Formula For A Cleveland Cavaliers Victory vs. Miami Heat

The Cleveland Cavaliers will go up against one of the better defensive teams when they play the Miami Heat.

Mar 24, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) shoots over Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers cap off their weekend back-to-back with a Sunday evening matchup against the Miami Heat.

Here's what the Cavaliers must do to ensure a victory over the Heat.

Win The Rebounding Game

Neither the Cavs nor the Heat are great rebounding teams outside of their bigs.

Both teams are averaging 43.4 boards a game. Miami barely has the edge on the offensive side, grabbing 10.3 offensive rebounds a game.

There will be a battle in the paint for the entire night, with Bam Adebayo going up against Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley down low.

The question is, which team will have its wings and guards step up to help its team get second-chance opportunities or change the possession in its favor?

Mar 24, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) looks to pass the ball as Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) and guard Patty Mills (88) defend during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Cavaliers' Three-Point Game Plan

The Cavaliers' incredible start can be attributed to their astonishing three-point shooting. However, the Heat are one of the better teams for defending the arc. Miami's opponenets are only averaging 35.7 percent on three-point attempts.

Yes, Cleveland still leads the NBA with a 40.3 three-point shooting percentage. Since they can't get their outside shots to fall, they must figure out a way to establish a scoring presence down low.

Cavaliers Must Take Care Of The Ball

The Cavaliers aren't known for turning the ball over, but they can't let themselves become too relaxed when playing Miami's defense.

The Heat are forcing 15.5 turnovers this season and are grabbing 9.2 steals. Plus, 16.7 percent of the Heat's points come off turnovers, which is top-10 in the NBA.

This ball security starts with Darius Garland. He's averaging just 2.6 turnovers this season and 6.5 assists. Making sure he continues this low turnover-to-assists ratio will be critical for Celveland's offense.