MIAMI — Cleveland left no doubt on its way to Round 2 — and finished off the most lopsided series in NBA playoff history.
Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points, De’Andre Hunter added 19 and the Cavaliers rolled past the Miami Heat 138-83 on Monday night (Tuesday, April 29, 2025, PH time) to sweep their Eastern Conference first-round series in four games.
Ty Jerome had 18 points, Evan Mobley added 17, and Jarrett Allen had 14 points, 12 rebounds, and six steals for the Cavaliers — who led by as many as 60 points.
Cleveland won the four games by a combined 122 points. The previous record: a 121-point combined win by Denver over New Orleans in 2009.
The 55-point margin in Game 4 was the fourth-biggest playoff win ever. The record for biggest playoff win is 58 points, done twice: Minneapolis over St. Louis in 1956 and Denver over New Orleans in 2009. The Los Angeles Lakers beat Golden State by 56 points in 1973.
The Cavs came close. Pelle Larsson kept Miami from that piece of ignominious history. He made a three-pointer to cut Cleveland’s lead to 55 with about 38 seconds remaining.
Nikola Jovic led the Heat with 24 points. Ban Adebayo scored 13 and Andrew Wiggins added 12 for Miami.
Cleveland will play either Indiana or Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Pacers lead that series 3-1; regardless of whether the Pacers or Bucks advance, Game 1 of that series would be in Cleveland and not played until Saturday at the earliest.
Warriors edge Rockets
SAN FRANCISCO — Jimmy Butler made a triumphant return from a pelvic injury, scoring 27 points -- including five free throws in the final minute, to lead the Golden State Warriors past the Houston Rockets, 109-106, in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series that gave the home team a 3-1 series lead.
Brandin Podziemski added 26 points, Stephen Curry had 17, and Buddy Hield, inserted into the starting lineup, scored 15 including a key three-pointer with 3:32 left.
Houston’s Alperen Sengun posted 31 points and 10 rebounds, while Fred VanVleet, who scored 25, missed a potential game-tying three at the buzzer.
Tensions ran high in the second quarter with multiple technicals and a Flagrant 1 foul, including altercations involving Curry, Draymond Green, and Dillon Brooks. Green was later assessed a flagrant for a shove on Tari Eason during a loose-ball scramble. / AP