The Cleveland Cavaliers delivered a historic blowout against the Miami Heat during the first round, winning by a staggering 55-point margin. From the opening quarter, the visitors’ dominance was clear as they humiliated the home team in front of their fans, eventually cruising to a 138–83 victory.
The Heat entered this final game of the NBA playoffs’ first round with an understanding of the uphill battle they faced. Cleveland delivered an early knockout blow, winning the first quarter by a staggering 43-17. The home team was unable to secure a win in any of the subsequent three quarters.
This game evokes memories of one of the two biggest blowouts in NBA playoffs history, the most recent being in 2009 when the Denver Nuggets routed the New Orleans Hornets 121-63, a decisive 58-point victory in Game 4 of the first round. Denver established early dominance, surging to a 21-point lead in the opening quarter and maintaining control throughout the contest.
The Cavaliers came within a hair’s breadth of setting a new record for the biggest playoff blowout, falling just three points shy of tying it and four away from making history. However, a decision to give their bench players significant minutes saw the intensity wane in the fourth quarter, which they won by a mere seven points – their narrowest margin of victory in the game.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 28: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat speaks to teammates during the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Kaseya Center on April 28, 2025 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Top 7 blowout wins in NBA playoffs history
The NBA‘s most recent playoff blowout occurred just over 15 years ago. While other historically large margins of victory date back more than 30 years, the 2025 playoffs saw two more games enter the top seven of all-time blowouts. This occurrence within the same season suggests a trend that could lead to frequent updates to this list in the coming years.
- DEN at NOH, 2009 1st Round Game 4 (58 points)
- MNL vs. STL, 1956 Div. Semis Game 2 (58 points)
- LAL at GSW, 1973 Conf. Semis Game 3 (56 points)
- CLE at MIA, 2025 1st Round Game 4 (55 points)
- CHI at MIL, 2015 1st Round Game 6 (54 points)
- OKC at MEM, 2025 1st Round Game 1 (51 points)
- MIL vs. SFW, 1971 Conf. Semis Game 5 (50 points)
Next stage for the Cavaliers
The Cavaliers now advance to the conference semifinals, where they will await the winner of the first-round matchup between the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks. With the Pacers currently holding a commanding 3-1 series lead at the time of this writing, they appear to be the likely opponent for Cleveland in the next stage.
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