← Forecasts for Nov 22

2023-24 · Regular Season · Final

Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers

Wednesday, November 22, 2023 · tip-off time not recorded

MIA 1–0@CLE 1–0 records going into the game NBA.com recap ↗

Win probability as a share of the court: MIA 43 percent, CLE 57 percent. MIA Heat 43% proj. 110 · final 129 CLE Cavaliers · home 57% proj. 111 · final 96
Each team's share of the floor is its pregame win probability. The line starts at midcourt and moves to the split.

Forecast and result

TeamProjectedFinalDifference
MIA Miami Heat 110 129 +19
CLE Cleveland Cavaliers (home) 111 96 −15

Forecast: Cleveland Cavaliers to win, 57% win probability, projected margin 1.

Inside the Forecast

How the inputs are built
What the model received
InputMIACLE
Elo ratingMargin-of-victory Elo; 1500 is average. 15841555
Elo gap, home minus road, incl. home court +41
Season scoring marginPoints per game, blended with last season early in the year. +0.9+1.7
Games played this season 1414
Offensive rating, last 10Points scored per 100 possessions. 115.0114.2
Defensive rating, last 10Points allowed per 100 possessions; lower is better. 110.2110.4
Combined pace, last 10Possessions per game, both teams. 98.5
Rotation points missingPoints per game of rotation players listed Out or Doubtful. 20.534.1
Rest days 21
Second night of a back-to-back NoYes

This forecast can't be broken down exactly: the model version that made this forecast is not available. Explanations are shown only when the model that made a forecast can be rebuilt and reproduces it. How explanations are checked

Built from the box scores

How the breakdowns work

Where each input came from. Open a row to see the games and box-score stats behind it. A breakdown is shown only when rebuilding it from the stored stats gives exactly the number the model received.

Elo ratingMIA1584CLE1555

Updated after every game from the final score only: wins, losses and margin. Each season starts by keeping 75% of last season's distance from the 1500 average.

MIA1584

1500
  1. Ended last season at 1600 → started this one at 1575
  2. First 4 games: −26.7
  3. Last 10 games: +35.7
  • LBKN105–109−9.5
  • WWAS121–114+3.9
  • WLAL108–107+3.1
  • W@MEM108–102+7.9
  • W@ATL117–109+11.2
  • W@SAS118–113+3.9
  • W@CHA111–105+4.7
  • WBKN122–115+4.8
  • L@CHI97–102−8.1
  • W@CHI118–100+13.8

CLE1555

1500
  1. Ended last season at 1565 → started this one at 1549
  2. First 4 games: −40.7
  3. Last 10 games: +47.3
  • W@NYK95–89+12.0
  • L@IND116–121−7.4
  • WGSW115–104+11.7
  • L@OKC120–128−7.0
  • W@GSW118–110+14.3
  • L@SAC120–132−10.3
  • W@POR109–95+8.8
  • WDET108–100+2.5
  • WDEN121–109+13.6
  • W@PHI122–119+9.1
Season scoring marginMIA+0.9CLE+1.7

Points scored minus points allowed per game this season, mixed with last season's margin until 20 games are played.

MIA+0.9

Scores 110.2, allows 108.9 over 14 games: +1.3 a game.

70% this season (+1.3) + 30% last season (+0.1) = +0.9

CLE+1.7

Scores 111.9, allows 111.6 over 14 games: +0.4 a game.

70% this season (+0.4) + 30% last season (+4.8) = +1.7

Offensive rating, last 10MIA115.0CLE114.2

Points scored per 100 possessions. Split into the four factors: right of center helps the team, left hurts, in points per 100 possessions compared with the league average (2023-24 to date: 113.3).

MIA115.0scored, +1.6 vs league

FactorMIALeaguehurtshelpsPts
Shooting (eFG%)55.5%54.2%+2.1
Turnovers (TOV%)12.0%12.2%+0.3
Offensive rebounding (OREB%)21.3%24.6%−1.5
Free throws (FTM per FGA)0.2410.202+1.1
Everything else−0.4

CLE114.2scored, +0.9 vs league

FactorCLELeaguehurtshelpsPts
Shooting (eFG%)56.2%54.2%+3.1
Turnovers (TOV%)13.3%12.2%−1.5
Offensive rebounding (OREB%)24.7%24.6%+0.1
Free throws (FTM per FGA)0.2490.202+1.4
Everything else−2.1
Defensive rating, last 10MIA110.2CLE110.4

Points allowed per 100 possessions, built from what opponents did in those games. Bars point right when the defense held opponents below average. Split into the four factors: right of center helps the team, left hurts, in points per 100 possessions compared with the league average (2023-24 to date: 113.3).

MIA110.2allowed, −3.2 vs league

FactorOpponentsLeaguehurtshelpsPts
Shooting (eFG%)55.0%54.2%−1.3
Turnovers (TOV%)14.7%12.2%+3.6
Offensive rebounding (OREB%)22.8%24.6%+0.8
Free throws (FTM per FGA)0.1820.202+0.6
Everything else−0.5

CLE110.4allowed, −2.9 vs league

FactorOpponentsLeaguehurtshelpsPts
Shooting (eFG%)51.7%54.2%+3.8
Turnovers (TOV%)12.3%12.2%+0.2
Offensive rebounding (OREB%)25.8%24.6%−0.6
Free throws (FTM per FGA)0.2160.202−0.4
Everything else−0.1
Pace, last 10average 98.5

Possessions per 48 minutes. The model uses the average of the two teams. Faster games mean more points for both sides, so pace mostly moves the projected total, not the margin.

