Adebayo would finish with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, as Jimmy Butler had 18 points with three rebounds and five assists. Duncan Robinson played his complimentary piece exceptionally, scoring 23 points on seven for 11 shooting, four of six from three-point range.

Terry Rozier would have 14 points off the bench, along with Heat guard Dru Smith, who stacked another impressive night with 11 points.

Here are three takeaways from the Heat’s big win over the Cavs:

A tale of two quarters in the first half for the Heat

It was another good start for the Heat’s captain, Bam Adebayo, who started three of three from the field, which included one of one from three-point range. Along with six points from Butler, there wasn’t a lot of offense from the rest of the team, as they looked a bit weary as it was the second game of a back-to-back.

After the first quarter, Miami shot eight of 17 from the field and a forgettable one of seven from beyond the arc to go along with five turnovers, but it wasn’t that much better for Cleveland as the home team’s defense came to play. They would force eight Cavs turnovers in the first frame, resulting in 13 points.

Everything changed in the second quarter, where it didn’t seem apparent that the Heat had played a grueling game the day before, as was highlighted by Herro, who had 11 points in the period, shooting three of four from the field with four made free throw attempts. Robinson also helped with his dangerous ability from three-point range as he made two of three from deep while also having help from Terry Rozier in his bench role with eight.

All in all, they scored a whopping 38 points in the frame compared to Cleveland’s 26, as Miami shot 44 percent from the field and still an underwhelming three of 11 from deep. They would force five more turnovers on the Cavs as the Heat were playing true to their identity.

Cavs star Donovan Mitchell would have only two points in the half, along with Garland, who had six.

Tyler Herro dominates the Heat’s second half

It has no doubt been an impressive season for the Heat star in Herro, and Sunday night displayed that once again as he had 19 points alone in the third quarter, which kept the Cavs at bay as they were clawing back the whole time. Herro was exceptional, but the rest of the team scored 12 points compared to Cleveland, as they recorded 29 points, which was the most they scored this entire game.

While Miami has been controlling this game for the most part, the Cavs are the No. 1 seed for a reason, as they have an ignitable offense led by Mitchell, Garland, and others. Despite being relatively silent for the most part in the first 24 minutes, Mitchell scored seven, and Garland had eight.

Still, it was the Heat’s resiliency that prevailed in the fourth quarter as they got key buckets when it mattered, and as for Cleveland, it would be the first time this game they outscored Miami in a period, but it was too little too late. This has a great argument, maybe the only one, to be the Heat’s most impressive win of the season so far.

Three straight huge wins for the Heat

This three-game winning streak might seem small to others, but the teams they have been beating were against quality opponents, like in the Heat’s 41-point win over the Los Angeles Lakers and then Saturday against the Phoenix Suns. Now, they take down the No. 1 seed in the East to distance themselves just a bit from .500, as they are now 12-10.

As mentioned before, this could be a turning point for the Heat as they have been playing the last three games with their identity, which is grueling defense on one end and explosive offense focusing on shots from deep and close to the rim. It also helps when you’re big three in Butler, and especially Herro and Adebayo, are playing at their best.

Plus, the starting lineup with the big three, along with Robinson and Highsmith, has been the right fit, as they are now 7-2 as a unit. Miami will now get some rest as they look to make it four straight wins on Dec. 12 at home against the Toronto Raptors.