The Cleveland Cavaliers marched into South Florida and embarrassed the Miami Heat on their home floor Saturday afternoon, securing a 124-87 win to take an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Miami came out aggressive on both ends of the floor, leading 15-6 after the first five minutes. Then the Cavaliers proceeded to outscore the Heat 34-5 over the next eight minutes in change. Miami looked completely disjointed on both ends of the floor, committing five turnovers (compared to eight shot attempts) over that span while allowing Cleveland to convert on 13 of its 17 shots (6-8 3PT).
The Heat couldn’t reconfigure, heading into the halftime break down 20, a deficit that nearly doubled throughout the second half.
The worst part was that Cleveland was doing it without an offensive explosion from Donovan Mitchell, who had just 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting in 30 minutes. Evan Mobley, who was named the Defensive Player of the Year Thursday, was outstanding, scoring 19 points in 32 minutes.
Former Heat guard Max Strus, who defended Tyler Herro exceptionally well on Saturday, had 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes on 7-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-9 from deep. De’Andre Hunter tallied 21 points on 6-of-8 shooting; Ty Jerome feasted with 13 points and 11 assists, his first double-double of the season.
Conversely, Bam Adebayo, who led the Heat in made 3-pointers (4) and 3-point attempts (7) on Saturday, tallied a team-high 22 points with nine rebounds on 9-of-20 shooting. Davion Mitchell had 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting while Tyler Herro totaled just 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
Herro only attempted three 3-pointers in 37 minutes, his fewest in 35 or more minutes since March 21, 2023, against the Indiana Pacers. He’s only attempted three or fewer 3-pointers in 35-plus minutes only four other times in his career.
Cleveland dominated Miami in every conceivable way. It doubled Miami in the paint (60-30), outscored Miami in the second-chance points department (22-10), finished a plus-16 on the glass, made 10 more free throws and committed seven fewer turnovers.
Saturday’s loss was the worst point differential for a loss in a playoff game in franchise history–marking their seventh-straight postseason loss at home. The Heat look to avoid their 8th Monday.
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Interesting article on how far Ware still has to go.
Heat’s Game 3 loss to Cavs provides valuable lesson for Kel’el WareInstead of hunting Tyler Herro, they went at Kel’el Ware.
https://allucanheat.com/heat-s-game-3-loss-to-cavs-provide-valuable-lesson-for-kel-el-ware
I couldn’t find anything positive in this game. What went wrong?
The most stunning thing about this team is, how easy and how low can fall after very solid stretch of the game. They played great for 5-6 minutes, then there was a total disaster for 2-3 minutes from the same players. Substitutions then make everything even worse.
Sometimes it seems like it was space jam movie.
Those breakdowns are the story of this year, sometimes happened in 4th, now even earlier.
Is there a problem with players quality, confidence, lack of playmaking, lack of intelligence, Spo don’t know what he is doing…. I dont know, but something must change.
I thing the biggest mistake would be to pursuing a whale like KD: The team is not good enough even with him or similar player.
The team forward must be different. I think Heat should keep all young players and play them one more year no matter the result. During next season, they should rid of all vets but Bam, Herro and Mitchell. After next season, there should be core available, and team ready for a whale.
I think it will take one more year to figure out which players Miami should keep. By the end of 2025-2026 five contracts alone (Rozier, Robinson, Anderson, Highsmith and Love) totaling over $71M can come off the books.
Mitchell will be a restricted free agent and Alec Burks will become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Their current contracts total $8.5M expire. It is unknown if Miami will decide to negotiate new contracts with either player or how much new contracts will cost.
Five players on rookie contracts (Ware, Jaquez, Jovic, Larsson and Johnson) are on the books next season for under $17M total. The team will have another year, or more, to determine which of those players it wants to keep long term.
The three G Leaguers on two-way contracts (Smith, Stevens and Christopher) are restricted free agents after this season. It is unknown what plans the team has for them.
In theory, (not including potential trades involving Bam, Herro and Wiggins), the team could have 15 new players by summer 2026. Although that is very highly unlikely to happen (especially when it comes to Ware, Mitchell, existing players on rookie contracts, draft picks in 2025 and 2026 and G Leaguers), it does demonstrate that Miami has much to work with for the future.
