Takeaways From The Miami Heat's Loss To The Cleveland Cavaliers

The Miami Heat are unable to break out of their losing slump as they suffer their worst loss of the season on Sunday. They lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-87.

Here are some major takeaways from the game:

-The Cleveland Cavaliers came into the game as one of the worst teams when it came to pace. But this time, they showed otherwise. They came out of the gate with incredible pace and quick passing, particularly in the first half. They were able to lure double-teams in the paint area and quickly find the open man for an easy score. The Heat attempted to match their quickness but found themselves a step short.

-Since the Cavaliers drew double-teams in the low post, it left players wide open at the 3-point line who happened to be great shooters. When the open man was spotted, the Heat weren’t able to recover quick enough, ultimately resulting in an easy three points. Isaac Okoro got two easy shots in the left and right corners in the first half while Cedi Osman was able to get a 3-pointer on the left wing in the second half.

-The Heat had a major issue with turnovers, mainly in the first half. Most of the 16 turnovers came from careless ball handling and reckless passing. The Cavaliers took advantage of it as they got off 12 fastbreak points.

-Bam Adebayo has transformed himself into something more than just a defensive player who dunks the ball here and there. He is now becoming more of a jump shooter. He took two jump shots in the first quarter and knocked down a fadeaway jumper in the second half.

-The Heat had one of the worst shooting nights of the season. They shot just 38 percent from the field but what really stood out was the 3-point shooting. They shot a season-low 19 percent from the 3-point line, connecting on just six 3-pointers, which is also a season-low. This is the second straight night where they shot under 30 percent from that area.

-The Heat might have found the power forward they were looking for and not even know it. Nikola Jovic got his third start of the season at the four. Although he didn’t have a great game (finished with seven points on 22 percent shooting from the field), he still showed that he can be a great power forward. Before Sunday, Jovic averaged 15 points and four rebounds in the two games he started in.

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog https://allball30.wordpress.com