The Cleveland Cavaliers delivered a record-breaking performance Monday night, defeating the Miami Heat 138-83 at Kaseya Center to complete a first-round sweep in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Led by Donovan Mitchell’s 22 points and De’Andre Hunter’s 19, Cleveland advanced to the second round after winning the series by a combined 122 points, the largest margin in NBA playoff history.
The Cavaliers dominated from the opening tip, racing to a 43-14 lead late in the first quarter, with Davion Mitchell’s buzzer-beating three-pointer offering Miami little relief.
By halftime, Cleveland’s advantage had ballooned to 72-33, marking the third-largest halftime lead in NBA postseason history, trailing only the Cavaliers’ 41-point lead over Boston in 2017 and Detroit’s 40-point margin against Washington in 1987.
Ty Jerome contributed 18 points off the bench, Evan Mobley finished with 17 points, and Jarrett Allen anchored the defense with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and six steals.
Cleveland’s 55-point margin was the fourth-largest in playoff history, trailing only 58-point wins by Minneapolis over St. Louis in 1956 and Denver over New Orleans in 2009, and a 56-point Los Angeles Lakers victory over Golden State in 1973.
Nikola Jovic scored a team-high 24 points for Miami, while Bam Adebayo added 13 points and 12 rebounds, but the Heat struggled to keep pace, shooting just 36% from the field and 20.4% from three-point range.
The Cavaliers, who finished the regular season with a conference-best 64 wins, will face either the Indiana Pacers or Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with Game 1 set to take place in Cleveland no earlier than Saturday.
Cleveland’s balanced effort included 22 three-pointers made on 46.8% shooting from beyond the arc and a defensive effort that forced 19 Miami turnovers and limited the Heat to just 83 points, their lowest playoff output since 2014.
Max Strus, Sam Merrill, and bench contributors like Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro all played efficient supporting roles as Cleveland cruised to a historic victory that underlined its championship ambitions.
The Heat’s season ends after a grueling climb through the play-in tournament, while the Cavaliers head to the second round with momentum and NBA history already made.