Let the rebuild begin!
Tough game for the home team. Can’t believe this was the worst loss in Heat playoff history.
When I think of the worst playoff performance in Heat history, I think of the round-1 series against the Hornets when Zo tried to come back from his kidney illness to lead the team. That was a real 90s-era Riley team. I think Antony Mason and Eddie Jones were the two best players.
This team is, and has always been, a rebuild. They were a play-in team with a first round exit last year with Jimmy Butler, they’re a play-in team with a first round exit this year without Jimmy Butler. I wish they didn’t have the Wiggins contract on the books. I like the addition of Ware and Mitchell. In the end, they need a veteran scorer to take them over the top. Sounds like KD might be available…
Here’s a great article about the fallout from that series. It was a 4-0 Hornets sweep. That article starts with Pat Riley saying he’s glad he’s the GM, otherwise he’d be worried about getting fired as the coach
https://www.espn.com/nba/playoffs2001/2001/0430/1189394.html
And for those of you who are curious, the Heat were back in the playoffs two years later, when they won their first round series against…the Charlotte Hornets
Teams have their cycles. Right now, Miami is in the spin cycle.
The Wiggins contract is actually one of the most, or the most, tradable asset they have going into the offseason. Stay tuned.
One glorious day we shall once again rule the NBA
I love that…next season pls 😀
aint happening for a while become a panthers fan
Patience is a virtue. One more down season, then the sky is the limit beginning in 2026-2027.
panthers are the heat now
Hate to say it…but we don’t have any business whatsoever being in the playoffs.
Why getting swept in first round is exactly what the Miami Heat need
…”Team president Pat Riley has overseen a significant talent drain in Miami over the past two years. That regression was a big part of Butler’s frustrations with the franchise. Perhaps being swept in the postseason is the shock to the system the Heat’s front office needs. Hopefully, that will spur Riley to push the reset button and begin rebuilding”…
https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/why_getting_swept_in_first_round_is_exactly_what_the_miami_heat_need/s1_13132_42112227
I fear even this travesty will not bring change. The thing that we have going for us is that Bam, Davion, Wiggins, and I still believe in Ware, although I don’t know if he will be good or very good. And Ty can be on the team somewhere too, but maybe as a sixth man as we upgrade. And HH will be worth keeping in the rotation, not starting.
The problems we have are that it will be hard to get rid of the rest to make room for better players. We probably need three upgrades, a two way guard, a back up center, and our superstar, a high scoring forward, two way player, which will be hard to obtain. I hope Riley can fix things but I have some doubts.
I will say there are two things to learn, who you draft comes with risk as some players are harder to discard. And players who you extend or bring in on contracts which are too generous become players that are harder to discard too.
We need to have an exit strategy with every move we make.
I agree with your assessment of herro, his best role with the team is and has always been as a sixth man. If a player who’s not known for defense talks about attacking you on offense you should not be starting. Yes your offense is good sometimes but your defense makes that null and void. Also Wiggins is pure ass and 100% wouldn’t have moved Jimmy without kuminga whom they barely fucking play in gs but didn’t want to lose him pure bs. Yes the quitter is hurt but Mia got fleeced in that trade
I was at the game and they had a shameful, pathetic, lethargic performance. Embarrassing is an understatement for that lackluster performance. It was franchise record beatdown of epic proportions at home against cavs without garland. Even Bam got posterized badly with balls all in his face. This was why I didn’t want us to make the playoffs smh. Could of had two draft picks, instead we might get swept. Also this is definitely spo’s worst season coaching ever, straight up trash performance, and very disappointed. Riley has to make some trades as soon as he can and I’m willing to trade anyone on the roster except bam and ware.
The ability to rebuild is actually much easier with this years pick going to OKC. Free’s up future picks to make moves
True, but this year is supposed to be a loaded class.
Next year’s draft is equally loaded. If the team is real bad next year while shedding salaries and developing youngsters, maybe we’ll still end up with a lottery pick. Better to plan rebuild with salaries already shed after next season.
Worst case scenario, Miami drafts best player available at #20 this summer, continues developing younger players and drafts best available player in summer of 2026. Meanwhile, the team can seek trades or wait for expiration of several contracts and decide whether to renew, extend or renegotiate others. 2025-2026 should be a turbulent season of change, hopefully, for the better.
