MIAMI _ If there was any question about the Miami Heat's split personality, Tuesday night's 98-79 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers was the latest evidence.
A team that has lost 11 of its last 12 road games, the Heat have now won 10 of their last 11 home games.
The Cavaliers, of course, know plenty about the Heat's ability to inflict misery on their home court, with this Cleveland's 14th consecutive loss at AmericanAirlines Arena, without a win in the building since Jan. 5, 2010, before LeBron James both joined and then left the Heat.
After struggling to close out close games on the just-completed 0-2 trip against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, the Heat this time pushed to an early 23-point lead and held on from there.
With two more victories in their final seven games, the Heat will be assured of a return to the playoffs after a one-year absence, regardless of any other outcomes.
Up next for the Heat are five consecutive games against lottery teams, starting Thursday against the visiting Chicago Bulls in the second game of this four-game homestand.
While it was LeBron James or bust for the Cavaliers, with James closing with 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds, the Heat again spread the offense, with Kelly Olynyk scoring 19, James Johnson 15, Josh Richardson 15, Dwyane Wade 12 and Goran Dragic 10.
But this wasn't about offense, it was about the Heat defense shutting down an opponent that had scored 120 or more in its previous four games, tying a franchise record.
The Heat were forced to unveil their 23rd starting lineup of the season, with centers Hassan Whiteside and Bam Adebayo both sidelined. Whiteside missed his ninth consecutive game with a strained left hip flexor. Adebayo was out with an ankle sprain sustained in Sunday's overtime loss in Indiana.
That had Jordan Mickey making his third start of the season and first since Oct. 23, the third game of the season. The Heat's latest starting lineup was rounded out by James Johnson and Richardson at forward, Tyler Johnson and Dragic at guard.
The Cavaliers were forced to adjust 68 seconds in, when forward Kevin Love left for the locker room after absorbing a Mickey elbow to the face, on a play that Love was called for a blocking foul.
Love briefly returned in the first half then sat out the second half, closing with one point and one rebound in his seven minutes.
The Heat reached a moment of truth with 9:20 left in the fourth quarter, when Olynyk was called for his fourth foul, with coach Erik Spoelstra leaving him in. The foul trouble got worse with 7:22, when the Heat put Cleveland in the bonus for the balance of the way.
But the Heat then regained their footing and pushed their lead above 20 to put it away.
The Cavaliers trimmed the Heat's lead to 13 late in the third quarter before the Heat went into the fourth up 75-59.
Cleveland was just 3 of 18 on 3-pointers through the opening three quarters.
The Heat limited the Cavaliers to .295 first-half shooting in moving to a 54-34 halftime lead. Only a Rodney Hood 3-point conversion, after Cleveland's 0-for-9 start from behind the arc, prevented the Cavaliers from matching their low for a first-half this season.
James had 13 for the Cavaliers in the first half, with James Johnson scoring 11 over the first two periods for the Heat.
The Heat defense dug in early in moving to a 29-18 lead at the end of the first quarter, at 4 of 8 on 3-pointers to that stage.
