Cavs vs. Heat by the numbers: 12 wild stats from blowout NBA playoffs sweep
Cavs vs. Heat by the numbers: 12 wild stats from blowout NBA playoffs sweep
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NBA playoff preview: Who can beat Boston or Cleveland?
Analyzing if the Bucks, Knicks, or Pacers have what it takes to beat Boston or Cleveland in the playoffs
The Cleveland Cavaliers destroyed the Miami Heat on Monday night 138-83 to close out their first-round series in a historic sweep.
The numbers paint a picture of complete dominance.
At a glance, it's not surprising, with the 64-win Cavaliers facing the 37-win Heat — the No. 10 seed from the regular season — a team that finished 27 games back of Cleveland in the standings.
In particular, Games 3 and 4, both on Miami's home court, were historically lopsided.
The Cavaliers now will face the winner of the Indiana Pacers-Milwaukee Bucks series in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Here are 12 mind-blowing stats from the series:
Mind-blowing stats from Cavaliers-Heat series
On Monday, Cleveland scored 73 bench points; the Heat scored 83 points, total. Cleveland's overall point differential of +122 across the four games set a record for most lopsided series in NBA playoff history. Cleveland's 39-point lead at halftime Monday was the third largest through two quarters in NBA playoff history. Cleveland's 48-point lead at the end of the third quarter Monday tied for the second-largest lead headed into the fourth. The 55-point margin of victory Monday made it the third-most lopsided game in NBA playoff history. At one point in the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers led by 60. Across the four games, Cavaliers backup Ty Jerome recorded a +88 plus-minus in 92 minutes of play. Across the four games, Heat guard Tyler Herro recorded a -87 plus-minus in 145 minutes of play. In Game 4, Herro posted a plus-minus of -44. He shot 1-of-10 from the field, including 1-of-9 from 3, finishing with four points, one rebound and one assist. Miami's 37-point loss in Game 3 was its worst in franchise history for a playoff game. The Heat set the new mark in Game 4 two days later with their 55-point defeat. In Game 3, the Cavaliers outscored Miami in the paint by 30. The Heat lost Games 3 and 4 by a combined 92 points, setting the record for most lopsided points differential in consecutive games in NBA playoff history. The Grizzlies held the previous mark (91), set April 20, though their consecutive losses came two seasons apart. This is just the third time in Miami Heat history that the team has been swept in the playoffs, and just the second time under coach Erik Spoelstra.
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