Tipoff: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, 8 p.m.
Records: Cavaliers 32-21; Heat 22-29.
TV: FOX Sports Ohio (Cavaliers Live pregame begins at 7:30 p.m.) Radio: WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 FM La Mega, AM 1590 WAKR (Akron)
Projected Starters
Heat: C Hassan Whiteside, PF Chris Bosh; SF Luol Deng; SG Mario Chalmers; PG Shabazz Napier.
Cavaliers: C Timofey Mozgov; PF Kevin Love; SF LeBron James; SG J.R. Smith; PG Kyrie Irving.
Injury Report
Heat: SG Dwyane Wade (hamstring) out; F Josh McRoberts (knee) out; F James Ennis (knee) questionable; F Shawne Williams (hip) probable.
Cavaliers: C Anderson Varejao (Achilles) out.
Dribbles
1. With or without LeBron James, the Heat have dominated the Cavs. In fact, Miami has won 11 straight in this series. That includes five straight in Cleveland. Of course, 10 of those 11 overall came with James on the Heat roster. James was low-key at practice Wednesday, but he and the Cavs want to win this one in the worst way.
2. The Cavs have won nine in a row at The Q, their longest home winning streak since hitting 11 in a row during late in the 2009-10 season. They are 16-0 at home when hitting at least 100 points.
3. Things get even better when the Cavs score more: They're 24-1 overall when going for at least 102.
4. Heat guard Dwyane Wade contemplated playing in this one, but thought better of it after missing the last six games with a hamstring injury. No need to play now when the weeklong All-Star break is just around the corner. Wade will miss the All-Star Game, too.
5. Wade realizes the importance of rest for the floundering Heat. "It's not cocky of me," he said, "but I don't think this team is going anywhere if me or Chris isn't helping."
6. He's right. It's not cocky. The Heat barely have any hope with Bosh and Wade. Without one or the other, it's lights out.
7. Both the Cavs and Heat are open to 39-year-old shooting guard Ray Allen joining their team. Allen played with James and the Heat in each of the past two seasons. Now, he's a free agent who has supposedly made it known he's open to signing somewhere after the All-Star break.
8. LeBron on Allen: "It would be great to have a piece like that, but that's up to him. This guy has done everything he needs to do in his career. He doesn't need to be pressured by anyone. We have roster spots open, but with him we'd be great, without him, we're going to be great as well."
9. The Heat are coming off a 109-95 win over the Knicks, which is really nothing to brag about these days. Of course, the same could be said of the Cavs and their 120-105 smashing of the Lakers on Sunday.
10. Still, the Cavs are rolling and the Heat are mostly reeling. The Cavs have won 13 of 14; the Heat have lost six of 10.
11. The Heat are dead last in the NBA in rebounding (37.9 rpg), next-to-last in assists (20.1 apg) and 28th in scoring (92.8 ppg). So they're basically a disaster on offense. Being without leading scorer Wade isn't likely to help in that area. But give the Heat credit on defense. They're a veteran team that allows just 96.3 ppg -- which is second-best in the league.
