Dribbles: Jarrett Allen returns, Max Strus erupts, Cavs bury Heat

CLEVELAND — Random dribbles from the Cavaliers’ 149-128 offensive eruption of a home win over the Miami Heat on Friday.

1. Coach Kenny Atkinson seemed amazed by the stat. “Donovan (Mitchell) went 1-of-10 and we put up 149,” he said.

2. Yeah, who would’ve guessed. But on nights like this, when everything is clicking … well, offense is actually NEVER a problem for this team. Even better, the Cavs shored up the defense a little, too.

3. Yes, the Heaters scored 128. But some of that was garbage time. Some of it was the third quarter, with which Atkinson indicated he wasn’t real pleased. At the same time, the Cavs had a whopping 81 points at halftime. They probably weren’t very worried coming out of the locker room for the third quarter.

4. Translation: It’s only human nature to let up a little. 

5. By the way, this one marked the return of Jarrett Allen, who missed the previous 10 with that knee injury. He looked every bit as spry as before, recording 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting and 10 rebounds. All in just over 18 minutes.

6. Atkinson on what Allen brought: “His force to the rim. And his athleticism at both ends.” The Cavs needed those things, and the more Allen was out, the more it became evident.

7. The Heat just beat the Cavs on Wednesday, but it’s a lot different going to the basket with just one shot-blocker back there (Evan Mobley) than it is with two (Mobley and Allen). Miami spent most of the night looking befuddled.

8. Now, my apologies for going on this long without mentioning Max Strus. Holy moly, that cat was good. All he did was finish with a game-high 29 points, on 10-of-14 from the floor, offering an immediate spark with his relentless energy.

9. Atkinson said that Strus is “in that group” that you can find at the practice facility early, putting in the work in the weight room, constantly making his presence felt at practice. “He’s got another practice motor,” Atkinson said.

10. And it shows in the games.

11. Mobley also came on particularly strong in the second half, cutting to the hoop and finishing plays with an array of two-handed dunks. He ended up with 23 points and 10 boards. James Harden went for 17 points and 14 assists. “He just finds the solution in every situation,” Atkinson said.

12. So, yes, this is what you want from a revenge game. An 8-0 lead that turned into a major route. The Cavs (46-28) once led by 39 and their 149 points are a season-high. No shock there.

13. Thomas Bryant added 11 points, and Sam Merrill and Keon Ellis had 10 apiece.

14. Interestingly, on Wednesday, the Heat (39-35) had eight players reach double figures in scoring. On Friday, they had nine. Didn’t matter. They were just no match for the beatdown that the Cavaliers delivered.

15. As Atkinson has said before, this is just life in the good, ol’ NBA. You’re not gonna have it some nights. The other guy REALLY will. Sometimes, there’s nothing you can do about it. The Cavs were the ones on the right side this time. Boy, were they ever.

16. Or as Strus said simply, “We answered the challenge.”

17. All this and yes, Mitchell scored just six points on 1-of-1o shooting. And we barely noticed. Picked a good night to be off, Donovan. Probably won’t happen again this season. 

18. See? It’s actually not a bad thing.

19. Now comes the strangest three-game West swing in franchise history — as the Cavs hit Utah on Monday. Then, it’s LeBron James and the Lakers on Tuesday. After that, it’s at Golden State. I honestly can’t remember a time when the Cavs went so far from home this late into the season. 

20. So, that’s it. Eight regular-season games left. Interestingly, two are against the Hawks. The Cavs currently own the East’s fourth seed, the Hawks the fifth. So we may be seeing a first-round matchup here soon.

• BOX SCORE | Cavs 149, Heat 128
• MORE CAVALIERS | All coverage from Hoops Wire