The Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the Miami Heat tonight. The final score? 138-83. Calling it a blowout victory doesn’t feel like we’re doing it justice. That’s just how dominant the Cavs were tonight! But considering the mindset they had heading into this game, it’s no surprise that the Cavs beat Miami from pillar to post. And tonight, we learned how a simple text message was enough to get the Cavs going.

After the game, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen spoke to the media. And during their conversation, they revealed how, ahead of Game 4, both Mitchell and the Cavs’ head coach, Kenny Atkinson, said that the closeout game is usually the most difficult one in the series. It seems, knowing that, one of Mitchell’s teammates, Max Strus, sent a message on the Cavs’ group text chain to remind them of this game’s importance. So, after the media personnel egged him on, Mitchell finally revealed what Strus said in that text.

“It said, I’ll make sure I can read all of it: ‘Take care of business so we can get some rest into the next round. Let’s take advantage. Let’s take all the advantages we can get,’ plus other words,” said Donovan, not revealing what the entire text said.

But he added, “But that just speaks to our group, man. Like, it’s everybody. Like, you can point to Jay, you can point to me, Ev, like, you know, and Max has been that guy for us consistently, but, like, it just speaks to our group and our camaraderie, and understanding the moment, you know, which is huge.”

And it seems Max’s message had insane effects on the Cavs’ mindset tonight. Tonight’s 55-point margin was the fourth-largest in NBA Playoff history. Moreover, this was the most lopsided Playoff series in NBA history. And Game 4 was just the cherry on top for the Cavs. They made over double the shots the Heat made, despite Miami having 2 more attempts. And it wasn’t just Donovan Mitchell putting up points on the board for the Cavs. Everyone got in on the action with De’Andre Hunter scoring 19 off the bench, Ty Jerome netting 18, and Evan Mobley getting 17.

All in all, the Cavs ran riot over the Heat, and Max Strus’ message was at the heart of it. However, at one point in the game, it seemed things were about to boil over between Strus and Mitchell.

Donovan Mitchell reveals details of heated moment with Max Strus

During tonight’s game, the Cavs were up by 34 at one point and a timeout was called. However, despite their commanding lead, Max Strus and Donovan Mitchell seemed to engage in a heated exchange over the plays they were supposed to run. Naturally curious about what happened, a reporter asked Mitchell what that exchange spoke to and what it meant as far as the Cavs as a unit were concerned.

Our desperation,” said Donovan. “I mean, I think we had another talk in the third quarter. Like, you know, I flopped and tried to draw a foul instead of contesting the three. And I was like, ‘What the f— is that?’ Excuse my language, and I hope I don’t get fined, but, very passionate about that stuff because this is, that’s what it takes. Max and I have a great relationship in that regard. I really respect, you know, him and his work ethic and what he sees,” Donovan revealed about him and why tonight’s moment was no big deal.

Donovan also revealed that they were thinking ahead and looking for things they could apply in their next series. He said, “It’s like, what are we looking for throughout the series. And understanding what ways we can capitalize for the next series. So, just ways to be, better on both ends of the floor, and then accountability as well.” So the row between Max and Donovan was simply two like-minded players getting passionate about the reads they made and how those could be applied during games. Nothing more, nothing less.

Now, his and Max’s methods clearly paid off in this series against the Heat. So, this will give them a huge confidence boost heading into their next series. However, their opponents remain undecided. But it’s not a stretch to imagine that the Pacers will beat the Bucks after going 3-1 up in their series. So how much can they apply in the coming series? We’ll find out soon!