MIAMI — Homecourt didn’t help. Not against this, an opponent able to lock down on defense, light up on offense. Instead, it was the worst playoff loss in franchise history.

And so, with Saturday’s 124-87 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Kaseya Center, the Heat return Monday night to the scene of Saturday’s game to again attempt to secure their first home playoff victory since Game 3 of the 2023 Eastern Conference finals.

Since that 128-102 victory over the Boston Celtics? Seven consecutive home playoff losses, including Saturday’s humbling outcome that left the Heat down 0-3 in this best-of-seven opening-round series.

“Clearly a very disappointing day,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Look … our guys really want this and it probably looks like our guys don’t.

“I know about how much everybody cares.”

With a loss Monday, it will be the first time the Heat have been swept out of the playoffs since falling 4-0 to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 first round.

“We won’t have all the solutions by Monday,” Spoelstra said, “but all we’ll be focused on is one game.”

The Heat’s previous worst playoff loss was by 36 to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals. It was the third-largest playoff victory ever for the Cavaliers.

“We laid an egg today,” Spoelstra said. “A big part of it was Cleveland.”

In front of a late-arriving crowd, the Heat went up nine early, were then blitzed by an 18-0 Cavaliers response, and never were able to regain their footing, even with the Cavaliers playing in the injury absence of All-Star guard Darius Garland.

After scoring 21 and then 33 points in the Heat’s two losses in Cleveland, Heat guard Tyler Herro this time was limited to 13 on 5-of-13 shooting. Otherwise the Heat got 22 points and nine rebounds from center Bam Adebayo and not much else of substance.

“Definitely disappointed,” Herro said. “It’s just not enough to compete against a team like that.”

Said Spoelstra, “They’re denying him all over the place, because they know how dangerous he can be.”

For the Cavaliers, it again was a case of better by balance, with 22 points from Jarrett Allen, 21 from De’Andre Hunter, 19 from Evan Mobley and 18 from Max Strus, needing only 13 from Donovan Mitchell.

“It’s embarrassing,” Adebayo said, “flat out.

“As captain, you know me, we’re going to go down swinging.”

Five Degrees of Heat from Saturday’s game:

— 1. Game flow: The Heat went up nine, only to see the Cavaliers respond with their 18-0 run that helped fuel them to a 33-20 lead after the first period.

The Cavaliers’ 18-0 surge was their longest run in a playoff game since May 16, 2008 against the Celtics (a 19-0 run).

“Once we jumped on them at the start of the game, they just jumped on it from there,” Spoelstra said. “And it just became an avalanche.”

The Cavaliers then moved to a 62-42 halftime lead, shredding the Heat defense while flourishing with their league-best offense.

From there, Cleveland took an 88-64 lead into the fourth, their largest of the game to that stage.

“We just need a better disposition throughout the entire game,” Herro said.

— 2. Kel’el can’t: Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson went into the game talking about the subtle adjustments of playoff basketball.

There was nothing subtle about how the Cavaliers relentlessly attacked Heat 7-foot rookie Kel’el Ware from the outset.

It reached the point where Spoelstra yanked Ware 6:55 into the first quarter and did not play him the balance of the first half.

“He cares,” Spoelstra said. “We’re coaching him hard. I feel for him because there’s an expectation that he has to be there like a vet.”

Ware then returned to start the second half, with the game largely decided by then.

“I was out there trying to do my part,” Ware said.

— 3. Neither can Wiggins: Acquired for Jimmy Butler in the Feb. 6 NBA trading deadline as an alternative to keep the Heat afloat, Andrew Wiggins again failed to deliver when needed.

A game after being benched for the entire fourth quarter of a tight finish, Wiggins this time had one basket and one rebound in the first half.

Wiggins’ second basket did not come until midway through the third quarter, closing with just that one rebound.

Wiggins had stressed after Friday’s practice to be more aggressive.

He closed with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting.

“He’s really important,” Spoelstra said. “He has to be assertive; he has to be aggressive. I have to do a better job of getting him into spots where he really can produce for us.”

— 4. Scary moment: Adebayo was down for several seconds midway through the third period after colliding with teammate Haywood Highsmith while contesting a successful drive by Cleveland’s Ty Jerome.

Adebayo was substituted out after the collision, but returned 35 seconds later.

“You know me,” Adebayo said, “I’m always figuring how to get back up, walk it off, get back out there. I’ve been tough my whole life. One fall can’t hurt me.”

With his 63rd postseason game in double figures, Adebayo stands on that Heat all-time list behind only Dwyane Wade (166) and LeBron James (85). His sixth rebound was the 700th of his playoff career.

He finished 9 of 20 from the field, including 4 of 7 on 3-pointers, but also with six turnovers.

“We got to clean up a lot of stuff, including me,” Adebayo said.

— 5. Same way: Despite entering at 2-7 with the lineup dating to the regular season, the Heat again opened with a lineup of Adebayo, Herro, Ware, Wiggins and Davion Mitchell.

That again had Alec Burks, a starter in the series’ first two games, shuffled out of the mix, with Kyle Anderson also without a rotation role for the second consecutive game.

Mitchell closed with 18 points, five assists and four rebounds.

“From a tactical standpoint,” Spoelstra said, “I have to do a better job of helping our team offensively, particularly Tyler and Bam.”

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