Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers head-to-head, season stats, last 5 games and more for 2025 NBA Playoffs first round

The Miami Heat made NBA history Friday night, becoming the first No. 10 seed to reach the playoffs since the play-in tournament was introduced. They sealed their spot with a gritty 123-114 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks, setting up a first-round showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Heat have proven themselves in play-in scenarios — just two years ago, they went on a Finals run from the play-in, although they eventually lost to the Denver Nuggets.

This time, though, the challenge is steeper, as they now face the Eastern Conference’s top seed in the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Here’s a breakdown of their opening-round matchup and a recap of how they performed head-to-head this season.

Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers Head-to-Head

Historically, Miami has the edge in this matchup. Out of 133 regular-season meetings, the Heat have won 80 games.

Their playoff resumes are close — the Heat enter their 26th postseason appearance, while this will be the 25th for the Cavaliers. Miami has reached the Finals seven times, winning three titles, while Cleveland has made five Finals appearances with one championship win.

Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers Season Stats

Miami wrapped up the regular season with a 37-45 record. Despite the losing record, their defense ranked in the top 10, finishing ninth with a 112.0 defensive rating. Just ahead of them? The Cavaliers, who ranked eighth with a 111.8 mark.

However, the Heat struggled on the boards, landing in the bottom 10 in rebounding. Both teams also sit low in blocks per game — with Miami ranked last and Cleveland as the fourth-worst.

Offensively, the contrast between these teams is stark. Miami was 21st in offensive rating at 112.4, while Cleveland topped the league with a 121.0 mark. The Cavs also ranked second in 3-point percentage at 38.7%, while the Heat came in 12th at 36.7%.

Cleveland led the NBA in points per game with 121.9 and ranked second in field goal percentage at 49.1%.

Meanwhile, Miami had trouble getting to the line, averaging just 20.2 free throw attempts per game — fourth lowest in the league. Cleveland, on the other hand, averaged 1.7 more attempts per game.

The Cavaliers also finished with a 9.2 net rating — third-best in the league — while the Heat had a 0.4 net rating, the lowest among all teams with a positive mark, ranking 16th.

Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers Last 5 Games

The Heat and Cavs battled three times in the regular season. Miami took the first one 122-113, led by Tyler Herro’s 34 points and Duncan Robinson’s 23. Bam Adebayo added 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Cleveland responded by winning the next two. In January, the Cavs rolled to a 126-106 victory with Donovan Mitchell scoring 34 and bench duo Ty Jerome and Georges Niang combining for 35.

Their third meeting came in March, after Miami traded Jimmy Butler. The Cavaliers edged the Heat 112-107, powered by Mitchell’s 26 points and Evan Mobley’s 16 points and 13 boards. Bam Adebayo had a strong game with 34 points and 12 rebounds, though Miami shot just 36.1% from 3.

Here’s a rundown of the last five Heat-Cavaliers games

• Cavaliers def. Heat 112-107 | March 5, 2025
• Cavaliers def. Heat 126-106 | Jan. 29, 2025
• Heat def. Cavaliers 126-106 | Dec. 8, 2024
• Heat def. Cavaliers 121-84 | March 24, 2024
• Heat def. Cavaliers 121-84 | March 20, 2024

Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers 2025 NBA Playoffs First Round Schedule

Game 1 of the series tips off Sunday, April 20, at 7 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Game 2 will be held Wednesday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m.

The series shifts to Miami for Game 3 on Saturday, April 26, at 1 p.m. and continues with Game 4 on Monday, April 28.

If needed, Game 5 is set for April 30, Game 6 on May 2 and a potential Game 7 on May 4.

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alt=”John Ezekiel Hirro” height=”72″ width=”72″>

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

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He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university’s official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant’s departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson’s record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro