Apr 15, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott reacts in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

It’s funny how sports work sometimes. One minute you could be getting all the praise as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), and the next fans are looking at you for an excuse to point out a goat (or scapegoat). For Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving and Miami Heat point guard Norris Cole, the roles switched within a matter of seconds. With just under four minutes to play, those in attendance at the last game of the season at Quicken Loans Arena were witnesses to another budding Mr. Fourth Quarter performance. The problem, however, all season long has been the team’s ability to finish complete games. Monday night was no different. Irving finished off the fourth quarter with six of the team’s final eight points, and after Norris Cole missed both free throws with 14.3 seconds to go in the contest, the ball was now back in Kyrie’s court with the Cavaliers down one.

96-95. Kyrie with the ball. Last home game of the season. LeBron James watching anxiously for an All-Star play from the bench. Too perfect of a scenario, right? Cole, who almost racked up a triple-double – 16 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists – had played great up to that point, so he knew he couldn’t let a performance such as the aforementioned stat line go to waste. After failing to get the ball inbounds on the first attempt, Kyrie finally got hold and was ready to put up the 20-footer for the W. The Cleveland State University product had other intentions, as he stripped the premier point guard of the ball and ran out the clock, completing the painful series sweep in which Cleveland lost four games by a total of 10 points. Devastating comebacks? You bet. Heartbreak at home? Most definitely. Being outhustled by the Heat’s B-team? Absolutely unacceptable.

All season long Cleveland had been known for blowing seemingly insurmountable leads, but knowing better, I always knew that no matter how big or at what point in the game, the Cavs would find a way to let their opponents back into the match. This was mostly accomplished with a three-point barrage, and that’s exactly what Miami’s intentions were on Monday. Going 5-of-6 from long range in the third quarter allowed the Heat to outscore Cleveland by 12 points in the 12-minute frame, which wiped out the Cavs’ first-half three-point lead in less than two minutes. The Heat finished the game shooting 46.4 percent from three.

But who were these old scrubs that helped Miami crawl back into the game? With Mario Chalmers and the Big Three (James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade) sitting out in preparation for playoff basketball, it was impossible to tell who would be the catalyst in this matchup. Kyrie and gang clearly had the advantage, but sometimes when you’re in a slump or tired from a season of degrading loss after loss, any group of players can school you on the court.

Players score when they get minutes, it’s just a fact of life. Busts shouldn’t be defined by how many points they score or rebounds they grab, but by how many opportunities for game action their coach gives them. If Cole plays 43 minutes, he’s going to have more than enough opportunities to make an impact. But when matched up against one of the premier players in the NBA, you can’t let a guy who plays less than 20 minutes regularly per night embarrass you like that. Want to see a list of the leading scorers from Miami in this contest and cringe when you see their averages? I know I don’t:

1. Rashard Lewis – 32 minutes, 19 points – averaging 13.8 minutes, 4.7 points

2. Norris Cole – we already know what he did – averaging 19.3 minutes, 5.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists

3. James Jones – 29 minutes, 14 points – averaging 5.2 minutes, 1.3 points

Again, even the most scrubbiest of players can get buckets when they get minutes, but this shouldn’t happen when the future of our lineup is going up against a team’s reserves. The Cavaliers’ three leading scorers didn’t blow these somewhat roster fillers out of the water. It will pain you to see who exactly they are:

1. Kyrie Irving – 36 minutes, 16 points, eight assists

2. Tristan Thompson* – 36 minutes, 16 points, 13 rebounds

3. Dion Waiters – 27 minutes, 16 points, four assists

*In all fairness, I though Thompson played the best out of anyone tonight. These weren’t necessarily terrible performances, but when our three building blocks for the future have an output similar to their season averages against the Miami B-team, there’s not a lot to be happy about*

So was this yet another fire-worthy performance for the head coach? He still doesn’t believe so, and I tend to agree, still.

I am going to be back to coach (Cavs) next year. I’ve got a year left on my contract. That’s how I approach it.

But according to Pro Basketball Draft, Scott will not be returning next year:

Expect Byron Scott to be fired shortly after regular season conclusion based on conversations w/ several Cavs sources.

More bad news.

After the game, Kyrie walked to the locker room with an apparent ankle injury. Any updates on his status will be posted here at Right Down Euclid. The Cavaliers will finish off their season with a matchup in Charlotte with the Bobcats on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.

In the meantime, this will somewhat brighten your day: Dion Waiters goes HAM on Birdman.

Apr 14, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers (right) talks with referee Josh Tiven (left) during the second half against the Chicago Bulls at American Airlines Arena. Miami won 105-93. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

On fan appreciation night at Quicken Loans Arena, the Cleveland Cavaliers will take on a Miami Heat team that will likely be without their Big Three of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. And while that will likely take the fun out of the game for fans looking for see James live (and heckle him), this does make the game more winnable for the Cavaliers. But that comes with a double-edged sword. A win means that the Cavaliers will lessen their chances of getting the No. 1 pick, which they currently have a 13.8 percent chance of winning.

