Cavs offer Heat brutal reminder of what quality looks like in 149-128 romp in Cleveland

5 points in those four games. Friday night, with ...

CLEVELAND – The Miami Heat’s desire remains to get to the playoffs for a franchise-record seventh consecutive season. Friday night’s game offered a reminder of what can happen when you get there as an overmatched opponent. Last year, the Heat were swept out of their first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers by an NBA-record margin of 30.

5 points in those four games. Friday night, with the Cavaliers closer to full strength than they were in Wednesday night’s home loss to the Heat, Cleveland rolled to a 149-128 dismantling of Erik Spoelstra’s team at Rocket Arena, as if the two sides were back in the 2025 playoffs, this time with the Cavaliers’ lead peaking at 36. It was the most points allowed by the Heat in their 38 seasons.

Meanwhile, making it to the playoffs took a decided step back for the Heat with their sixth loss in their last seven games, still at the bottom of the Eastern Conference play-in race , at No. 10 in the conference. With the Cavaliers injecting the 7-foot length of Jarrett Allen and the outside shooting of Max Strus back into their rotation, after the two sat out Wednesday night’s 120-103 loss to the Heat , it was a game decided even before halftime, a juncture when Cleveland led 81-46.