Cleveland Cavaliers inflict crushing playoff defeat on the Miami Heat, eliciting teasing remarks from Charles Barkley.
Unleash the Playoff Pandemonium! Cleveland Leaves the Heat Sizzling in Their Wake on April 28
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have been nothing short of stunning, cruising through the Miami Heat with an awe-inspiring 138-83 victory in Game 4, securing their seat in the playoff's second round.
Was this win historic? Absolutely! Three starters and three reserves dazzled the crowd, with Donovan Mitchell claiming the top spot with 22 points and five assists. Jarrett Allen wasn't far behind, notching 14 points and 12 rebounds, while De'Andre Hunter led the bench scoring with 19 points. Ty Jerome added a whopping 18 points to the mix.
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The scoreboard told a tale of two halves as the Cavaliers soared to a staggering 60-point lead. Did you hear that? 60! This 55-point margin set the stage for the 4th-biggest playoff win in NBA history.
The series also set new records for the largest point differential in two games and in the entire series. The point gap between Games 3 and 4 clocked in at a mind-bending 92 points and the overall series total stretched to a titanic 122 points, dwarfing previous records[5].
"We came out here with a goal in mind," Mitchell said, summing up the Cavaliers' focused approach.
While Miami's players delivered their best efforts, led by Nikola Jovic's 24 points and Bam Adebayo's 13, it seemed the Heat were still catching up to the Cavaliers' dominance. Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra put it concisely, articulating the team's defeat perfectly.
"Damn, it was humbling. This series was humbling. These last two games were embarrassing," Spoelstra said. "But Cleveland's also a very good team. ... They showed us why we weren't ready for that."
The silence in the Heat's locker room was almost deafening after the game. Basketball icon Charles Barkley had no problem voicing his thoughts on TNT at halftime.
"I try not to ever use the word quit or choke... This is quitting at its finest right here," Barkley stated. He later added, "I bet if we went to their house, all their stuff is already packed. ... If you lose by (37) the last game, you can't stay in Miami ... If you lose by 37 and come back and lose by 40, you can't stay in town."
The Cleveland Cavaliers looked unstoppable throughout the series, demonstrating an eerie level of cohesion and precision. Mitchell dominated with the only 30-point game, and the team never failed to reach 20 team assists in any contest. In Game 4, they sizzled with a 54.7% field goal success rate.
Newly-crowned coach Kenny Atkinson couldn't contain his satisfaction.
"We came down here with the right mentality and, again, our maturity, our leadership, all that stuff we've been talking about all year," Atkinson said. "We don't seem to have letdowns. That's rare."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- In the historic Game 4 victory on April 28, three starters and three reserves of the Cleveland Cavaliers combined effectively, with Donovan Mitchell leading the way with 22 points and 5 assists.
- The nail-biting 138-83 victory over the Miami Heat propelled the Cavaliers into the NBA playoffs' second round, with the game's margin being a colossal 55 points - the fourth-biggest playoff win in NBA history.
- Tyler Jerome added 18 points, while Jarrett Allen contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds, and De'Andre Hunter led the bench scorers with 19 points.
- The series also broke records for the largest point differential in two games and the entire series, with the point gap between Games 3 and 4 reaching a staggering 92 points, while the overall series total stretched to a towering 122 points.
