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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Miami Heat Game 2 instant reaction, recap
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- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Miami Heat Game 2 instant reaction, recap
CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers leaned on their star in crunch time and opened a 2-0 series lead over the Miami Heat with a 121-112 win in Game 2 Wednesday, April 23, at Rocket Arena .
The Cavs surged ahead with a 3-point barrage in the second quarter, setting an NBA playoff record, before the Heat made it a two-point score with four minutes to go. That was when Donovan Mitchell took over, burying a few 3s and ending with a 17-point fourth quarter.
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Here are Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich's instant takeaways from Game 2, with Game 3 looming Saturday, April 26. :
Cavs vs Heat: Ryan Lewis' instant Game 2 takeaway
The Cavs have a lot of different ways they can beat teams, but none have the same kind of lethal potential as Donovan Mitchell when he catches fire. Darius Garland is a real weapon, Ty Jerome virtually won Game 1 on his own in the fourth quarter, Evan Mobley can contribute in about 20 different ways, Jarrett Allen 's defensive presence can be a tremendous value, but Mitchell remains the superstar in the lineup. When he's on like that, the Cavs can beat anybody. And considering his playoff history, perhaps no player in the NBA is hungrier for a trip to the Finals than him. It should also be noted that Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro have not been factors in Games 1 or 2, and it'll be a storyline to watch in Games 3, 4 and possibly beyond if that changes.
Cleveland Cavaliers playoffs: Cavs desperate for Evan Mobley to be great. He took a step in Game 2 win vs. Heat
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) passes over Miami Heat defender Pelle Larsson during Game 2 of a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series April 23, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cavs vs Heat: Nate Ulrich's instant Game 2 takeaway
After getting off to a slow start and falling behind by nine points midway through the first quarter, the Cavs dominated the Heat. Cleveland's offensive attack was much more balanced in Game 2 than Game 1. All-Star forward Evan Mobley (20 points and six rebounds) and wing De'Andre Hunter (12 points off the bench) should receive confidence boosts from the redemption they earned in Game 2. In Game 1, Mobley had nine points and seven rebounds, including zero in the first half, and Hunter went scoreless. Seven Cavs players scored in Game 1. Nine scored in Game 2. Miami certainly felt Cleveland's firepower in the second quarter, when the Cavs set an NBA playoff record for 3-pointers in a single quarter with 11. Small forward Max Strus drained three of them. Hunter, backup guard Sam Merrill and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell had two apiece. Mobley and backup small forward Isaac Okoro each made one. Like Hunter, Okoro didn't score in Game 1. The Cavs need every bit of every contribution to survive the Heat's rally in the fourth quarter.
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Cavs playoffs: 'How do we find a way?': Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell learn lesson in Game 2 win vs Heat
Cleveland Cavaliers ' next playoff game
Game 3 is slated for 1 p.m. Saturday, April 26, in Miami. It's a matinee in South Beach.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: nba-playoffs-cleveland-cavaliers-miami-heat-game-2-instant-reaction-schedule-donovan-mitchell-stats
