Dion Waiters made up for his recent cold spell, notching 29 points in the Miami Heat’s second victory in three nights over the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Dion Waiters did what most shooters do to snap out of a cold streak — keep shooting. Waiters exploded out of the blocks, scoring 24 of his 29 points in the first half in leading the Miami Heat to a 106-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The win marked back-to-back wins over the Cavaliers, after the Heat defeated them at home on Saturday in a 120-92 rout.
Simply put, Waiters was on fire in the first half. He shot 10-of-12 overall from the field including 4-of-4 from downtown as the Heat hit eight three-pointers as a team on their way to a 62-52 lead at the main break. Waiters showed his full arsenal of moves in the opening half. Driving to the rim and finishing, step-back jumpers and contested three-pointers were just some of what was on display.
Here is a collection of his highlights from the night.
The second half saw the Cavaliers react and make things much more difficult for Waiters. As a result, he shot just 2-of-12 overall and just 1-of-5 from downtown for the remainder of the game.
But despite his shot not falling, Waiters still found other ways to contribute for the team. He finished with five assists on the night, with his attacks to the basket setting up a number of scoring forays for his teammates.
And in true Dion fashion, Waiters saved the best for last by hitting on a banked-three from well behind the three-point line. With just 12 seconds remaining in the game, this gave the Heat an insurmountable lead. Here is the clutch three below:
This performance represented the 19th win in 23 games for the Heat, and brought them within just one game of the eighth-placed Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference standings. Once again, the Heat as a whole were on fire from downtown, hitting on 16-of-35 from behind three. The Cavaliers could manage just 9-of-27, in great contrast to their performance this past Friday when they set a NBA record for made three-pointers with 25 in a win against the Atlanta Hawks.
However, it was the Heat’s defense that ultimately set the tone, both in the half-court and in transition. In the process, the Heat held the Cavaliers under 100 points for the second straight game, which has happened in just 13 of the Cavaliers’ 62 games this season.
But back to the man of the moment. It was Waiters’ 29 points that again reminded everyone how crucial he has been during this now sustained period of excellence for the Heat. Waiters has now averaged 18.8 points and 4.9 assists per game whilst hitting at a 44.4 clip from behind three during this 23 game stretch. Most impressively, Waiters has been a +130 while on the floor in this time.
Next: The repeatable part of Miami's success
The Heat will now return home to play host to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. Game starts 7:30 pm ET.