The Cleveland Cavaliers overpowered the Miami Heat on Saturday, earning a commanding 124-87 victory in Game 3 to seize a 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Despite Donovan Mitchell’s 4-for-14 shooting night and Darius Garland’s absence due to a sprained toe, Cleveland overwhelmed Miami with physicality, dominance in the paint, and a relentless early run.
Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 22 points on 8-for-9 shooting, while De’Andre Hunter added 21 points off the bench to fuel the rout inside Kaseya Center.
Cleveland launched a decisive 33-5 run early in the first half, turning a 15-6 deficit into a 39-20 advantage and leaving Miami scrambling to recover.
The Cavaliers finished with a 46-29 rebounding advantage and crushed the Heat inside, outscoring them 60-30 in the paint.
Evan Mobley delivered 19 points and six rebounds, and Max Strus added 18 points, sinking four triples against his former team.
Ty Jerome contributed 13 points and 11 assists in 22 minutes, finishing with a plus-33, the highest plus-minus on the night for either team.
Mitchell, despite an inefficient outing, still produced 13 points and three assists as Cleveland barely needed his typical scoring output.
The Heat struggled to generate consistent offense, with Bam Adebayo leading Miami with 22 points and Davion Mitchell adding 16.
Tyler Herro managed 13 points, but Miami’s offense stalled repeatedly, shooting 42.1% from the field and committing 16 turnovers.
Cleveland shot 53.5% overall and knocked down 15 three-pointers, including five consecutive makes from beyond the arc during their first-half surge.
Miami’s 37-point defeat marked the worst playoff loss in franchise history, surpassing their 36-point loss to San Antonio in the 2013 NBA Finals.
By the start of the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers had stretched their lead to 88-64, leaving no doubt about the outcome.
It is the 11th time a Cavaliers team has held a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven series, with each of the previous 10 occasions ending in sweeps during the LeBron James eras.
Historically, teams that have gone up 3-0 are 158-0 in NBA history, and Cleveland looks poised to extend that perfect record.
The Cavaliers will attempt to close out the series in Game 4 on Monday in Miami and book their spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Meanwhile, the Heat face elimination unless they can deliver a historic turnaround that no NBA team has ever achieved after trailing 3-0.
