Kyle Anderson: Cavaliers were better without Darius Garland on the floor against Heat

Kyle Anderson Darius Garland Heat — Kyle Anderson was acquired by the Miami Heat ahead of the trade deadline. (Mandatory Credit: Eric Espada/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t just dismantle the Miami Heat, they humiliated them in every which way. In fact, Cleveland set an NBA record for the largest point differential for a single series, outscoring them by 122 points–including by 92 points in the final two games.

During the Heat’s end-of-season press conference on Wednesday, Anderson was asked about what flipped after Game 2–where Miami nearly completed a second-half comeback against the East’s No. 1 seed.

And his answer was fascinating. The veteran forward was quick to point out that the Cavaliers were best without their second-best guard: Darius Garland.

“(The Cleveland Cavaliers) looked like a better team without [Darius Garland] on the floor,” Anderson said. “I don’t know the numbers or anything. I think it played more into their favor once Garland wasn’t on the floor for them. They were able to dictate the tempo, get more stops on defense, it was hard for us to score. They had more guys out there on defense. Once we came across that, it made it tough for us.

“Every series is different. I’m not saying they’re better without Garland. He’s obviously a really good player. I respect his game. But I think that was tough on us.”

2024-25 Miami Heat Exit Interview Quote Tracker

Garland missed Games 3 and 4 with a sprained left toe, and it obviously didn’t matter. He called out Heat guard Tyler Herro after Game 2 because of his lack of defensive fortitude after getting hunted relentlessly at the start of the series.

Anderson wasn’t wrong, either. Without Garland, the Cavaliers obviously closed out the series in emphatic fashion and limited the amount of defenders the Heat could successfully pick on in the halfcourt. They didn’t mismatch hunt well when Garland was on the court anyway, but his absence eliminated that option altogether.

Cleveland outpaced the Heat by 108 points with a 95.2 defensive rating in the series; when he was on the court, it outscored them by only 14 points with a 121.9 defensive rating. The Cavs beat the Heat to a pulp regardless, but it’s fascinating looking at the on-off splits of this microscopic four-game sample. Garland’s a phenomenal lead guard that any team would be lucky to have.

Miami had zero answers for their East foe. None. Zada. It was a demeaning, embarrassing, merciful beatdown for four games, even the first two were competitive at different points. The only competitive parts of Games 3 and 4 were when it was tied 0-0 (and when the Heat had a 16-5 lead in Game 3 … remember that?!)