Akron Beacon Journal sports department can be contacted via email at bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs score, recap vs Heat. Highlights, stats in Jarrett Allen’s return
Reporting by Nate Ulrich and Ryan Lewis, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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