CLEVELAND, Ohio — Forget a broom. Go hire a cleaning service. The Cavs left too big a mess in Miami to clean it with a “sweep.”

Nope, this team beat the … culture out of Miami during Monday’s 138-83 win to finish the series, and Cleveland made history doing so. The Cavs led 15-3 within three minutes, took a 39-point lead into halftime, and finished this first-round series with a plus-30.5-point differential. Woah.

Maybe this is how top seeds are supposed to handle 37-win playoff opponents. But no team in NBA.com’s database has ever handled business like this.

Entering the conference semifinals, Cleveland owns the best Round 1 point differential since at least 1997, which, again, is as far back as the NBA data will take us. If the Heat quit on Monday night, they quit because a great opponent made them.

The Cavs still have plenty to prove against stronger competition. The fourth-seeded Pacers await, and the Celtics are still the champions until someone dethrones them.

But through four games, Cleveland has answered every playoff question with exclaims, plus a Cavalanche or two. The zombie Heat, on the other hand?

People say that coach Erik Spoelstra’s teams can’t be killed, that Pat Riley’s organization never quits. And only once in Spoelstra’s 17-year tenure have the Heat been swept in a playoff series.

Until Monday, when Cleveland clinched the most dominant series win in modern league history.

2. What will Heat guard Tyler Herro say now?

Heat guard Tyler Herro can finally stop talking now. Over the last week, Herro has told reporters that Cavs guard Darius Garland can’t guard anybody. He’s said Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson is playing the wrong defense (weird, considering Miami finished the series with two sub-100-point performances).

And days before Monday’s blowout win, Herro said “We’re not going out 4-0.”

Oops.

The worst look in basketball occurs when an outmatched team keeps talking trash. And Herro just finished losing every battle he chose during this short-lived series.

Garland can’t guard? You can’t either, buddy. The Cavs attacked Herro, who defended 15 field goal attempts per game entering Game 4, more than any other Heat defender during this series. No Heat target yielded a higher field goal percentage, either (57.8% entering Monday).

Don’t like Atkinson’s top-locking defense? I get it. Herro shot 1 for 10 during Monday’s loss and scored 13 points on 13 shots during Game 3. Then he deemed it a good idea to tell reporters Miami wouldn’t lose a fourth straight game.

Another miss.

Herro will (probably) stop talking now, but only because the series is over. And even then, who knows. Can’t pass up the chance to punch up at the team that swept you during exit interviews.

Free advice: Pass the mic.

3. The New Jarrett Allen playoff narrative

Stop with the soft talk. Enough about the Knicks loss. In the two playoff series (and counting) that Cavs center Jarrett Allen has played since the “lights were brighter than expected,” Allen has starred in his role.

No, he’s dominated.

Entering Monday’s win, Allen was averaging 16 points and 12 rebounds on 78% shooting over his last seven playoff games (aka since the Knicks series). His Cavs were 5-2 in those games, and Cleveland outscored opponents by 26 points in Allen’s 215 minutes.

He followed Monday with 14 more points, 12 more rebounds and six steals, which tied a Cavs playoff record.

Bigger stages are coming, but Allen has earned a reset on his playoff reputation over the last two years. The lights are still bright, and Allen is still performing. Matter of fact, count him a playoff asset until further notice.

‘Cause you can’t call him soft anymore.

4. Embarrassing Heat stat highlights awesome Cleveland fans

The Miami Heat have now lost eight (!) consecutive home playoff games dating back to 2023, which to me is a stat as much about bad atmosphere as it is bad basketball.

Try this for Heat Culture: Miami fans are known for arriving late to games. Yes, even playoff games. Did you check the lower bowl when Game 4 tipped off?

And you might remember the infamous story about fans who left Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals — you know, the one where Ray Allen made one of the most famous 3-pointers of all time — trying to re-enter the arena afterward.

Sidebar: I will never understand why fans leave games early, especially playoff games. You spent a lot of money! Sports are unpredictable! Why is a five-minute head start so important?

I digress. But Miami’s sad, silent playoff atmosphere reminds that not every city harbors such passionate fans as Cleveland. Sounds trite to say, but I truly believe that Cleveland’s 5 a.m. tailgate spirit makes a difference in its favorite team’s outcomes.

Before you roll your eyes, check the lower bowl in Miami again. Then ask yourself: Would that ever happen at Rocket Arena?

5. Cavs must be ready for tougher competition

The Heat are a proud franchise, but Miami always looked out-gunned against the deeper, more talented Cavs. In Round 2, Cleveland will meet a team closer to its level.

The Indiana Pacers also run 10-11 deep (yes, even in the postseason). And entering Tuesday’s Game 5 against the Bucks, Indiana ranks third among first-round teams in point differential (+9.8). Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo is a proud player, but I can see his Bucks, who will play without Damian Lillard in the potential closeout game, losing their will if Indiana starts hot.

Coach Rick Carlisle’s Pacers are the real deal, too. All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton leads the NBA’s second-best postseason offense (Cleveland ranks first). Assuming Indiana takes care of business, the Cavs should prepare for a bigger fight beginning this weekend.