2024-2025:
Burks $2,087,519 contract expires end of season
Mitchell $6,451,077 contract expires end of season
2025-2026:
Robinson $19,888.000 contract is partially guaranteed has a $9,888,000 team buyout option
Rozier $26,642,031 contract expires end of season
Highsmith $5,616,000 contract expires end of season
Anderson $9,658,536 contract has team option end of season
Love $4,150,000 contract expires end of season
Jaquez $3,861,600 contract has team option
Jovic $4,445,417 contract has team option
Larsson $1,955,377 contract has team option
Johnson $1,955,377 contract has team option
Stevens Two-way contract is RFA
Christopher Two-way contract is RFA
Smith Two-way contract is RFA
2026-2027:
Bam $48,713,700 under contract
Herro $33,000,000 under contract
Wiggins $30,169,649 contract has player option
Ware $4,654,920 contract has team option
I don’t understand how giving up a lottery pick this season is better than having a worse pick next season. Unless you think the team will be an 11 or worse seed, which isn’t out of the question.
If they play the youngsters and slowly get rid of the unneeded veterans by the end of the 2025-2026 season, they may very well be a young lottery team, with two new rookies, 5 (or more) additional players on rookie contracts and considerable cap space for 2026-2027. Not a bad place to be if you have a core of Ware, Bam Mitchell, Wiggins and Herro to build on or use in trade (if the right deal comes along).
Yes, that was my premise – that it is possible we could be a lottery team next season with a higher pick than #11 we missed now. Possible, but I feel it won’t work out that way.
It doesn’t make sense lol giving up that lottery pick this year made no sense and now he’s trying to rationalize it, the bs experience excuse didn’t work. Cause only experience ware is getting is hurting him mentally probably
Rather than dwell on what isn’t, I like to focus on what is possible. The players to a man wanted a chance to compete in the playoffs. They earned their way in by winning two play-in games on the road.
So you are saying Riley and Spo should have intentionally tanked and deprived them of that opportunity in order to get a lottery pick? Butler already quit on the players once this season and it’s your suggestion the organization should have quit on them again? That is despite the damage it would have done to the team’s psyche or the team’s reputation as warriors to the end (Heat culture)
As I had mentioned earlier, if Miami did that, it could join the ranks of the NBA’s other tankers (76ers, Wizards, Hornets, Jazz etc.) They could then proceed to change the team’s name to the Miami Tankers or Miami Quitters. Difficult decision since each has a nice ring to it…don’t you think?
The experience Ware is getting should motivate him to work on bulking up his body and the parts of his game that are weak. Even with a late lottery pick this year, the team would not be much better off in 2025-2026 than they will be a year from now after shedding salaries and still having a first round pick (possibly lottery) coming.
Desperate times require desperate measures. Here’s a few trade proposals I’ve seen lately. A few sound interesting. Don’t kill the messenger.
Heat receives: F DeMar DeRozan, G Terence Davis
Kings receive: G Terry Rozier, F Jaime Jaquez Jr., 2029 first-round pick
Heat receives: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, AJ Green
Bucks receive: Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Kel’el Ware, Nikola Jovic, conditional 2029 and 2031 first round picks, 2028 and 2030 first round pick swaps
Heat receives: Trae Young
Hawks receive: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and a future draft pick
Heat Receives: Trae Young
Hawks Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Duncan Robinson (Sign-and-Trade), Jaime Jaquez Jr., 2025 First-Round Pick (GSW), 2030 First-Round Pick (MIA)
Heat receives: Trae Young
Hawks receive: Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jović, Pelle Larsson, 2025 No. 20 (Golden State Warriors), Miami 2030 protected first-rounder, $19.4 million trade exception
Heat Receives: Kevin Durant
Suns Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Haywood Highsmith, Jamie Jaquez, 2029 First-Round Pick (MIA), 2030 First-Round Pick (MIA)
Heat Receives: Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke, John Konchar
Grizzlies Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, Kel’el Ware, Pelle Larsson, 2025 First-Round Pick (GSW), 2029 First-Round Pick (MIA)
Heat Receives: Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan
Kings Receive: Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, Nikola Jovic, 2029 First-Round Pick (MIA), 2030 First-Round Pick (MIA)
Heat Receives: Lauri Markkanen
Jazz Receives: Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, Nikola Jovic, 2029 First-Round Pick (MIA), 2030 First-Round Pick (MIA)
Heat Receives: Julius Randle (Sign-and-Trade)
Timberwolves Receive: Duncan Robinson (Sign-and-Trade), Nikola Jovic, Kel’el Ware, 2029 First-Round Pick (MIA), 2030 First-Round Pick (MIA)
Heat Receives: Desmond Bane, GG Jackson, 2027 First-Round Pick (MEM), 2029 First-Round Pick (MEM), 2028 Second-Round Pick (MEM)
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Bam Adebayo
I would do that giannis and morant trade, but switch out ware, and put Jaquez in those packages. Also would do the Lauri trade as well. Also maybe would do the kd trade if that’s all it takes.
