When the Cleveland Cavaliers previously visited Miami, on Christmas Day, they were still searching for an identity.
The Heat's 101-91 win kicked off a stretch in which Cleveland lost nine out of 11 games while dealing with injuries to Kyrie Irving and LeBron James. But as the Cavaliers prepare to play in Miami again Monday night, they come in as the league's best team of the past two months.
After adding Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith in midseason trades, Cleveland has found a successful style -- one that's producing results that compare favorably to James' Heat teams that reached the past four NBA Finals and won a pair of championships.