The Cleveland Cavaliers' 2025 season has had it all: the reinvention of proven stars, the emergence of unlikely heroes, a frog, a theme song, on-court theatrics, and so on.
Now, with 20 games left to play, that season has something else: a playoff berth.
With a 112–107 win over the Miami Heat at home Wednesday evening, the Cavaliers became the first team in the NBA to lock up a bid to the postseason.
It was a typically balanced effort for the team with the best record in the NBA—although star guard Donovan Mitchell paced his squad with 26 points. Heat center Bam Adebayo added 34 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in defeat.
FIRST TEAM IN. #LETEMKNOW pic.twitter.com/bHn7OwRhhc
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 6, 2025
With its 12th consecutive win, Cleveland also made history by becoming the second team ever to post three winning streaks in a season of 12 or more games. The 2007 Dallas Mavericks also accomplished the feat, though they eventually became better known for crashing out against the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.
The Cavaliers lead the Boston Celtics by eight games for the best record in the Eastern Conference, and the Oklahoma City Thunder by one game for the best record in the league.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cavaliers Top Heat to Become First NBA Team to Clinch 2025 Playoff Berth.
