The Cleveland Cavaliers put an exclamation mark on their dominance in the Eastern Conference first round Monday night, demolishing the Miami Heat 138-83 in Game 4 to complete a sweep and secure their place in the second round. It wasn’t just a win—it was a historic statement.
Led by Donovan Mitchell’s 22 points and bolstered by a balanced offensive attack that saw De’Andre Hunter score 19 and Ty Jerome add 18 off the bench, the Cavaliers overwhelmed the Heat from the opening tip. Cleveland’s lead ballooned to as many as 60 points, and the 55-point final margin stands as the fourth-largest in NBA playoff history.
The sweep itself enters the record books as well—Cleveland’s 122-point cumulative margin across the four games sets a new NBA record for most lopsided series win, edging out the Denver Nuggets’ 121-point domination of the New Orleans Hornets in 2009.
“This is what we’ve been building toward all year,” Mitchell said postgame. “We wanted to send a message—not just to the league, but to ourselves.” That message came through loud and clear.
Jarrett Allen was a force inside with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 steals, while Evan Mobley added 17 points. Cleveland set the tone early, racing out to a 43-14 lead late in the first quarter, punctuated by Davion Mitchell’s buzzer-beating three-pointer. That 26-point first-quarter margin tied the worst in Heat playoff history and ranked as the second-best in Cavaliers playoff history.
It was a scene that captured the disparity between a Cleveland team that won 64 games and controlled the Eastern Conference from start to finish, and a Miami squad that barely scraped into the playoffs via the play-in tournament.
For Miami, Nikola Jovic led the way with 24 points, while Bam Adebayo added 13. Pelle Larsson and Andrew Wiggins chipped in 12 each, but it was never close. The Heat simply had no answers for Cleveland’s relentless pace and pressure, and the series exposed the gap in depth and talent.
This marks only the third time the Heat have been swept in a best-of-seven series, joining first-round exits in 2007 (vs. Chicago) and 2021 (vs. Milwaukee). All three sweeps ended on their home floor.
The Cavaliers now await the winner of the Indiana-Milwaukee series, where the Pacers currently hold a 3-1 lead. Regardless of the opponent, Cleveland will host Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, which won’t begin until at least Saturday.
Cleveland’s commanding performance has thrust them firmly into the championship conversation. If Round 1 was any indication, the Cavaliers are not just contenders—they’re on a mission.
