Ty Jerome scored 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter as Cleveland beat Miami 121-100 in Game 1.
The reserve guard took over after the Heat cut the gap to eight, helping the top-seeded Cavaliers turn a competitive finish into a comfortable victory at Rocket Arena on 20 April 2025.
Jerome takes over in the fourth quarter
Miami pulled within 98-90 with 7:26 remaining. From there, Jerome either scored or supplied the assist on 24 consecutive Cleveland points as the Cavaliers stretched their lead from 87-79 to 111-92, according to NBA.com’s play-by-play.
He shot 10 of 15 from the field, made five three-pointers and played 26 minutes in his first postseason game.
“Solid. Solid Game 1,” Jerome said.
Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson highlighted a left-handed pass to Jarrett Allen for a layup, then praised Jerome for shooting Miami out of its zone defense.
“He did it all tonight, and then defensively smart in the right position,” Atkinson said. “He turned the game for us.”
Cleveland’s backcourt keeps the pressure on
Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points and added five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Darius Garland finished with 27 points, five assists and five three-pointers as Cleveland made 18 shots from beyond the arc.
Jerome’s 28 points were the third-most by a Cavaliers player in a playoff debut, behind only LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. He and Mitchell first played together in New York when they were eight years old.
“I know everybody’s gonna react like this is a shock, but he’s been doing this for us all year,” Mitchell said.
Jerome rewards Cleveland after lost season
The performance completed a striking turnaround for Jerome, who played only twice in 2023-24 because of an ankle injury. He returned to set career highs with 70 games and 12.5 points per game, then became a finalist for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Bam Adebayo led Miami with 24 points and nine rebounds. Tyler Herro scored 21, but only four came after half-time, while Davion Mitchell added 18 points and nine assists.
The Heat had reached the series from the 10th seed through the play-in tournament, but Cleveland’s depth proved decisive in the opener.
