CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the locker room opened, with members of the Cleveland Cavaliers thrilled to cap an appalling January with a hard-fought win against Miami, the play mentioned repeatedly wasn't Jae Crowder's 3-pointer, one that quickly turned jeers into acclamation from the sellout crowd.

It wasn't even LeBron James' late-game stop against James Johnson, combining with Dwyane Wade to keep the Heat from attempting a tying shot.

No, the play was "Elbow Curl Big" -- a set for Channing Frye that led to what should have been four straight buckets. His untimely travel, which teammates razzed him about after, was the only way the Heat stopped it.

"I don't even know how they let that happen that many times," Wade said. "Obviously LeBron being the passer. I heard Coach (Spoelstra) keep telling them, 'No, get through the screen.' And I wasn't letting them get through the screen. So Channing got him a dunk, got him a little filet and all the stuff he likes. That was a Channing moment."

With the offense in mud, every shot a difficult one and Kevin Love out with a broken bone in his left hand, Lue went to Frye midway through the third quarter, hoping his floor spacing would loosen up the stingy Miami defense. Prior to the substitution for Tristan Thompson, Lue told Frye he needed three triples.

About two minutes later, Frye canned a jumper just inside the line. Two possessions after, he buried a trey. He never did get that third attempt. But he made up for it another way, wearing the Heat out with the same set four times, and proving once again that he's much more than a long-range bomber.

The play involved James, Wade and Frye, one of the players singled out, expected to pick up some of the scoring load with Love sidelined.

With James working at the elbow, Wade set a baseline screen for Frye, who started in the corner at the 3-point line. With the defender hugged up on Frye, terrified of his 3-point prowess, Frye curled around the Wade screen and dunked for just the second time this season following a perfect bounce pass from James.

A few possessions later, the Cavs went to it once more. This time shooting guard Tyler Johnson sagged off Wade in the corner, trying to help rookie Bam Adebayo. But Johnson was a bit late, Frye was already on the move and Johnson didn't have the size needed to contest against the near-7-footer. Frye soared over the 6-foot-4 shooting guard for the layup -- or a filet, as he likes to call it.

The Cavs went back to it again on the second possession of the fourth quarter. This time Kelly Olynyk and Josh Richardson could see it coming. Olynyk plowed into Wade, fighting through the screen. But couldn't get there in time. Another bucket at the rim for Frye, who usually does most of his damage at the 3-point line.

"Usually they kinda usually catch wind of that play once or twice, but it kept working," Frye said. "I'm going to have to get new shoes. I wore the tread off 'em. I feel like a taller Kyle Korver. The play worked, we kept running it and I thank my teammates for standing on the opposite side and chilling for about five plays."

On the fourth try, Richardson finally overplayed Frye's right hand, forcing him to reverse pivot. Frye traveled, one of the Cavs' 16 miscues.

Following the game, Thompson, a few lockers over from Frye, joked that Frye has never moved that much away from the ball. The team's starting center hinted that's why Frye didn't play for the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter. Lue said it was more about the matchup, as the Heat leaned on Olynyk instead of Hassan Whiteside, making it a tough defensive assignment for Frye.

Still, by the time Frye exited, rooting on his teammates from the bench, he had already given the Cavaliers what they needed. Maybe not the three triples Lue wanted. But enough of an offensive lift on a night things didn't come easy on that end of the floor.

Frye finished with 16 points, second-most on the team, nearly matching Love's season-long scoring average, on 6-of-9 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.

"Well we know what Channing brings to the game," James said. "He adds spacing with his ability to shoot the ball for one, and he attracts the defense. But his ability to finish in the paint as well helps us out."

After the game, James pointed out that Miami has a tendency to fight through screens rather than switch. That helped on that specific set.

But from a big picture standpoint, Frye got to show once again how much he has evolved this season, part of why the Cavs don't necessarily want to trade him.

They understand his value on and off the floor. He's important for lightening the mood in a drama-filled locker room, a fun-loving guy who teammates love to play alongside. He's one of the vocal leaders. The recognize how well the team performs with him on the floor. They know he is needed even more after Love's injury. But they also understand the trade-deadline challenges and improving often requires giving up a valuable piece.

Frye's name will continue to be mentioned in discussions because of his contract situation. His number is good and he can still be a key piece of a championship rotation. If the Cavs aim for high-salaried player, believing one could make a significant impact, Frye's $7.4 million will get them nearly halfway there. If they are having talks with sellers, chances are that team will want Frye's expiring contract so the future salary cap won't be harmed. If the Cavs choose to deal their own first-round pick, something they are open to, which could give them an advantage in the current market, they will need to attach some kind of salary to it, especially with a full 15-man roster.

In the meantime, Frye is the most obvious candidate to replicate Love's skill set, giving the Cavs a needed inside-outside threat, just as Frye did against Miami.