Through 2 Quarters

The experts predicted a win for the Miami Heat, but it’s no sure thing at this point. At halftime neither squad has the contest in the bag, but Miami leads 58-57 over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Point guard Tyler Herro has led the way so far for the Heat, as he has 16 points and two assists. One thing to keep an eye out for is Kyle Lowry’s foul situation as he currently sits at three.

Cleveland has been led by point guard Darius Garland, who so far has 14 points and seven assists. A double-double would be Garland’s fourth in a row.

Who’s Playing

Cleveland @ Miami

Current Records: Cleveland 38-27; Miami 44-23

What to Know

The Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Miami Heat at 8 p.m. ET on Friday at FTX Arena after having had a few days off. The Cavaliers will be strutting in after a win while Miami will be stumbling in from a loss.

It was all tied up 63-63 at the half for Cleveland and the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, but Cleveland stepped up in the second half for a 127-124 victory. Kudos to the oddsmakers for accurately forecasting both the winner and the close margin. Point guard Darius Garland continued his habit of dropping crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 41 points and 13 dimes in addition to five boards. That’s the third consecutive matchup in which Garland has had at least ten assists. Garland’s points were the most he has had all year.

Meanwhile, things couldn’t have gone much worse for Miami as they lost 111-90 to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. This contest was a close 57-55 at the break, but unfortunately for Miami it sure didn’t stay that way. Point guard Gabe Vincent had a pretty forgettable game, finishing with only five points on 2-for-10 shooting in his 29 minutes on the court.

The Cavaliers are now 38-27 while the Heat sit at 44-23. A pair of stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Cleveland comes into the game boasting the fewest fouls per game in the league at 17.1. But Miami enters the contest with 20.7 fouls drawn per game on average, good for third best in the league. The ref’s whistle might dictate the flow of action in this one.

How To Watch

• When: Friday at 8 p.m. ET
• Where: FTX Arena — Miami, Florida
• TV: Bally Sports – Ohio
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Ticket Cost: $29.00

Odds

The Heat are a big 8.5-point favorite against the Cavaliers, according to the latest NBA odds.

The line on this game has moved quite a bit since it opened, as it started out with the Heat as a 5.5-point favorite.

Over/Under: -110

See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Miami have won 16 out of their last 23 games against Cleveland.

• Dec 13, 2021 – Cleveland 105 vs. Miami 94
• Dec 01, 2021 – Cleveland 111 vs. Miami 85
• May 01, 2021 – Miami 124 vs. Cleveland 107
• Apr 03, 2021 – Miami 115 vs. Cleveland 101
• Mar 16, 2021 – Miami 113 vs. Cleveland 98
• Feb 24, 2020 – Cleveland 125 vs. Miami 119
• Feb 22, 2020 – Miami 124 vs. Cleveland 105
• Nov 20, 2019 – Miami 124 vs. Cleveland 100
• Nov 14, 2019 – Miami 108 vs. Cleveland 97
• Mar 08, 2019 – Miami 126 vs. Cleveland 110
• Jan 25, 2019 – Miami 100 vs. Cleveland 94
• Jan 02, 2019 – Miami 117 vs. Cleveland 92
• Dec 28, 2018 – Miami 118 vs. Cleveland 94
• Mar 27, 2018 – Miami 98 vs. Cleveland 79
• Jan 31, 2018 – Cleveland 91 vs. Miami 89
• Nov 28, 2017 – Cleveland 108 vs. Miami 97
• Apr 10, 2017 – Miami 124 vs. Cleveland 121
• Mar 06, 2017 – Miami 106 vs. Cleveland 98
• Mar 04, 2017 – Miami 120 vs. Cleveland 92
• Dec 09, 2016 – Cleveland 114 vs. Miami 84
• Mar 19, 2016 – Miami 122 vs. Cleveland 101
• Dec 05, 2015 – Miami 99 vs. Cleveland 84
• Oct 30, 2015 – Cleveland 102 vs. Miami 92

Injury Report for Miami

• Markieff Morris: Out (Neck)
• Caleb Martin: Out (Knee)

Injury Report for Cleveland

• Caris LeVert: Out (Foot)
• Jarrett Allen: Out (Finger)
• Collin Sexton: Out for the Season (Knee)