Miami beat Cleveland “at the time of the money.”

In the last possession, Donovan Mitchell (16 points, 9 assists, 4 steals) looked to send both teams into overtime, but his 3-pointer was once again inaccurate and Heat he could breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Winner (100-97). Riders ofEvan Mobley (19 points, 7 rebounds) and Darius Garland (16 points, 5 assists) teammates Ohio Jimmy Butler (23 points, 5 assists, 3 steals) and Bam Adebayo (18 points, 11 rebounds) thus expressed his experiences in hot moments to get closer to the 5th place in the tournament table of his opponent.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

— The Butler/Adebayo duo takes care of everything “when it’s money”.. Three minutes left in the game, 93-92 for the Cavaliers. Then Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler take over to lead the Heat to victory. First with two baskets near the Adebayo circle, one on a pass from Butler and the other after an offensive rebound from the corner. Then with a half-range basket and a layup from Butler (admittedly a bit clumsy from the line). Defensively, the two Miami All-Stars, who were equally important in stymieing Cleveland’s forwards, showed muscle in the final moments.

— A suffocating mano-a-mano. It is meaningless to say that today the two teams hit each other, the connections and the change of the leader in the legion all evening, the decision of the last possession was made. An enjoyable playoff-worthy battle between Cleveland and Miami has been brought in to possibly meet next spring. For those who want it, this flavor should confirm their desire…

TOPS/FLOPS

✅ Evan Mobley. With Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland struggling to shoot, this is the Cavaliers’ young interior, fresh off their second Rising Stars Challenge, charged with leading the Ohio franchise offensively as well as defensively (as is their wont). We’ll especially appreciate that infectious energy he showed to revive Cleveland in the third quarter, when Miami widened a nice gap. Aggressive in scoring, Evan Mobley finishes the game with an impressive +/- of +16 coming into the game, given the best Cavs side and the Heat side’s last gap.

✅ Caleb Martin. Jimmy Butler isn’t the loudest name on Florida’s roster compared to Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro or Kyle Lowry, but the winger is no small part of the Heat’s success. The proof is tonight, as his double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) was crucial in that win against the Cavaliers. Poised and unflappable (7-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range), he picked up where opposing defenses left off and proved himself to be the perfect X-factor that was valuable to both sides in this game.

⛔ Cleveland’s 3-point address. Shooting just 11/40 from behind the arc (a 28% success rate) in such a tight and indecisive matchup is underwhelming to say the least. Plus, the Heat, for their part, shot a nice 14/31 (that’s a 45% success rate) in practice and are relying on it to overcome their struggles with long contact and scoring in the paint. A “special” mention to Donovan Mitchell (3/13) and Darius Garland (2/7) who never stop watering from distance…

⛔ Miami quarterback debut. The Heat managed to win in forceps, but the Heat hit their feet a little to start the game (16-5 lead), start the second half (61-55) or start the fourth quarter (83- lead). 79), every time he spends long minutes without scoring and handles the ball. It didn’t work out in the end, but those quarterback starters were valuable in irritating Erik Spoelstra and giving the Cavaliers free ammunition to hit and break away.

NEXT

Cleveland (31-22) : Reception of Memphis, Thursday to Friday night (01:30).

Miami (29-23) : Travel to New York, Thursday night to Friday (at 1:30).