Tyler Herro scored 19 of his game-high 34 points in the third quarter, leading the Miami Heat to a 122-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night, ending the Cavaliers’ four-game winning streak.
Cleveland (21-4) still has the best record in the NBA, but the loss was a rare one for them.
Cavaliers star Evan Mobley, who scored 41 points against Charlotte on Saturday, did not return after reportedly injuring his left ankle in the second quarter. He finished with just four points.
The Heat won their third consecutive game, their best streak of the season, and moved two games above .500 for the first time (12-10).
Miami’s Jimmy Butler made an impressive shot at the end of the first half, but it didn’t count. He threw up a 55-foot shot that went in after hitting the top of the backboard and the shot clock. Officials ruled the ball out of bounds before it went through the hoop.
Butler finished with 18 points. Duncan Robinson added 23 points, and Bam Adebayo had 16 points with 13 rebounds, supporting Herro, who also recorded a game-high seven assists.
Darius Garland led Cleveland with 23 points. Donovan Mitchell, who was averaging 24.2 points per game, struggled, scoring just 12 points on 5-for-16 shooting.
Cleveland used a 10-0 run to take a 25-21 lead after the first quarter. The Cavaliers hit 3-of-6 three-pointers in the opening frame, while Miami made only 1 of 7.
Herro scored 11 points in the second quarter, helping the Heat take a 59-51 lead into halftime. Miami made all 17 of its free throws in the first half, with Herro contributing six of them.
Robinson hit two three-pointers, and Herro added one more to give Miami a 68-53 lead just two minutes into the second half. Herro made all four of his 3-point attempts in the third quarter, helping Miami maintain a 90-80 lead going into the final period.
Garland’s 3-pointer cut Cleveland’s deficit to 100-95 with 8:28 left, but Dru Smith answered with a three of his own, pushing Miami’s lead back to eight. The Cavaliers never got closer than six points for the rest of the game.
Cleveland, which entered the game leading the NBA in scoring with an average of 121.8 points per game, scored its fewest points since a 117-101 loss to Atlanta on Nov. 29.
