The Cleveland Cavaliers are headed back to the playoffs—and they got there before anyone else. With a hard-fought 112-107 win over the Miami Heat, the Cavaliers became the first team in the NBA to officially punch their postseason ticket.
The victory marked the Cavaliers’ 12th straight win, improving their league-best record to 52-10—already four wins better than last season, with 20 games still left to play.
This isn’t just a good team. This is a great team, and they know it.
For the Cavaliers, “This Is the Bare Minimum.”
For some teams, clinching a playoff spot is a celebration. For this Cavaliers squad? It’s just the start.
“This was an expectation,” Donovan Mitchell said after the game. “Is it great that we did it in March? Yeah. But this is the bare minimum for us. I think a playoff berth is something that we’ve just come to be like, ‘This is who we are.’ Now it’s, can we be the one seed?”
This is the confidence of a team that has bigger goals in mind. They aren’t just trying to make the playoffs—they’re trying to win in the playoffs.
But true to form, Cleveland didn’t make this latest win easy.
Cleveland’s hot start, messy middle, and wild finish
The Cavaliers have made a habit of falling into early holes this season, only to storm back in the second half. But against Miami, they flipped the script.
Cleveland came out firing, torching the Heat defense with 36 first-quarter points while knocking down five of their first ten three-pointers.
Darius Garland was cooking early, finding his spots in the mid-range while Evan Mobley dominated the glass. By the time the second quarter rolled around, Cleveland’s lead had ballooned to 17 points.
It looked like they were on cruise control.
Miami, however, had other ideas.
Despite missing key players—including their lone All-Star, Tyler Herro, along with Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic, and Jaime Jaquez Jr.—the Heat refused to go away. Cleveland’s red-hot offense suddenly sputtered, managing just 27 points in the second quarter and a sluggish 23 in the third.
By the start of the fourth, the once comfortable lead had shrunk to just four points.
Then, suddenly, the Cavaliers found themselves trailing.
Miami’s run forced Max Strus to provide an answer
The Heat stormed ahead in the fourth quarter, taking their first lead of the game and stretching it to as many as seven points with just under six minutes to play.
For a moment, it looked like Cleveland’s winning streak—and their chance to be the first team to clinch a playoff spot—was slipping away.
Enter Max Strus.
Facing his former team, Strus took over when it mattered most. He buried back-to-back clutch three-pointers, swinging momentum back in Cleveland’s favor. Then, with just 30 seconds left and the Cavaliers up by three, he made the defensive play of the night, forcing a crucial turnover that should have sealed the win.
But, of course, nothing about this game was simple.
On the very next possession, Darius Garland lost the ball while crossing half-court, gifting Miami one last chance to force overtime.
The Heat went straight to Duncan Robinson for a potential game-tying three. But Strus wasn’t done yet. He smothered Robinson, forcing him to step out of bounds—a defensive stand that officially ended Miami’s hopes.
Garland then iced the game at the free-throw line. It wasn’t pretty. But it didn’t have to be. Ultimately, all that matters is that the Cavaliers secured the win.
The Cavaliers know who they are after clinching a playoff spot
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson summed it up best after the game.
“We’re not a cocky team, but we kind of know [who we are],” Atkinson said. “We’re getting to the point where we show zero kind of trepidation or we don’t rush for the most part, and we get to what we want to get to.”
This wasn’t Cleveland’s most dominant performance. It wasn’t a statement win in the traditional sense. But it was proof—proof that this team has what it takes to handle adversity and grind out victories.
More importantly, it was a milestone.
By clinching the first playoff spot in the NBA, the Cavaliers sent a clear message: This team isn’t just good. They’re ready to compete for something bigger.
With a playoff berth secured, Cleveland now faces a grueling stretch to close out the regular season. The schedule is brutal—16 games in 29 days, bouncing from city to city with several back-to-back matchups.
The challenge now? Staying at the top.
Clinching early is one thing. Finishing strong is another.
But if this season has proven anything, it’s that the Cavaliers thrive under pressure.
And now, they’re officially playoff-bound.
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