The Heat is On

Though the Cavs sold out their home contest against the Knicks for the retirement of Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ jersey on March 8, the energy this team amassed before and immediately after the All-Star Break has faded somewhat. They’ve had an extremely difficult March schedule, but they’re still vying for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. So every game counts. Tonight’s match-up versus the Miami Heat will likely be the Cavs’ toughest contest the rest of the way. LeBron has been playing out of his gourd — scored a career-high 61 earlier this month before having an off game against the Spurs — and D-Wade appears to be getting back into shape. The Cavs will hope to field a healthy core for the first time in what seems like months — Dion Waiters, Varejao and C.J. Miles should be good to go — and will continue relying on new acquisition Spencer Hawes for production in the paint. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. at the Q. Tickets start at $10. (Allard)