Game 2 Preview: What Cavs Must Do To Again Beat The Heat

April 23, 2025

The Cavaliers snagged Game 1 against Miami, but trust me, the Heat are about to turn up, well, the heat. To snag a 2‑0 series lead, Cleveland’s got to lock in on three critical areas.

1. Cavs Guards Must Keep the Pressure On

Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell combined for 57 points on 58 percent shooting (21‑for‑36), putting on a backcourt clinic in Game 1. But Miami’s biggest kryptonite — Tyler Herro’s subpar defense — will get corrected.

Herro’s one of the Heat’s go‑to scorers, so he’ll be on the floor in crunch time. Whether it’s Garland, Mitchell, or Ty Jerome attacking him off the bounce, Cleveland’s guards need to keep baiting Herro and force Coach Erik Spoelstra into some tough lineup decisions. So an attack mentality beats passive spotting up every time.

2. Win the Rebounding Grind

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t mince words: The rebounding needs to improve.

Yes, Cleveland edged Miami on the glass in Game 1 (42–37), but they left too many boards on the floor, gifting the Heat second‑chance points. Game 2 will reveal if Atkinson’s halftime adjustments (think more help defense and box‑out drills) paid off — or if the Cavs will have to lean on Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley for extra minutes to dominate the paint.

3. Get Hunter Unleashed

Shout‑out to Jerome and the bench, which was overall very good in relief. But another key reserve, De’Andre Hunter, went 0‑for‑4 (no threes) in 16 minutes. That won’t cut it.

Hunter’s midseason addition is a classic “3‑and‑D” ace — spacing the floor and locking down wings. Once Jerome draws extra attention from Miami’s perimeter defenders, Cleveland needs to feed Hunter early and often. If Hunter catches fire from deep, the Cavs’ second unit morphs into an even more legitimate weapon, forcing the Heat into defensive rotations they simply can’t sustain.

Bottom Line: Game 1 was a taste. Game 2 will be a test. If Cleveland’s guards stay aggressive and the Cavs own the glass and unlock Hunter, they should have no issues grabbing a 2-0 series edge. And hey man, we’ve seen all that stuff happen before.