Inside The Heat

Miami Heat Switch Up Starting Lineup By Adding Fan Favorite For Game 2 Vs. Cavs

Shandel Richardson|
Apr 18, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts on the bench during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Apr 18, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts on the bench during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

In this story:

Miami Heat

After opening with Alec Burks, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is switching things up.

Guard Davion Mitchell gets the start for tonight's Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Here's the game preview:

Game time: 7:30 p.m., Rocket Arena, Cleveland

TV: NBA TV, FanDuel Sports Network

Betting line: Heat +12, FanDuel

VITALS: The Heat are down 0-1 in the best-of-seven first round series. The Heat and Cavaliers met three times this regular season with Cleveland winning the series, 2-1. The HEAT are 80-53 all-time versus Cleveland during the regular season, including 51-17 in home games and 29-36 in road games. The teams entered this postseason having never faced each other in the playoffs as Miami has faced every other Eastern Conference team in the postseason except Cleveland.

PROJECTED STARTERS

HEAT

G Tyler Herro

G Davion Mitchell

C Kel'el Ware

F Andrew Wiggins

F Bam Adebayo

CAVALIERS

G Donovan Mitchell

G Darius Garland

C Jarrett Allen

F Max Strus

F Evan Mobley

INJURY REPORT

HEAT

Kevin Love: Out - Personal Reasons

Terry Rozier: Out - Ankle

CAVALIERS

N/A

QUOTABLE

Heat forward Andrew Wiggins on what was missing in Game 1: "The physicality and, you know, just getting those 50-50 balls, limit the offensive rebound, just little stuff that we can clean up. You know, the beautiful thing about playoffs is, you know, every game is different. Every game is its own game so, next game will be a good one."

MORE HEAT NEWS

Could the Heat covet Damian Lillard again?

Wade opens up about kidney surgery

Giannis could be available for Heat in offseason

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

Follow our coverage on Facebook

X: @ShandelRich

Published | Modified
Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here