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Cavs playoffs: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat in first round. Game 1 is Sunday
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- Cavs playoffs: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat in first round. Game 1 is Sunday
The wait is finally over for the Cavaliers .
The Eastern Conference's No. 1 playoff seed , the Cavs learned Friday night they will face the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA postseason beginning with Game 1 at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 20, at Rocket Arena.
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Although the regular season ended April 13, the Cavs didn't know their Round 1 opponent until the Heat earned the No. 8 seed by defeating the Atlanta Hawks 123-114 in overtime Friday night in the Play-In Tournament .
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) on March 5, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cavs, Heat season series results during 2024-25 season
In the regular season, the Cavs went 64-18 and the Heat 37-45. In head-to-head matchups, the Cavs were 2-1 versus the Heat.
Against the Heat, the Cavs lost 122-113 on Dec. 8 in Miami and won 126-106 on Jan. 29 in Miami and 112-107 on March 5 in Cleveland.
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Cleveland Cavaliers small forward De'Andre Hunter (12) points at his teammates on the bench after making a 3-pointer against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 14, 2025, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Scouting Cavs vs. Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs
In the regular season, the Heat were 21st in offensive rating (112.4) and ninth in defensive rating (112) among the league's 30 teams. The Cavs were first in offensive rating (121) and eighth in defensive rating (111.8).
Guard Tyler Herro (23.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists), wing Andrew Wiggins (19 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists) and center Bam Adebayo (18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists) are Miami's top players. Herro was the Heat's lone All-Star representative this season.
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In the Heat's win over the Hawks, Herro scored 30 points, Wiggins 20, Adebayo 17 and guard Davion Mitchell 16 off the bench.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) defends Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) on March 5, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Heat vs. Cavs will feature a reunion between Max Strus and Miami
In 2023, the Heat entered the playoffs at the East's No. 8 seed, stunned the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round and advanced all the way to the NBA Finals before falling to the Denver Nuggets under coach Erik Spoelstra.
Cavs small forward Isaac Okoro called the Heat a "fast-paced" team.
"Miami loves to switch things around," Okoro said. "Of course, they have a great head coach and like to play games with you."
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Cavs small forward Max Strus was with the Heat during their memorable run to the Finals two years ago. Strus joined the Cavs during the subsequent offseason in a sign-and-trade deal.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) on March 5, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cavs playoff schedule
Here are the dates and times for the Cavs' first-round series:
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Game 1: Heat at Cavs — 7 p.m. Sunday, April 20, TNT/truTV/Max
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Game 2: Heat at Cavs — 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, NBA TV
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Game 3: Cavs at Heat — 1 p.m. Saturday, April 26, TNT
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Game 4: Cavs at Heat — TBD time Monday, April 28, TBD TV
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Game 5: Heat at Cavs — TBD time Wednesday, April 30 (if necessary), TBD TV
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Game 6: Cavs at Heat — TBD time Friday, May 2 (if necessary), TBD TV
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Game 7: Heat at Cavs — TBD time Sunday, May 4 (if necessary), TBD TV
NBA playoff bracket: Eastern Conference
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No. 1 seed Cavaliers vs. No. 8 seed Miami Heat
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No. 2 seed Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 seed Orlando Magic
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No. 3 seed New York Knicks vs. No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons
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No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 seed Milwaukee Bucks
Note: Should the Cavs advance past the first round, they would face the winner of Pacers versus Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers in NBA playoffs first round
