Cleveland @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 14, 2019 ) Miami 108, Cleveland 97

The Miami Heat have barely been challenged at home and they'll look to improve to 6-0 at AmericanAirlines Arena when they host the sliding Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. The Heat's five home victories have come by an average of 17.4 points, and they were nearly on that mark in a 109-94 triumph over New Orleans on Saturday to begin a two-game stay in Miami.

Standout rookie Kendrick Nunn scored 22 points and Jimmy Butler fell two rebounds shy of a triple-double as the Heat overcame 20 turnovers by shooting 54.3 percent from the floor. "Being lazy. That's it," Butler told reporters of the turnovers. "Not throwing good passes. Trying to catch the ball with one hand, doing too much. We just got to play simple basketball. I think we get away from that and we kill ourselves." The Cavaliers had some sloppy play of their own with 19 turnovers -- 15 by the starters -- in a 123-105 loss at New York on Monday. Star forward Kevin Love missed his first game of the season for Cleveland due to back tightness.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cleveland), FS Sun (Miami)

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (4-9): Cleveland also played without forward Larry Nance Jr. (thumb), who scored 14 points in a loss to Miami on Thursday, in the trip to Madison Square Garden. "We were missing two really good players," coach John Beilein told reporters. "We are not real deep as it is. We were missing one of our best, if not our best player, and our power sixth man. And with a team that is not deep, that is a really big difference." Rookie guard Kevin Porter Jr. paced six players in double figures with a personal-best 18 points in the setback.

ABOUT THE HEAT (9-3): Nunn's rapid development has been one of the league's biggest surprises after he was undrafted in 2018 and spent all of last season in the G League before being signed by the Heat. He has three straight games of 20 or more points -- including 23 at Cleveland on Thursday -- and he's hit 9-of-21 3-pointers in that span. "Just staying consistent," Nunn told the Miami Herald of his approach. "Try to stay consistent as much as I can through the ups and downs. Just try not to let that get to me and just try to stay consistent throughout the game. That's pretty much what I focus on."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Love had 21 points, 10 rebounds and four steals in the loss to Miami last week.

2. Heat C Bam Adebayo is averaging 17.3 points and 14 rebounds during a string of three straight double-doubles.

3. Miami has won six straight meetings and 16 in a row at home.

PREDICTION: Heat 119, Cavaliers 104