Heat vs Cavs NBA Handicapping
Any thin veneer of hope the Cleveland Cavaliers had of making the NBA Playoffs likely just vanished with the news that star guard Kyrie Irving is out indefinitely with a biceps strain injury. [ad-4468020]
Date/Time: Tuesday, March 18 2014, 7 pm EST
Venue: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland OH
Heat -10, Cavs +10
Over/Under: 196
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Sadly, the Cavs should be a low-hanging fruit for a juggernaut-ish Miami Heat squad that have underperformed somewhat.
Miami redeemed itself somewhat with a 113-104 win last game against the premier Houston Rockets, but for the most part the Heat have been really underwhelming lately, losing five of their last seven ballgames. With a core of the infamous trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, a run that poor should be damn near unfathomable.
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One could make the argument (Re: The latter half of Shaquille O’Neal’s career) that a team only needs to wake up for the playoffs – and the Heat still possess first place in the Southeast division by a comfortable margin – but the recent dip in play is surprising all the same.
Don’t worry, Heat fans: along come the Irving-less Cavaliers to get your club back on track. Cleveland was very much a one-trick pony with Irving in the lineup; rightly so as he is quickly cementing himself as one of the game’s elite stars.
With a devastating injury to their franchise player, the Cavs will likely have to cash out as losers for yet another season (further evidence that God Hates Cleveland, if you ask Bill Simmons). Unfortunately, a successful NBA team cannot be carried by a pouting, miserable Luol Deng and a nondescript white guy like Spencer Hawes. Poor, poor Cleveland.
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After a Tuesday night game against the shorthanded Cavs, the Heat travel to Boston to take on the rebuilding Celtics. It really couldn’t be organized any better for Miami to get its mojo back, as much as the rest of the league despises that.
The Heat will almost certainly overwhelm Cleveland with its powerful attack, and I don’t see anyone on Cleveland’s roster that can stop James for more than a few fleeting minutes.
Even if you find a way to stop the Big Three, then you’ve got some big threes being nailed by Hall of Famer Ray Allen and deadeye Mario Chalmers. Sometimes life isn’t fair for opposing teams playing this sublimely talented squad that reminds one of a pro wrestling villain as much as a basketball team.
Miami’s recent losing(ish) streak can best be likened to a lion or tiger that toys with its prey before slaughtering it.
Don’t get me wrong, there are teams in the league that can legitimately give the Heat a run (Pacers, Spurs, Kevin Durant… I mean Thunder, I’m looking at you) but all logic points to the Heat turning up the temperature just as the regular season winds down.
Shaq and some of those Lakers squads early in the last decade used to save their A-1 game for the postseason and there’s no reason why Miami shouldn’t follow suit.
At any rate, expect an African Savanna-like mauling in Cleveland on Tuesday night.
Heat 118, Cavaliers 90
