Cavs Dominate Heat by 55 Points: A Historic Sweep in NBA Playoff History!

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Cavs Dominate Heat by 55 Points: A Historic Sweep in NBA Playoff History!

MIAMI (AP) — The Cleveland Cavaliers made history with their playoff performance, achieving the largest series win in NBA history. They defeated the Miami Heat 138-83 in Game 4, completing a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference first round.

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Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 22 points, while De’Andre Hunter contributed 19. The team’s victory margin over the series was a staggering 122 points, surpassing the previous record of 121 set by the Denver Nuggets in 2009.

The game showcased Cleveland’s dominance. They held a 60-point lead at one point and had the fourth-largest playoff win ever, just shy of the record of 58 points. Historical wins close to this margin include the Minneapolis Lakers against St. Louis in 1956 and the Nuggets over the Pelicans in 2009.

Nikola Jovic was the standout for Miami, scoring 24 points. However, the Heat struggled, and coach Erik Spoelstra referred to the experience as humbling, acknowledging that Cleveland was the better team.

Cleveland is set to face either Indiana or Milwaukee in the next round. As of now, the Pacers are leading their series 3-1. Game 1 of the semifinals will take place in Cleveland on Saturday, marking an important moment for the team.

“Rest is essential,” Mitchell commented, emphasizing the importance of preparation as they move forward.

This sweep marks the third time the Heat have been eliminated in the first round of a best-of-seven series, having previously been swept by Chicago in 2007 and Milwaukee in 2021.

Cleveland’s early-game dominance was striking. They established a 33-5 run in Game 3 and ended the first quarter with a 43-14 lead, tying the worst quarter in Heat playoff history. This match demonstrated the difference between a top-seeded team and a lower-seeded squad that had to hustle through the play-in games to qualify for the playoffs.”

“Our maturity and leadership shone through,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson noted. “We maintained our focus.” At halftime, Cleveland led 72-33, marking one of the largest leads in playoff history.

To put Cleveland’s achievement into perspective, winning by such margins is rare in playoff history. The current trend shows a growing competitiveness in basketball, but Cleveland’s performance has set a new high bar this season.

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