On those first round draft picks, I believe the rule is you can’t trade consecutive year’s first round picks. Probably have to be 2029 and 2031.
I saw that. Just copied and pasted to add for discussion purposes. I really think the best opportunities for a rebuild will be after next season. Things should be much clearer then.
edey 7 blocks
So, what, he’s not a big white stiff this game as you referred to him last game? 😆
Please just mercy kill this season next game. We really didn’t belong in the playoffs as many here stated. Those who know me here, know that I can be positive at times and critical at other times. I must say that if this was any other team, the coach would be fired for the performance in these playoffs. I can appreciate that they were heavy underdogs going into the playoffs, but there is no excuse for how the team has played and the rotations that have been used.
no burks no slo mo should get filmboy fired.does he remember who played and didnt play when they had that 6 game winning streak.just stick with those 8 guys dumbot.edey playing much better than ware now .ware regressed as did jjj.bam and ty have certified themselves as complimentary players,
H, my sports loving, music loving compadre, you make that 6 game streak sound like the ‘72 Dolphins. Maybe that was the outlier and the rest of the season, centered around the quitter debacle, was the indicator.
dunc came back losing followed defense wins in nba.this guys playing ty n dunc together smh
If not for that, we could have been 72-10.
He’s right about defense. Most of the top teams are full of two-way players. Not gaping holes in their defenses like Miami. In the future, Miami needs to stop drafting, trading for or recruiting players who cannot defend. That’s a luxury even the best teams cannot afford.
4 of those 6 wins were against Wizards, 76ers, Hawks and Hornets. The other 2 were Boston and Golden State.
It feels like Spo’s schtick and the whole Heat culture thing has worn thin. At least that’s my take.
They should Brad Steven’s / Danny Ainge him and Pat. It’s time for a shake up.
That said, I fully expect to run it back with similar bad results for the next year or two.
I’ve been questioning Spo’s coaching decisions for some time. Maybe it’s time for Riley to retire and for Spo to take his place. Miami can then bring in a younger, more progressive coach who is more in tune with the times.
It is very apparent that Miami is light years away from being able to compete with the NBA’s middling teams, much less the elite ones. Did you notice that the West’s #8 team (Grizzlies) gave the NBA’s #1 team (OKC) all they could handle (after getting blown out by 51 points in Game 1). They did not “let go of the rope” like Miami did today.
After watching today’s debacle, I no longer believe a re-tooling will do the trick. It is time for a full rebuild. Other than Bam, Ware and Mitchell, I think everyone should be available for trade. For the right price, they could be too.
thats becuase bam never ups his game to another level when needed.what do we have in keshod or josh i kinda know what we have in pele jovic jjj but these bros never given a shot not 1 second this org doesnt like athletes they like heady players i guesstheres a reason why we never get second shots or deflections .pat is behind the times look at his drafts.he gets a pass though becuase he drafted wade and thats good enoughfor years,but thats kinda worn off been a while so lets get us another dwade type player
In addition to having rookie Ware sit on the bench gathering splinters in his ass until late January, I have no clue why Spo gave rookie Larsson all the playing time (55 games @ 14.2 minutes per game) while giving the rookie Johnson so little playing time (16 games @ 6.1 minutes per game, mostly during garbage time).