The Cleveland Cavaliers thought they’d go from Doormat to Destined Team when LeBron James announced he was coming home. A half season later, the Cavs are not nearly the dominating team they hoped to be, though they’ve been finding their groove of late. Tonight James, Kevin Love and the Cavs host their foe from South Beach for one of the most anticipated games of the season. If you’re not near a TV, you can watch Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers live online free stream as well.
Tipoff for tonight’s Heat vs Cavaliers game is scheduled for 8pm EST / 5pm PST from Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena.
With Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and LeBron James as anchors, expectations have been high for the Cavs this season. While Cleveland is above .500 with a 32-21 record, it’s taken a recent string of wins to reach that point. LeBron was quite down on the Cavs earlier this season, saying they hadn’t yet gelled as a team. He was right. But it wasn’t until he took two weeks off to heal — ironically in South Beach — that the Cavs found their stride.
The string of wins hasn’t been due to Love’s resurgence. The former Timberwolves All-Star is averaging just 17.1 points this season, off from his 26-point average last season. He has a good chance of rebounding — pun not intended — tonight as we watch Heat vs Cavaliers live online free or on TV. The reason for this is Chris Bosh, but not for reasons you’d expect.
Miami guard Dwyane Wade is missing his seventh game in a row tonight against the Cavs due to a hamstring injury. In their last game, Miami relied on Chris Bosh to carry the load. He was more than capable of doing so, racking up 32 points and six assists. Relying on Bosh for both offense and defense can be a tall order, though, opening the door for Love to have a better game tonight.
Another interesting tidbit: The Cavaliers have the fifth-best offense in the NBA, while the Heat are 21st on defense. Since the Heat struggle to keep opponents out of the paint, Love and Co. could slash their way to the lane with regularity tonight, as could Irving.
With tonight’s Heat vs Cavs game live from Cleveland’s home court, look for a lopsided win. Bosh and the Heat will be motivated to beat their former teammate in LeBron, but without Wade that’s a lot to ask. Especially against the suddenly hot Cavs, who look to enter the All-Star break with a newfound focus on team ball and winning because of it.
If you’re not near a TV to watch Heat vs Cavaliers live, you can watch Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers live online free stream on the Watch ESPN website. You can also use the Watch ESPN app on your tablet, smartphone or game console. Tonight’s Heat/Cavs game isn’t on the NBA Network, so you’ll have to watch ESPN to see it, or watch online using the methods described above.