The Cleveland Cavaliers were either the best or the second-best team in the league for the entire season.
However, they showed some worrisome trends every now and then.
They had a tendency to take their foot off the gas and then have to work hard to get back into games.
They also struggled against physicality at times.
Notably, that’s why it was so refreshing to see them brush off all those doubts and take care of business in just four games vs. the Miami Heat.
Following their 138-83 thrashing of the Heat in Game 4, coach Kenny Atkinson gushed about his players’ maturity and determination to get the job done:
“We came out here and we came down here with the right mentality,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Our maturity, our leadership, all that stuff we’ve been talking about all year, we don’t seem to have let-downs and that’s rare. There’s just a connection and a camaraderie and our leaders send the right message and everybody kind of follows.”
Clearly, the Cavs have proven that they can go against the best teams in the league on any given night.
Nevertheless, some still doubted their ability to stay focused and in control during a seven-game series.
Needless to say, this version of the Miami Heat isn’t a barometer to measure whether this team is a true championship contender, but they still did what they needed to do.
They set a new record for the largest point differential in any playoff series in NBA history (+122), and that’s despite having Darius Garland in street clothes for the final two games.
Now, with the Indiana Pacers up 3-1 on the Milwaukee Bucks and Damian Lillard out with a torn Achilles, things will be much trickier in the next round.
NEXT: Stats Show How Dominant Jarrett Allen Was Against Heat
