1 week Ago By Sam Amico, Hoops Wire
Random dribbles following the Cavaliers’ 138-83 hammer job of a road win in Game 4 against the Miami Heat on Monday, with Cleveland sweeping the series. ..
. 1. It started with a Jarrett Allen steal and dunk.
It ended with the Cavs leading by 60. 2. This was utter domination for two straight games, as the Cavs won by nearly a combined 100 points in Miami.
Overall, they swept the series by 122 points — the most lopsided victory in NBA playoff history. 3. Whenever the Cavs failed to get a basket, it was kind of a surprise.
Whenever the Heat scored, it was an even bigger shocker. Everything clicked for the Cavs and the Cavs deserve all the credit for that. They also deserve all the credit for making the Heat entirely miserable.
4. The ball moved. The shot quality was high.
The defensive effort was unmatched. This after winning Game 3 by 37 points. You’d think human nature might set in and there would be a little bit of a letdown.
But these Cavs aren’t always human. At times, they’re superhuman. 5.
Allen did indeed get things started after the Heat won the opening tap (against Allen, no less). He then quickly stole a pass and drove in for the high-flying, one-handed slam. The tone was officially set.
The rest was Blowout City. 6. It’s easy to forget the Cavs were missing Darius Garland (sprained toe) for the past two games.
The offense still really clicked — and then some. Imagine what it would’ve been like had Garland played. He’s expected to be back for Game 1 of the next round.
Look out. 6. The Heat entered the series as the first No.
10 seed to reach the playoffs. Then the Cavs spent about 12 quarters making them look like the No. 30 seed.
7. So bring on the Indiana Pacers or Milwaukee Bucks — most likely the Pacers, who lead that series by a 3-1 count. Game 5 is Tuesday night at Indiana.
Should the Pacers finish the job, Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals likely will be held Saturday or Sunday. At Rocket Arena, of course. 8.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs in Game 4 with 22 points. Maybe two of them were a struggle. Maybe.
9. De’Andre Hunter finished with 19, including 12 in the first quarter. Ty Jerome added 18 points and five assists, shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 5-of-5 on free throws.
Evan Mobley tossed in 17 points and was 2-of-4 shooting on 3-pointers. 10. Allen recorded 14 points, 12 rebounds — and a franchise playoff-record SIX steals.
As TNT analyst Candace Parker asked on the broadcast, “Has Jarrett Allen even made a single mistake?” Odds are, the answer was no. 11. I haven’t researched this, but was Kenny Atkinson the first first-year coach to take over the Cavs for a full season and lead them to a playoff sweep? I’m pretty sure Tyronn Lue did it back in 2015-16, but he took over at midseason.
Either way, what a job by Atkinson and his staff of assistants. 12. Heat star Tyler Herro had a remarkably inefficient final game, largely thanks to the defense of Max Strus , Sam Merrill and other Cavs who got a crack at him.
Herro finished with only four points on 1-of-10 shooting. 13. Mitchell to TNT on the sweep: “We came out here with a goal in mind.
We respect this (Heat) organization and this group of guys. So for us it was to just keep our foot on their neck and come out and play 48 minutes of basketball.” 14.
That’s precisely what the Cavaliers did. 15. As for the next round, Mitchell said he’ll gladly take the time off.
“I’m always a big fan of rest,” he said. “This is the best I’ve felt in my career. The biggest thing is just use that, take advantage of it, still get our work in, be at the house chillin’ and get ready for Milwaukee or Indiana.
” 16. Chilling? That’s a great way to put it. After all, so far in the playoffs, the Cavs have been nothing but cool.
18. Interestingly, just before the start of the playoffs, Garland went on FanDuel TV and had this to say: “The regular season is cool, but we haven’t done anything yet. It’s all about what you do in April, May, and June.
” 19. Clearly, again, these Cavaliers understand that, and to a man. Related | Cavs rock, roll and sweep past Heat with greatest of ease Related | Jerome: No preference on Pacers or Bucks Related | Cavs-Heat Game 4 halftime dribbles Box Score | Cavs 138, Heat 83 This article first appeared on Hoops Wire and was syndicated with permission.
.
