The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the 2025 NBA Playoffs with a level of pressure they haven't faced since the LeBron James eras. Cleveland won 64 regular season games, finishing atop the Eastern Conference and thus carrying the burden of being a championship favorite.
One of the questions that the Cavaliers were going to need to answer during the playoffs, however, was whether or not they could win when Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell weren't at their best.
That question was answered sooner than expected. Garland missed Game 3 due to a toe sprain, and Mitchell had an uncharacteristically poor showing, scoring 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field and a woeful 2-of-5 mark at the free throw line.
Thankfully, it didn't matter, as the Cavaliers dominated the Miami Heat with their smothering defense and utilized a balanced offensive attack to run away with a 124-87 road decimation.
It was as much of a statement game as any Cleveland has played—due in no small part to the fact that they hit the road in a similar situation to the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics. Much like Boston, they'd blown out their opponent in Game 1 and secured a closer victory in Game 2.
After watching the Celtics drop Game 3 to the Orlando Magic, however, the Cavaliers seemingly decided to remove any doubt about the quality of their roster in Miami.
Cavaliers win despite no Garland, poor showing from Mitchell
The obvious retort would be that Cleveland doing this against the No. 8 seed isn't quite as impressive as playing well against an opponent in the second round or beyond. The fact remains, however, that Garland was absent and Mitchell played poorly during a postseason game on the road—against a team with an all-time great head coach and multiple All-Stars, no less.
That dominance wasn't achieved by relying on a different individual, either, as it was a true team effort to take the fight to Miami and head back to the hotel with a 37-point victory.
Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with a team-high 22 points and 10 rebounds—thus scoring more points in Game 3 than he'd managed between Game 1 and Game 2 combined. De'Andre Hunter wasn't far behind, posting 21 points, four rebounds, and three assists in just 28 minutes.
Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley added 19 points, Max Strus tallied 18 points and five assists, and Ty Jerome continued to impress with 13 points and 11 dimes in just 22 minutes.
Throw in Mitchell's 13 points and the Cavaliers had six different players score in double-figures. It was a testament to the unbelievable depth that Cleveland has assembled, with players ready and willing to step up whenever their number is called.
That's not limited to scoring, either, as Jerome posted his first career game with at least 10 assists to cover for Garland's absence.
It was the epitome of what makes Cleveland special. There's a genuine next-man-up mentality, with players who are ready and willing to go above and beyond what most expect of them simply because it's what the team needs at that given moment.
More questions will be asked and answered as the postseason rages on, but the Cavaliers have confirmed that they are, in fact, capable of winning without Garland or Mitchell at their best.