The Miami Heat beat the Charlotte Bobcats 109-98 on Monday to complete a 4-0 victory in the first round of the playoffs.
Charlotte, who played without the injured Al Jefferson, started game four strongly at the Time Warner Cable Arena, but struggled to compete after a promising first half.
Despite trailing by two at the half-time interval, Miami took control of the match in an eventful third quarter as LeBron James recovered from a collision with Bismack Biyombo to guide the defending champions to a 13-point lead heading into the final period.
The Bobcats struggled to produce a response as the Miami lead never dropped below seven during a dominant display in the closing stages.
James scored 11 of his 31 points in the final quarter, while Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade provided support with 17 and 15 points, respectively.
The Heat will face either the Brooklyn Nets or the Toronto Raptors, who are currently tied at 2-2.
Callum Mulvihill