MIA 97.9 and CLE 99.2 → average 98.5 (league 2023-24 to date: 100.0)

Rotation points missingMIA20.5CLE34.1

Points per game of rotation players (two or more of the last 10 games this season, 15+ minutes) listed Out or Doubtful on the official injury report.

MIA20.5pts/g missing

PlayerPtsMinGames
Tyler Herro20.528.74

Source: official injury report, 2023-11-22 17:30 ET. 10 rotation players.

CLE34.1pts/g missing

PlayerPtsMinGames
Donovan Mitchell28.036.57
Isaac Okoro3.526.92
Dean Wade2.618.510

Source: official injury report, 2023-11-22 17:30 ET. 9 rotation players.

RestMIA2 daysCLE1 days

Days since the team's previous game, capped at 5. One day means the second night of a back-to-back.

MIA2days

Last played Nov 20 against CHI.

CLE1day, back-to-back

Last played Nov 21 against PHI.

The last 10 games behind these numbers, box-score totals

MIA

DateOppScoreFG3PFTTOVOREBOffDefPace
Nov 20@CHI118–10042-8417-3517-2089128.3108.792.0
Nov 18@CHI97–10233-7712-3619-23155104.3108.593.5
Nov 16BKN122–11542-8115-3523-2497131.2125.092.5
Nov 14@CHA111–10540-838-3123-28710115.6111.795.0
Nov 12@SAS118–11339-8912-3128-30411118.0114.199.5
Nov 11@ATL117–10941-8412-3823-25157113.6105.8103.0
Nov 8@MEM108–10235-7711-2827-32199108.0103.099.5
Nov 6LAL108–10741-8812-3714-161711109.1108.199.0
Nov 3WAS121–11448-8013-2712-14197118.6111.8102.0
Nov 1BKN105–10939-9113-3814-181611102.9104.8103.0

CLE

DateOppScoreFG3PFTTOVOREBOffDefPace
Nov 21@PHI122–11946-949-2521-251514111.9110.298.3
Nov 19DEN121–10945-8211-2720-261311124.7112.497.0
Nov 17DET108–10042-829-2115-21127111.3102.097.5
Nov 15@POR109–9542-759-3016-21177114.7101.194.5
Nov 13@SAC120–13245-9116-3514-171114126.3137.595.5
Nov 11@GSW118–11037-8611-3033-431011113.5104.8104.5
Nov 8@OKC120–12842-839-2927-371811115.4123.1104.0
Nov 5GSW115–10441-8311-3722-281813113.9102.0101.5
Nov 3@IND116–12144-848-2820-25135112.6118.6102.5
Nov 1@NYK95–8932-7412-3219-2018697.992.796.5

Off and Def are points scored and allowed per 100 possessions in each game; their averages are the 10-game ratings above. OREB is missing (–) where the source data didn't record it.

The result against the forecast

2023-24 surprise games
43%
pregame chance the forecast gave MIA, the winner
the forecast favored CLE
34 pts
margin miss
forecast +1, actual −33 for CLE
270th
most surprising result of 2023-24
of 1,312 graded games
35th
largest margin miss of 2023-24
outcome surprise 0.84 nats

Surprise is measured against this model's forecast, not against what other observers expected. Outcome surprise is −ln(winner's pregame probability): 0.69 for a coin flip, 2.3 for a 10% winner.

Team box score

What happened in the game. These numbers are not used by the forecast, and they are not offered as the reason it missed.

Team statMIACLE
Final score12996
Field goals46–88 · 52.3%36–77 · 46.8%
Three-pointers20–35 · 57.1%14–30 · 46.7%
Free throws17–21 · 81.0%10–14 · 71.4%
Rebounds4134
Assists3025
Turnovers1019
Steals115
Blocks76

Where the forecast differed from the result

MeasureForecastActualActual − forecast
Home margin (CLE)+1−33−34
Total points221225+4
MIA points110129+19
CLE points11196−15

Score by quarter

TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4OTFinal
MIA37323228–129
CLE26292417–96

Recent form before this game

Miami Heat

DateOpponentResult
Nov 20 at CHI W 118–100
Nov 18 at CHI L 97–102
Nov 16 vs BKN W 122–115
Nov 14 at CHA W 111–105
Nov 12 at SAS W 118–113

Cleveland Cavaliers

DateOpponentResult
Nov 21 at PHI W 122–119
Nov 19 vs DEN W 121–109
Nov 17 vs DET W 108–100
Nov 15 at POR W 109–95
Nov 13 at SAC L 120–132

Previous meetings

DateMatchupScore
Mar 10 2022-23 CLE at MIA CLE 115 – 119 MIA
Mar 8 2022-23 CLE at MIA CLE 104 – 100 MIA
Jan 31 2022-23 MIA at CLE MIA 100 – 97 CLE
Nov 20 2022-23 MIA at CLE MIA 87 – 113 CLE
Mar 11 2021-22 CLE at MIA CLE 105 – 117 MIA