Opponent’s Blog: All U Can Heat

Venue: Quicken Loans Arena

Tipoff: 7 p.m. ET

Betting Line: Cavaliers by -1

Where you can watch: Fox Sports Ohio

Where you can listen: WTAM (1100), WFUN (970 AM)

For the Cavaliers, this game is about redeeming themselves after their awful effort in Philadelphia. The loss was so bad that Coach Byron Scott had the entire team come out this morning and work out – even though they are going to be playing a back-to-back and have dealt with a wide variety of injuries this season. It’s clear that Scott thinks that this team was at its weakest on Sunday, and I happen to agree. This team lost to a woeful Sixers team by 14 and it was never once competitive.

I can understand if the players think the season is worthless at this point because of all the losses and the guaranteed lottery pick but that does not excuse the effort put forth yesterday.

Tonight against the Heat, the best player on the opposing team will be Mario Chalmers. He’s a solid NBA point guard – no question about it – but he is by no means a star in the league. He’s at his best playing on a team like the Heat where he can fill a niche and score when called upon. But he’s not a game-changing talent who can carry the franchise. And I guarantee you if the Heat had the option of having Chalmers or Kyrie Irving as their starting point guard, they would choose Irving 100 percent of the time

And so, this is a game the Cavaliers should win. They have the best player (Irving) and a lot of quality players that should be able to at least match the Heat’s reserve starters. Players like Tristan Thompson, C.J. Miles and even Tyler Zeller should have solid nights tonight against his depleted Heat squad. This is one of those games where if the Cavaliers are going to move forward, they need to at least put forth a solid effort.

And this is, as I mentioned above, fan appreciation night. It’s the last home game of the season for a fan base that has had to watch horrendous basketball for months now. There have been injures galore, rumors of the coach’s demise and more. It’s been one of those years that no fan wants to have. At least for tonight, maybe the Cavaliers can show the city that there is hope for next year.

Mar 18, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; A Cleveland Cavaliers fan holds a sign referring to LeBron James (not pictured) in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavaliers lost 111-90. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The No. 23 is a number that will forever give Cleveland fans pain. And come Wednesday night, that number will be displayed in more ways than one.

The Cavs look to snap the Miami’s 23-game winning streak – We all know about their winning streak. Last night they snuck by the Boston Celtics after some late-game heroics from LeBron. The streak started on 2-3-13 against the Toronto Raptors. Since then, the Heat have gone on to beat teams like the Clippers, Lakers, Thunder, Knicks, Pacers, Grizzlies and Celtics. The Heat have 16 games remaining on their schedule, and only six of those games are against teams that are slated to make the playoffs this year.

The player formerly known as 23 will make his first appearance in Cleveland this season Wednesday night – His departure from Cleveland was well documented, and about 99 percent of Cleveland fans hated him after his Decision. Since then, he was won a gold medal, was named SI’s Sportsman of the Year, earned 2011-12 NBA MVP honors and won an NBA Championship. It is safe to say he has won. The boos are expected to be reduced from the two previous years he had visited Cleveland as a member of the Miami Heat.

Nos. 2 and 3 are OUT for this game – If the two rosters weren’t uneven enough, it looks like the Cavs will be without their two leading scorers, Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters. Monday night’s game was a little preview of what could happen if Waiters and Irving are not in the lineup. Livingston has done well the past five games, averaging over 10 points and nearly five assists.  But if Monday’s game is any indication of how the Cavs will play without Nos. 2 and 3, the Miami Heat could steamroll the Cavs just like the Pacers did.

The Cavs will be missing Irving’s 23 points per game – Irving has missed 18 games this season, so the Cavs have gotten used to playing without their leading scorer. In the last two meetings against the Heat, the Cavs have held fourth quarter leads, only to give it up in the final seconds. Irving is much more than a 23 PPG scorer, but he is a fourth-quarter scorer. He ranks as one of the league’s top fourth quarter scorers, among players like Carmelo Anthony, Jamal Crawford, James Harden and LeBron.

The Cavs will be looking for their 23rd win of the year – The Cavs and Heat obviously have had different intentions for this season.  The Heat are looking for back-to-back NBA championships. The Cavs, on the other hand, are looking to close out this season on a positive note, playing playoff teams in eight of their next 10 games. This stretch will tell a lot about what kind of team the Cavs are. They have already won more games than last year’s shortened season, but injuries to key players have prevented the Cavs from playing at full strength.

I’m not a firm believer in conspiracies, but the No. 23 appears a little more than I would like. Whether this plays to an advantage for the Cavs or not can be up to you decide. But growing up, I lived by the motto that coach Danny O’Shea said at halftime in the Little Giants Movie: “Even if they beat you 99 times out of 100, that still leaves that one time.”

Just like when O’Shea would always race his big brother, Kevin, down Cherry Hill, and he would never beat him – but that one time, he did. The Miami Heat are like the older brother; they are a better team and should beat the Cavs every time they play, but there’s always that one time.