MIAMI, Feb. 2 (Ticker) -- Pat Riley may finally have the Miami Heat buying into his defensive philosophy.

Dwyane Wade scored 24 points and led the Heat's defensive charge in a lopsided 101-73 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had their seven-game winning streak snapped.

NBA TV highlights from Cavaliers-Heat: Play

Riley, who implemented his defensive style with the New York Knicks and in his first stint with Miami in the 1990s, convinced his fourth-ranked offense (100.2 points per game) to lock down on the other end early.

"To say they came ready to play is an understatement," Riley said of his team, which never trailed. "They came out and really wanted to make a statement. They jumped (on the Cavaliers) defensively and created most of their offense off their defense."

Miami held Cleveland to 29 percent (7-of-24) shooting in the opening period to take a 24-15 lead entering the second quarter. The Heat continued their stronghold in the second frame by holding the Cavaliers scoreless until there was 5:43 remaining and LeBron James sank two foul shots.

The Heat had a 22-0 run over the two quarters, just four off the best run for a Miami team, set March 24, 1995 versus Golden State. Meanwhile, Cleveland missed 13 straight shots from the floor.

"We just came out flat against a good team and when you do that on the road, you pay for it," Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said. "We just got down by too many points."

During Cleveland's drought, Miami scored the first 19 points of the period. The Heat tallied a majority of their points in the paint during the surge and took a 52-33 lead at the break after allowing the visitors to shoot just 27 percent (12-of-44).

"This is one of the best games we have played thus far this year, especially against a team that has played exceptionally well of late," Wade said. "We would love to see more of this and I think we are getting there. This team has so much room to grow."

Miami (29-18) has won four straight and is a season-high 11 games over .500.

"It's time for this team to be what I think they can be, what they think they can be what they're capable of being," Riley said. "There is no reason why we can't, if we focus defensively, share the ball and run and attack, that we can't take it to another level at this stage of the season."

Wade, who was named a starter for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game, added six assists and four steals as five Heat players reached double figures. Shaquille O'Neal, also a starter and an All-Star for the 13th straight season, finished with 21 points and eight rebounds.

James was the only Cavalier to reach double figures as he collected 29 points. The 6-8 superstar also was chosen as a starter for the East in the All-Star Game in Houston on February 19.

"We shot the ball terribly to start the game and they made shots," James said. "We tried to get back into the game, but once you dig yourself a hole against a good team like this, it's impossible."

"Last time we were up there (in Cleveland), they jumped on us pretty fast," O'Neal said of the Heat's loss to the Cavaliers on December 17 in which it fell behind early. "We just wanted to return the favor, and we did that."

Despite his point output, Miami's James Posey did a good job of containing James, while adding 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. And with Larry Hughes still sidelined by a fractured finger, no one else stepped up to help James.

"He's our guy," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said of James. "Everyone feeds off him a great deal, but we certainly believe we have other guys that can step up and help us win ballgames. It just didn't happen tonight. A lot of it had to do with what the Heat were doing, and some of it had to do with what we were doing."

"Posey did a great job on him (James) tonight, making him take some tough fadeaway shots early," Heat forward Udonis Haslem said. "You definitely want to keep him away from the basket, but at the same time when you keep him away from the basket it takes away his ability to kick to the shooter on the perimeter."

The Cavaliers were held to nine points in the closing quarter as they fell for the sixth straight time in Miami, which dominated in points in the paint, 66-32.

Cleveland - playing its fourth game in five nights - shot 13-of-20 in the third period to get within nine points after trailing by as many as 28.

However, the Heat went on a 23-5 run to pull away, a surge punctuated by a spectacular Wade block and a fancy dribbling move that set up one of O'Neal's two breakaway dunks.

"I've seen a lot of plays like that," said Riley, a four-time NBA champion as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. "I coached Magic Johnson."

"You fight so hard to get back, but any little break or shot they make can take your breath away," James said.