The Cleveland Cavaliers are missing the services of one of their most important players in Game 4 against the Miami Heat, with Darius Garland sitting out Monday night’s contest in South Beach with a toe issue. However, Garland’s absence seemingly is not negatively affecting the Cavs in their mission to complete a four-game sweep of Tyler Herro and the Heat.
With the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, De’Andre Hunter and Evan Mobley doing incredible work in the first half, the Cavaliers were able to go to halftime with a stunning 39-point lead. Speaking of Mobley, the freshly minted 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year flashed his might form on both ends of the floor during one moment in the Heat game.
With the Cavs up by 26 points, Heat forward Andrew Wiggins tried to make things happen for his team by bravely attacking the basket, only to get denied at the rim by Mobley. The former USC Trojans star big man then ran down the floor and patiently waited for a pass near the basket before finishing the play with a thunderous two-handed dunk that also gave the Cavaliers a staggering 29-point lead.
At the end of the first half, the 23-year-old Mobley had 10 points, five rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal in 17 minutes of action on the floor. Meanwhile, Mitchell led all Cavaliers starters with 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the field.
Mobley’s partner in the frontcourt, Jarrett Allen, also had a blast in the first half, as he’s already made himself a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards to go along with six steals and a dime. But Cleveland’s leading scorer thus far is Hunter, who came off the bench and lit up the Heat’s defense for 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including three 3-pointers in as many attempts from behind the arc.
And as a team, Cleveland shot 52.2 percent from the floor at the half while also going 11-for-24 from deep. The Heat, on the other hand, shot only 13-for-43 from the field, with Herro held to only 1-for-8 from the field and 1-for-7 from downtown.
Should the Cavs finish the job in Game 4, they will next wait for the winner of the other first-round matchup between the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks.
