Heat To Face Lebron, Cavs In Cleveland
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CLEVELAND (SportsDirect Inc.) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are responding to a three-game losing streak by putting their foot back down on the Eastern Conference and proving they are still the best team around this week.
The Cavaliers return home in search of a third straight victory when they welcome the Miami Heat on Friday.
Cleveland dropped the opener of its road trip 111-105 at Chicago last Friday but bounced back in a showdown at Toronto on Monday and throttled the New York Knicks 126-94 to close out the trip on Wednesday.
"We have some great 3-point shooters and guys that can really spread the floor and make shots, but we try not to rely on it," Cavaliers star LeBron James told reporters. "We got to rely on defense. Our defense is what gets us out in the open court, what gets us spread, what gets us in a rhythm."
The Heat look nothing like the team James left after the 2013-14 season, and three straight losses plummeted the team into last place in the Southeast Division.
Miami could not find its way around an Atlanta team that had dropped its previous seven games in a 103-95 loss on Wednesday and is struggling through a rash of injuries.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Miami), FSN Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE HEAT (7-15): Miami had nine players available in Wednesday's loss, and the lack of available options is allowing opponents to turn their focus to stopping center Hassan Whiteside. "We're working with what we've got right now," Whiteside told reporters. "I'll go to war with these guys any day. Guys are giving their all right now. I'm proud of them guys. They're doing their best, and I'm proud of them." Whiteside averaged 25.5 points and 15 rebounds in loss to the Trail Blazers and Knicks but slumped to eight points on 4-of-12 shooting and 12 boards on Wednesday.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (15-5): Starting shooting guard J.R. Smith is out with a knee injury, opening the door for veteran journeyman DeAndre Liggins to join the starting five and bring a defensive edge to the group. "He doesn't need much out on the floor," James told ESPN.com of Liggins. "I think it starts with just his defensive mindset. His ability to pick up guys 94 feet and just get them out their rhythm and things of that nature, and he's always around the ball giving us a great boost the last couple games and we're going to need that moving forward." Liggins went a combined 3-of-4 from the field in two games as a starter.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Cavaliers PF Tristan Thompson totaled 34 rebounds in the last two games.
2. Heat SG Josh Richardson (ankle), SF Justise Winslow (wrist), PF James Johnson (shoulder), G Dion Waiters (groin) and SF Luke Babbitt (hip) are not traveling with the team on the trip.
3. Miami took two of the three meetings last season but lost the lone matchup in Cleveland.
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