The Cleveland Cavaliers won their 12th straight game on Wednesday. In the process, they also secured their spot in the 2024-25 NBA playoffs.
Cleveland took down the Miami Heat in a tightly contested affair, 112-107. The Cavs led by as many as 17 points at one point in the game, but the Heat kept fighting back and were only four points behind Cleveland entering the fourth quarter.
The Heat also took a seven-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, only to find the Cavs staging a comeback. Donovan Mitchell led the scoring for Cleveland with 26 points, eight of which came in the crucial fourth quarter.
All-Star big man Evan Mobley had a big game himself with a massive double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds. Darius Garland, for his part, scored 15 points and dished out 15 assists.
Bam Adebayo dropped 34 points along with 12 boards and five dimes for the Heat, but several of his teammates struggled offensively. In fact, none of the other starters scored more than 12 points.
With the win, the Cavs improved to 52-10 on the season. As mentioned, they are also guaranteed an automatic playoff qualification, with NBA confirming they are the first team to do so this 2024-25 season.
"Donovan Mitchell leads the @cavs to their 12th straight win as they become the first team to clinch their place in the #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google!" the NBA wrote on social media.
WEDNESDAY'S FINAL SCORES
Donovan Mitchell leads the @cavs to their 12th straight win as they become the first team to clinch their place in the #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google!
Evan Mobley: 16 PTS, 13 REB
De'Andre Hunter: 16 PTS, 5 REB
Darius Garland: 15 PTS, 10 AST pic.twitter.com/na9zzLdMRY
— NBA (@NBA) March 6, 2025
For what it's worth, securing a postseason berth isn't the only thing the Cavs achieved on Wednesday night.
With their current unbeaten run, the Cavs joined the Dallas Mavericks as the only teams in NBA history with at least three 12-game winning streaks in a season. The Cavs started the campaign with 15 consecutive victories, and they won another 12 straight from December to January.
Clearly, with the way they are playing, the Cavs are more than ready for the playoffs.
Related: NBA Makes Historic LeBron James Announcement in Lakers-Pelicans
Copyright 2025 Athlon Sports. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 12:39 AM.