Jaime Jacquez tipped his own missed shot out to the perimeter, and Miami Heat wing Pelle Larsson hit a 3-pointer to cut the margin to 55 points. It was the last shot taken in the game, and it ensured the Heat would not suffer the worst loss in playoff history.
That was about all that shot did; it was the most minute of balms on an absolutely embarrassing performance. The Cleveland Cavaliers traveled to South Beach, a place they have historically structured, and rewrote history -- closing out a 4-0 series win and putting themselves firmly in the record books.
The Cavaliers become the first team to win back-to-back playoff games by 30 or more points, beating Miami by 37 points in Game 3 and 55 points in Game 4. When you add in another pair of wins in Cleveland -- one by a paltry nine points, one victory by 21 -- you get a total point differential of +122.
That is not only the largest point differential in NBA playoff history, it blows the previous record out of the water. In 2019 the Milwaukee Bucks shattered the short-handed Detroit Pistons by 95 points across four games; the Cavs bested that just in their final three games.
The Cavaliers are announcing to the league that they are 100 percent for real as a title contender.
The Cavaliers are sending a warning
Never before has a team won by 55 points to close out a series. Miami, a proud and experienced team, had a chance to avoid embarrassment at home in Game 4. Not only could they not grab a win, they couldn't even keep the game close. The Cavaliers went up 30-8 to start the game, then systematically added to the margin as the game went on.
The Cavaliers pulled all of their rotation players for the entire fourth quarter and still won that quarter by seven points to push the margin to historic heights. Center Jarrett Allen was a staggering +42 for the game in only 25 minutes of action. Eight players played at least 18 minutes, and they all finished +23 or better. It didn't matter who was on the court - the Cavaliers just rolled.
The Cavs made it clear that their strategy was to attack the areas where the Heat were weak. They named Tyler Herro by name, and he responded by playing terribly and proving them right. After Game 3 he promised that the Heat would not get swept; he shot 1-for-10 to help ensure Miami would lose in four.
This is the kind of absolute demolition that a true championship contender pulls off. The Thunder just did it to the Memphis Grizzlies, with a pair of dominant wins followed by a pair of close ones, for a masterful sweep. It is viewed as a stamp of legitimacy on a team that has not advanced past the second round with this group.
The same should be said of the Cleveland Cavaliers. They took the Miami Heat apart piece by piece. They made history with the ferocity and success of their four wins. The Heat were embarrassed on national television, and it will take a long time to regain their composure and status.
The Cavaliers will be massive favorites in the second round, likely against the Indiana Pacers. They will likely face a banged-up Boston Celtics team in the Eastern Conference Finals that isn't as equipped to weather injuries as the Cavs are. The Cavs are taking every text put in front of them and acing every one.
This team just put the league on notice as they put the Heat in the grave.