1 stat shows just how much the Cavaliers historically dominated the Heat
1 stat shows just how much the Cavaliers historically dominated the Heat
The Cleveland Cavaliers earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, which means they faced the No. 8 seed in the opening round of the playoffs.
Cleveland (64-18) had a relatively easy path to make the semifinals in the East, facing off against fairly mediocre competition. Miami (37-45) finished well below .500 during the regular season and traded franchise star Jimmy Butler before the NBA's trade deadline.
The Heat had the tenth-best record in the conference but clawed its way into the final spot of the postseason by winning two crucial play-in games. But the two teams did not belong in the same arenas once the playoffs began in earnest, and by the final game, Cleveland was leading at one point by an absurd margin of 70-25.
Cleveland outscored Miami by a whopping 122 points (and 88 points when Cavaliers reserve Ty Jerome was on the court) during the four-game sweep.
If that sounds like a metric ton, that is because it is absolutely unheard of for two playoff teams.
Before this, no team had ever outscored an opponent by more than 100 points in a four-game sweep.
Miami big man Bam Adebayo expects that the organization will make several moves to improve the roster this offseason.
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