Expect center Jamaal Magloire to have an expanded role for the next few games as the Heat takes on a string of big centers -- Cleveland's Zydrunas Ilgaukas, Orlando's Dwight Howard and New Jersey's Brook Lopez.
Magloire, the 6-foot-11 veteran from Kentucky, has assumed the role of enforcer for a Heat team that's very small in the middle. Miami currently starts 6-foot-9 Joel (pronounced Jo-elle) Anthony in the middle. And while Anthony is good at what he does -- he ranks 12th in blocked shots at 1.76 per game -- his defense against the big guys has slipped a bit recently. Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Lopez posted 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Chicago's Aaron Gray had 12 points and 11 rebounds).
Anthony did a good job on Andrew Bynum, the athletic 7-footer for the Los Angeles Lakers, but for the most part, the Heat needs Magloire's size and physical nature.
"(Against Chicago) the line didn't show a whole lot, but he had an effect on the game with his size and physicality," coach Erik Spoelstra said of Magloire. "He always brings a good defensive toughness and presence for us."
Magloire isn't the final answer in the middle. He entered Sunday's game at Cleveland averaging just 7.1 minutes, 0.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
"But with the time I've gotten I've played as hard as I could," Magloire said, "and we've been fortunate enough to win more games than we lost, so I'm very happy."
CAVS 93, HEAT 86: Miami blew the 67-58 lead it took into the fourth quarter fairly quickly. And things went downhill from there. Miami committed five fourth-quarter turnovers, committed 12 fouls that led to Cleveland shooting 14-for-20 from the line and outscoring the Heat, 35-19.
"Whatever we want to say," coach Erik Spoelstra said, "we were still up nine and it was our game to close."
LeBron James had 33 points with Shawn Marion in his face most of the night.
"That's probably the hardest 33 points you can make him get," Spoelstra said.
Miami had its four-game win streak ended. The Heat hosts Cleveland on Tuesday.
