The Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the Miami Heat 149-128 on Friday night in the second matchup between the teams in three days.
Max Strus led the Cavaliers with 29 points, Evan Mobley had 23, and Jarrett Allen came back from injury to add 18.
James Harden contributed 17 points and 14 assists, while Donovan Mitchell scored just six on 1 of 10 shooting.
Strus made six of his eight 3-pointers in a 22-point first half as the Cavs bolted to a 35-point lead.
He also made one just ahead of the halftime horn to put Cleveland ahead 81-46 and cap the team’s highest scoring half this season.
Cleveland bounced back from a 120-103 loss to the Heat on Wednesday with a strong performance and matched the team record for points in a regulation game.
Meanwhile, Allen’s return provided a major impact after missing 10 games with tendinitis in his knee.
On the other hand, Jamie Jaquez Jr. led the Heat with 20 points, while Bam Adebayo added 14 and 16 rebounds.
Miami fought back and got within 101-82 on a three-pointer by Jaquez, but the Cavaliers regrouped, and Keon Ellis drilled a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Cavaliers a 109-87 lead entering the fourth.
The loss dropped Miami from a three-way tie for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference into 10th, behind Orlando and Charlotte, which were idle.
Up next: the Heat visit Indiana on Sunday, while the Cavaliers visit Utah on Monday.
