Within the blink of an eye, we’re three games deep into the 2025 NBA Playoffs. While one set of games unraveled some basketball action on Friday, some await on Saturday. Once again, Kaseya Center is ready for the Cleveland Cavaliers to walk in. But this time, Game 3 could be a bit personal for Miami. After all, how can they stay calm after Darius Garland’s strong claims on Tyler Herro?

Well, the Cavs rode a 43-point second quarter to steamroll the Heat in Game 2, seizing a 2-0 lead. Surprisingly, Garland threw a sharp jab at Herro, saying, “Pick on Tyler Herro.” Moreover, Garland exposed the Heat’s defensive cracks with brutal honesty. Now, it’s on Herro to flip the script under the bright South Beach lights. But before that, the Miami Heat star, Davion Mitchell, has a strong message for the Cavs.

Tyler Herro’s teammate sends strong messages to the Cavs locker room amidst disrespect from Darius Garland

Zachary Weinberger of Clutch Point had a conversation with Davion Mitchell on Friday. Speaking to the Miami Heat star, the reporter asked for his thoughts on Garland’s comments to Tyler Herro. Moreover, what sort of attitude will Miami take with them into Game 3?

“I mean, it’s like one of them things that it sounds good when you’re up. You can say whatever you want to do when you’re up, right? It’s like that’s called a frontrunner, right?” Mitchell remarked. Of course, having more wins and a lead in the Playoffs gives confidence to any team; in this case, the Cleveland Cavaliers are no different. “Like, talk when it’s 0-0. He didn’t say that when it’s 0-0, right? Now you’re 2-0, now you’re talking about we’re going to pick on Tyler. Okay. Okay, we’ll see,” he added with conviction.

Davion Mitchell further added: “If you’re going to do it, you’re going to have to do it every single time, but know that we’re going to pick on you too. We’re going to pick on every single body that we know that can’t guard as well. That’s the playoffs. You do that anyway.” He says that targeting a ‘weak’ defender is easy, but that must be done in every game with consistency. He warns that they will also target the Cavs’ weaknesses in return. That’s just the normal, intense strategy of playoff basketball.

“They’re not going to pick on me because I’m a strong defender, and they’re not going to pick on Andrew Wiggins. They’re not going to pick on Bam, right?” the 26-year-old guard asked. “Of course, you’re going to get the lesser defender, and he [Tyler Herro]’s also scoring 30 points, right? So it’s like, he’s got to figure out ways to play, use more energy, obviously, and he will.” According to Mitchell, Cleveland isn’t targeting the stronger defenders like himself. The Cavs are ignoring Bam Adebayo and Wiggs, too. Moreover, Herro is scoring 30 on average, so they’re picking on him.

Meanwhile, the Heat star also informed the reporter, “We kind of talked about it, and he knows that, ‘Yo, I got to play harder.’ It’s going to take a lot of effort, but he’s ready. All the work he’s put in, he’s in here every single day. He’s ready, and he’ll be ready for it.” So, of course, the 23.9 points per game averaging star, Tyler Herro, isn’t letting such jabs settle in his mind. He’s aware that a lot is at stake, and Game 3 could be decisive for Miami. “And the talking trash thing, especially on social media, it’s kind of weird because you do it on social media to get reactions. Yeah. And it’s like, all right, whatever, bro, we’re going to see,” Davion Mitchell concluded.

Now, there is a twist in the story. Darius Garland very bluntly commented on Tyler Herro, but the problem is, the Cavs superstar might be missing the third game of the Playoff series. What a shocking turn of events! Did the Basketball Gods just laugh sarcastically?

Darius Garland could miss Game 3 vs. Herro’s Miami Heat

The Cleveland Cavaliers may face a major hurdle in Game 3 against the Miami Heat. Star point guard Darius Garland is listed as questionable with a left great toe sprain, an injury that already sidelined him for parts of the regular season. So far, Garland has been electric, posting 24.0 points, 7.0 assists, and 2.5 rebounds across the first two playoff games.

If Garland sits out, the Cavaliers will have to pivot quickly. Ty Jerome would likely step into a much larger role, tasked with keeping Cleveland’s momentum alive. Nevertheless, losing Garland’s firepower at this stage could tilt the pressure back toward South Beach.

As Game 3 looms, the stakes have never been juicier. Miami is fired up, Tyler Herro is ready, and Davion Mitchell has thrown down the gauntlet. Meanwhile, Darius Garland’s potential absence adds an unexpected twist, leaving the Cavs scrambling to fill the void. Suddenly, the Heat have a golden chance to turn the series — and the trash talk — on its head.