CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Every playoff game features a hero off the bench.
This was the Ty Jerome game.
Jerome erupted for 20 of his 28 points in the second half while Donovan Mitchell scored a game high 30 points and Darius Garland added 27 to lead the Cavs past the Miami Heat 121-100 Sunday night at Rocket Arena to take 1-0 series lead.
Here’s the top Wine & Gold nuggets from Game 1.
Closer than the final score – Don’t be fooled by the 21-point win. This one was much closer than the final score indicated. Miami was like the pesky fly who just wouldn’t go away and they trailed 95-88 with 8:58 remaining after Davion Mitchell’s driving layup before the Cavs slammed the door with a 26-12 run to close it out. “One thing about the Heat, they make you play for 48,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I know that's a cliche, but a lot of teams you cannot relax. I think this series, whatever happens, we're going to get so much better playing these guys. Even tonight that was, I know the score was 20 or whatever, but it was about six, seven-point game there. We just [had] Ty hit some shots, but it's going to be a battle this series and that's a ton of respect for that team over there.”
Talk the talk, walk the walk – It took Jerome little time to endear himself to his new teammates over the summer. “He was bumping his gums a lot for sure,” Garland said. “So I'm glad he's doing it on this high level right now and I hope he continues to keep going.” Jerome scored 16 in the fourth quarter to help the Cavs pull away. “This is not a shock,” Mitchell said of his longtime friend. “I know everybody's going to react like this is a shock, but he's been doing this for us all year and this is just an added bonus. Every time he steps on the floor, he's doing something positive.” Jerome hit 5 of 8 from three and finished 10-15 from the field overall. “Solid,” Jerome said when asked to describe his playoff debut. As for walking the walk after talking the talk, that comes naturally. “You got to be who you are within the team obviously,” Jerome said. “And eventually, when you know yourself very well and you have a way of getting along with your teammates, also your team starts to empower you to be your full self. And when you're being your full self is when you can reach your full potential.”
Take it to the rim – Mitchell was super aggressive early driving to and finishing at the rim, sometimes in spectacular fashion, through Heat defenders. “I think my first shot was a three and I saw I probably should have drove, I had a gap,” Mitchell said. “And then just continually just making, not settling over and over again, getting to the rim, just trying to make plays and tonight it was scoring. Next game, they may help and I may have to kick it out… Just trying to be aggressive and aggressive doesn't always mean getting downhill and scoring and tonight it was and Wednesday just reading whatever happens, they come to the rim, kick it. If not, just continue to do what I've been doing.” Mitchell, who finished 2-9 from three, went 9-9 inside the arc while also coming away with four steals. “That's why he is a great player,” Atkinson said. “He can do both. He can get in the lane, bump you up, finish and he's a great, great shooter. Just a complete, complete player.”
Early runs – The Cavs came out firing to run out a 14-5 lead at the first timeout but then Miami countered with a 13-2 run to take an early 18-16 lead. Over the final 5:35 of the first quarter, the Cavs held Miami to just two field goals made to hold a 31-24 lead after one.
Honor to be nominated – A day after being named the NBCA Coach of the Year as voted on by the league’s 30 NBA head coaches, Atkinson was officially nominated for the league’s Coach of the Year Award along with Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka. Jerome was nominated for Sixth Man of the Year along with Detroit’s Malik Beasley and Boston’s Payton Pritchard. “Especially after last year, not being able to play the whole year, not being able to play in the playoffs, just watching speaks to how my teammates have empowered me,” Jerome said. “How my coaching staff has empowered me since day one for sure. So definitely means something for sure. But now we got playoffs started and bigger things to worry about.” Evan Mobley was nominated for Defensive Player of the Year as was Draymond Green of the Warriors and Dyson Daniels from the Hawks.
Starting 5 – Atkinson started Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Max Strus, and Jarrett Allen.
Up next – Game 2 at Rocket Arena, Wednesday night at 7:30.