Darius Garland didn’t mince his words when talking about what the Cavaliers need to do to defeat the Miami Heat.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are cruising in the playoffs so far. They just defeated the Miami Heat in Game 2 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.
The Cavaliers have had several players step up for them. Donovan Mitchell applauded the role Ty Jerome plays for them.
Speaking of Donovan Mitchell, he had a strong performance tonight in Game 2, scoring 30 points to help his team win. But Mitchell himself said scoring 30 points isn’t what the Cavaliers need to become contenders.
However, they need to focus on their series with the Heat for now. And Darius Garland identified a key weakness for the Miami Heat.
Read More: Forget Donovan Mitchell, Kenny Atkinson picks out another Cleveland Cavaliers star for inspiring win vs Jazz
Speaking after the game, Darius Garland addressed what the Cavaliers need to do to close out this series in four games.
Garland noted that the Cavaliers must continue targeting the Heat’s weaknesses, especially on defense – this includes focusing on Tyler Herro on the defensive end.
“Pick on Tyler Herro. Take care of the ball. Don’t play in tight spaces. And pick on their weak defenders. Go after them.”
It’s hard to decipher whether Garland was kidding or being serious. But there is truth to what he is saying. As good an offensive player as Tyler Herro is, he is an abysmal defender.
Herro did have a good game, for what it’s worth. He scored 33 points, but couldn’t help the Heat overcome the Cavaliers.
Read More: Erik Spoelstra gives verdict on Kel’el Ware scoring only two points in Miami Heat loss to Cleveland Cavaliers
Now two games up on a depleted Miami Heat team, the Cavaliers are very close to advancing to the second round.
But remember – this is still the Miami Heat coached by Erik Spoelstra. The last thing the Cavaliers can do is become complacent and think that advancing is a formality.
If they do, the Heat will punish them. Erik Spoelstra has conditioned his players to always play hard and deliver at a high level regardless of the occasion.
It would behoove the Cavaliers to continue staying focused and closing out this series as quickly as possible.
