Cavaliers’ Historic Offense Faces Heat’s Playoff Resilience

The Cleveland Cavaliers enter the NBA playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s top seed, boasting the second most efficient offense in league history. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat arrive as the eighth seed following two gutsy road wins in the play-in tournament, continuing their reputation as postseason overachievers. As these teams prepare for Sunday’s series opener at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the contrast between Cleveland’s regular-season dominance and Miami’s playoff mettle sets the stage for an intriguing first-round matchup.

Cleveland’s 64-win campaign represents the franchise’s second-highest victory total ever, achieved through an offensive juggernaut that scored 121.0 points per 100 possessions. The Heat, despite a tumultuous season that included trading Jimmy Butler to Golden State, managed to survive and advance through the play-in tournament with characteristic resilience.

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Historic Offense Meets Defensive Stalwart

The Cavaliers’ offensive transformation under first-year coach Kenny Atkinson has been nothing short of remarkable. Cleveland ranked second in both field goal percentage in the paint (60.7%) and three-point percentage (38.3%), according to NBA.com. Their roster features eight players who shot the league average (36.0%) or better on at least 200 three-point attempts, providing unprecedented spacing and scoring options.

“Under new coach Kenny Atkinson, the Cavs rolled through their schedule en route to 64 victories,” notes USA Today. “The Cavaliers tied for the second-best all-time start to a regular season, after they won their first 15 games.”

This offensive potency will be tested against a Miami defense that has ranked in the top 10 for six consecutive seasons. The Heat’s defensive identity remained intact even after trading Butler, with Bam Adebayo anchoring a unit that allowed just 101.0 points per 100 possessions across their two play-in victories.

Post-Butler Heat Find New Heroes

Miami’s season took a dramatic turn in February when they traded Jimmy Butler to Golden State, receiving Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and eventually Davion Mitchell through subsequent deals. After initially struggling without their star, losing 17 of 21 games following the trade, the Heat discovered new chemistry down the stretch.

Tyler Herro has stepped into the offensive void, leading Miami in time of possession, usage rate, scoring, and assists. His 34-point, seven-assist performance sparked the Heat’s regular-season victory over Cleveland in December, making him a primary focus of the Cavaliers’ defensive game plan.

Davion Mitchell emerged as an unexpected playoff hero during Miami’s play-in run. The former Sacramento guard, acquired as part of the expanded Butler trade, delivered 31 total points across the two play-in games and made several crucial plays in overtime against Atlanta to secure Miami’s playoff berth.

Yahoo Sports highlights Mitchell’s impact: “A Sacramento cast-off who’d gone through the motions on an underwhelming Raptors team before landing in Miami as the Jimmy trade grew into a five-team monster, promptly proved himself a hand-in-glove fit for a hard-charging defensive culture, and then saved the friggin’ season.”

Cleveland’s Playoff Questions Remain

Despite their regular-season brilliance, the Cavaliers must answer lingering questions about their playoff performance. Last year, Cleveland saw the third-largest drop in offensive efficiency from regular season to postseason, with their points per 100 possessions plummeting from 114.7 to 104.7.

Rebounding represents another potential concern. The Cavs ranked just 22nd in defensive rebounding percentage during the regular season, having experienced the league’s fifth-largest decline in this category from last year. While Miami ranked only 27th in offensive rebounding percentage, they secured crucial offensive boards in their play-in victory over Atlanta, suggesting they could exploit this Cleveland weakness.

“Two years ago, the Cavs got absolutely destroyed on the glass as they lost their first-round series to the Knicks. Last year, they had the lowest rebounding percentage in the conference semifinals,” NBA.com reports, underscoring the importance of this battle on the boards.

Source: https://www.nba.com/news/2025-nba-playoffs-standings-and-bracket-updates

Zone Defense Could Be X-Factor

Both teams employ zone defense more frequently than most NBA squads, setting up a tactical chess match between coaches. The Heat played zone on 14.6% of their defensive possessions this season, leading the league in this category for the third consecutive year. Meanwhile, Cleveland ranked third at 8.6%, suggesting both teams will likely deploy this strategy at various points in the series.

Interestingly, nearly half of Cleveland’s total zone possessions faced this season came against Miami. While the Cavaliers’ offense was less efficient against zone defense than their season average, they still performed better against Miami’s zone than most teams did.

As Sunday’s 7:00 p.m. tipoff approaches, the Cavaliers enter as substantial favorites with -2500 odds compared to Miami’s +1200. While most analysts predict Cleveland will advance, the Heat’s playoff pedigree and recent road success – having won six of their last seven away games – suggest they won’t go down without a fight in what promises to be an engaging first-round matchup.

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