Gentleman's Sweep
Winning all the games in a series except one
Example
Did you catch the game last night? The Celtics closed it out in five
Yep—classic gentleman’s sweep. Let the Heat take Game 3 just to keep things interesting
Gotta respect the politeness
How well do you know your Fantasy Football slang?
A gentleman's sweep is a playful sports slang term used when one team wins a best-of-seven playoff series 4–1. It refers to a dominant team allowing their opponent a single win, usually in Game 4, before finishing the series in Game 5. The idea is that the winning team was so in control that they "politely" let the other side avoid a full sweep (the gentlemanly thing to do).
While the origins of the term are unclear, "gentleman's sweep" became popular among basketball and hockey fans in the early 2000s, especially on online forums and social media. For example, you may hear or see fans, commentators, and sportswriters use the term with a wink of sarcasm or humor in NBA and NHL playoff contexts when a team is clearly superior but there is no 4–0 series.