Chris Quinn's 'CQ' play seals Miami's thrilling 140-138 OT win over Cleveland
MIAMI (AP) — The play is called “CQ.” It's not the most imaginative name; those are simply the initials of Miami Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn, who drew up a play about four years ago that head coach Erik Spoelstra has been waiting to use.
That wait ended Monday.
Spoelstra called the play and let Quinn run the huddle in the final time-out of the game with four-tenths of a second left in overtime, drawing up how Norman Powell would create a distraction and Davion Mitchell would set a screen and Jaime Jaquez Jr. would just hang out in the corner and Nikola Jovic would throw a lob inbounds pass and Andrew Wiggins, if all went according to plan, would have a dunk at the rim.
“Perfect,” Jaquez Jr. said.
Everything went as it should. Final score: Miami 140, Cleveland 138, capping one of the wilder games in this wild start to the NBA season.
...guys understand our identity to defend and now can create some things for us offensively. Guys are growing right before our eyes.”--Erik Spoelstra
Cleveland took 120 shots in the game, the most ever by a Heat opponent and the most by any team in the NBA since Jan. 2, 2023. The Cavaliers took 65 3-pointers, also the most ever by a Miami opponent and the third-highest total in NBA history —
And it wasn't enough.
“That’s a chess game. Chess match. You've got to give them credit," said Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, who made a crazy 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in overtime — almost an afterthought because of what the Heat did next. "They made an excellent read, an excellent call...
...
Spoelstra had a different disparity in mind coming into the game: a 55-point one that was on the scoreboard the last time the Heat and Cavaliers played.
[Yeah, think that was on his mind?]
Round 1, Game 4, Eastern Conference first-round in Miami. Cleveland embarrassed the Heat, winning 138-83 to sweep what was the most lopsided playoff series in NBA history. The Cavaliers scored exactly 138 points again on Monday — and the Heat found a way to win anyway.
[Ho-ho-ho! A little numerology!]
That series led Spoelstra to change almost everything about the way Miami plays. The offense is unrecognizable compared to what it was. The pace is super-fast compared to past years. The goal is to attack on every possession, either getting to the rim or getting a 3-pointer in the air. Cleveland forced the Heat to reassess everything.
[Didn't I tell you?]
...
“The new offense, it's night and day," Wiggins said. "We’re out there, playing with a lot of joy, playing fast."
[Joy: Play with joy. You don't play your best when your asshole is tight as a 10-year old's.]
