Winners and Losers: Cavs vs. Heat Game 4

The Cavs ended this game in just a few minutes, sprinting out to double-digit lead in minutes.

Well, that was a basketball game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, in historical fashion, decimated the Miami Heat by a final score of 138-83 to sweep the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs 4-0. Picking winners and losers is pretty black and white, so here we go.

Winners

Ethical Basketball

The Cavs were not carried by one player, or even two players. It was a team effort, top to bottom. Donovan Mitchell led the way with 22 points, but nobody else on the roster had 20. De’Andre Hunter had 19 points, Ty Jerome had 18, and Evan Mobley had 17. Darius Garland once again sat out with a sprained toe, but it did not matter. The Cavs hummed like a well-oiled machine for all 48 minutes.

Jarrett Allen Likes the Spotlight Now

Jarrett Allen, the author of the term “ethical basketball”, had a ho-hum 14 points and 12 rebounds, hitting all five of his shots, grabbing six steals, and finishing as a game-high +42 in 25 minutes. It was a commanding performance from the Cavs’ (checks notes) fourth-best player, who also had a 22-point double-double in Game 3.

Allen faced a lot of criticism over the past two playoff runs, but his last two games have been excellent. He does not seem phased whatsoever by the bigger stage.

Record Books

The 55-point win is just a hair shy of the largest victory in playoff history (58), but this game wrapped up what turned out to be the most lopsided series in NBA history. The Cavs outscored the Heat by 122 points over the four games, besting the previous record of 121 points set in 2009. That series went five games, making the Cavs’ abject destruction even more impressive.

The Cavs led by as many as 60 points. They opened the game on a 33-5 run. Cleveland’s 39-point lead at the half was the third-largest in playoff history, two points behind the largest lead - which the Cavs set in 2017 against Boston.

Is that good? Seems good.

Losers

#HeatCulture

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra called it after Game 3: his team just didn’t really show the desire to win. You can say that again.

The Heat have had an aura around them that leads people to absolve the organization of criticism. A superstar will come save them, or they squeeze every ounce of basketball out of everyone that dons the red and black uniform. Remember when Portland was assumed to eventually cave and trade Damian Lillard to Miami for nothing? That Miami distortion field didn’t quite work.

That sentiment should likely end, as the Heat appear as rudderless as ever. Even after LeBron James left in 2014, the organization still had Chris Bosh. Now, with limited draft capital and mostly decent to below-average role players, its soul-searching time in South Beach.

Tyler Herro

There was a wisp of intrigue in this series when Tyler Herro and Garland had a brief back-and-forth about playing defense (or lack thereof). Garland bluntly told the media that the Cavs’ plan is to “pick on” Herro, who in turn said he has no room to talk. Garland may not have played in the last two games, but he did get the last laugh.

Herro hit one more shot in Game 4 than Garland did (which was, of course, zero). He was a game-worst -44 in 30 minutes, meaning the Heat were outscored by 44 points with Herro on the floor. The Cavs continued to pick on him as well, forcing Herro into actions. But the reality is that it would not have mattered either way. Miami’s offense goes where Herro goes. Tonight, Herro went nowhere.

Playoff Demons

Just one year ago the Cavs, with nearly the same roster as the one that just historically smacked Miami, nearly lost in the first round to the Orlando Magic. Mitchell saved them last year in Game 7, dragging the Cavs to the second round like a sack of sand. The whole series felt like pulling teeth.

Quite the year-over-year change, eh? This Cavs team looks razor-sharp, focused, and completely immune to the playoff demons that have swirled around them for the last two seasons.