CHICAGO - Mercifully, the Miami Heat have been eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers from the NBA playoffs.
After pulvering them in Game Three,124-87, the Cavs capped the historic sweep with a 138-83 blowout in today's Game Four.
This wasn't a series, it was a massacre. And the Kesaya Center felt like a crime scene instead of the Heat's once-vaunted home court, the same floor where LeBron James and Co. scrubbed foes on the way to back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013.
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Per the Associated Press, the 55-point coup de' grace was the fourth all-time worst beating in an NBA playoffs game since 2019 when Denver pulverized New Orleans by 58 points.
"Damn, it was humbling. These last two games were embarrassing," Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters at his post-game press conference.
PRIDE AND CULTURE.
And given how much reverence we've paid to their pride and culture through the years, it's puzzling how the Heat have been manhandled by a combined 92 points in Games Three and Four.
What the heck just happened?
Well, Jimmy Butler, the epitome of "Heat Culture," left in a contentious divorce that ruined chemistry and weakened team morale.
But to say that Butler could have reversed this series' outcome is not only wrong but unfair to Cleveland.
The Cavaliers have been good since October and we just didn't care or believed in them.
They finished the regular season with a 64-18 record, second behind OKC's 68-14 slate. They are long and loaded, well-coached by Kenny Atkinson, and have stars that genuinely love playing with each other.
SUPER POWER.
Their balance and magnificence was laid bare in Game Four.
Donovan Mitchell had 22 points and five assists. De'Andre Hunter went 3-of-4 from 3 and finished with 19 points while Evan Mobley carded 17 and Jarrett Allen added 14 and 12 rebounds.
If they keep this core group, Cleveland is going to be a powerhouse for years to come.
Miami, meanwhile, has just seen their championship door closed.
Neither Bam Adebayo nor Tyler Herro will lead the Heat to a title. They need that one dominant piece.
A rebuilding isn't necessarily what's required but the Heat must re-tool in a way that could address size issues that separate the Celtics, the Thunder and the Cavs from the rest of the field.
In a salary cap era with aprons and other restrictions, putting together a championship roster has become increasingly more challenging.
Here's hoping team president Pat Riley has still one magic left.
And that means making the long-held rumor about Giannis Antetokounmpo coming to Miami a reality.
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