Ty Jerome's playoff debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers could not have provided more for the audience to celebrate.
After the Cavaliers broke open an early first-quarter lead, the visiting Miami Heat lurked, never allowing the Cavs to run away with the game. Led by a championship-winning head coach in Eric Spoelstra, the 10-seed Heat are nothing short of a legitimate threat in any situation. Miami became the first Play-In team to reach the NBA Finals, and despite the dramatic departure of Jimmy Butler, the Heat's core from their recent Finals runs is still mostly intact.
The Cavaliers were going to be tested in game one, as the Heat's two All-Star talents Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo refused to go away. Adebayo's elite defense and versatile offense tested the Cavs' frontcourt on every possession. Herro led the Heat's offensive attack, scoring 21 points in 37 minutes of playing time.
Despite Adebayo's defense, Cleveland exposed the Heat's fatal flaw - perimeter defense. Miami lacks any real point-of-attack defenders, allowing the Cavs' star duo of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland to find a spark. While Mitchell struggled to strike form deep, his drives and interior scoring punished every late step or poor rotation by Miami. Garland rained threes, connecting on X three-pointers on the night.
Miami tried to make a late comeback, deploying Spo's patented 1-3-1 zone defense. It suffocated the paint, forcing the Cavaliers to extend their attack to the arc. At first, it got Miami back in the mix things. Cleveland needed to adjust, and the latest fan favorite became the answer.
Cleveland's Ty Jerome proves he is made for the moment
Entering the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Cleveland's top bench contributor had never competed in the postseason. Hours before tip-off, veteran guard Ty Jerome was named a Sixth Man of the Year finalist. In his career playoff debut, Jerome proved he is the answer to the Cavaliers' needs.
To continue their regular season dominance, the Cavaliers would need to be able to trust in their bench contributors. Depth had been Cleveland's winning formula this year, but the postseason would prove another challenge. While De'Andre Hunter couldn't find his rhythm, Jerome stepped up and became a third star for the Cavs.
Jerome broke open the game, picking apart Miami's perimeter defense with an onslaught of three-pointers and mid-range floaters. Cleveland's sixth man never hesitated to take a shot. In his first-ever playoff game, Jerome finished the night with 28 points on 10-of-15 from the field and 5-of-8 from three. He added three assists and five rebounds to his box score, capitalizing on everything the Heat gave him.
Following a breakout regular season, Jerome ended the game Cleveland's second-highest scorer, only bested by Mitchell's 30 points. Garland followed closely behind at 27 points, proving the lethality among the Cavs' backcourt players. Against a team with little backcourt identity such as the Heat, Jerome's first postseason performance could be an indicator of exactly how the Cavs can dismantle their first-round rival.
After the 121-100 win, the Cleveland Cavaliers will seek a 2-0 series lead on Wednesday, April 23 in Rocket Arena at 7:30pm Eastern Time. Alongside national television providers, local fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network with John Michael and Brad Daugherty.