ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic players know what awaits them Sunday afternoon in Game 7.
To keep their storybook season alive, they’ll need to win in a place that has tormented them in these playoffs. Loud fans will play on Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and shout at each other in hoarse voices. If that’s not intimidating enough, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland will attack.
“We expect it to be all of that and more,” guard Cole Anthony said late Friday night, a gigantic smile on his face. “All this and more. Listen, we’re ready. We are ready to take on the challenge.
What Anthony and his teammates accomplished Friday night gave them reason to believe. Facing elimination and a relentless performance from Mitchell in Game 6, the Magic came back from a deficit early in the fourth quarter and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-96 at the Kia Center.
Everyone in Orlando’s rotation made an impact, from stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to defensive aces Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac to physical center Wendell Carter Jr. and two reserve guards, Markelle Fultz and Anthony .
This Magic team has its weaknesses, like almost all young teams, but as they proved again Friday night, their intangibles are off the charts.
“Every moment we had our backs against the wall, we reacted,” Isaac said. “Everytime.”
So far, this series has proven Isaac’s point. Trailing 2-0 after two defeats in Cleveland, the Magic won the next two games at home. After a crushing loss in Game 5, they recovered in Game 6 despite Mitchell torching them with 50 points.
Shooting remains the Magic’s biggest flaw, but they finally made shots when they needed them most. A Suggs triple with 4 minutes, 21 seconds left in the fourth quarter broke an 86-86 tie. On Orlando’s next trip down the court, Banchero hit a pull-up 3 from the left wing over Evan Mobley.
Anthony dealt the biggest blow. As Orlando clung to a 94-91 lead, Wagner missed a 3-pointer. Anthony dove from the right corner untouched and, in one continuous motion, collected the rebound and scored on a putback layup.
“I thought Cole won the game for us today,” Wagner said. “He spent huge minutes off the bench, making plays on both ends, and that’s what it takes to be successful in the playoffs.”
That’s only half the story. Through the first five games of the series, Anthony was borderline unplayable, going 6 of 26 from the field and 1 of 10 from beyond the arc. An emotional player and one of the sharpest people on the roster, he put enormous pressure on himself and in doing so probably only made his struggles worse.
Still, coach Jamahl Mosley played a preventative role Friday. With starting shooting guard Gary Harris out with a hamstring injury, Mosley rode with Anthony for most of the fourth quarter.
“I lost a lot of confidence because of my lack of (quality) play this season,” Anthony said. “It’s been a difficult year. But listen, at the end of the day, I’m just here to try to help this team win. It’s a panacea because everything is a “dub”. And we had a “double” tonight. Magic.”
Suggs and Anthony hugged after the final buzzer.
“I love CA so much, and he cares so much about all of us and making sure we all perform well,” Suggs said. “He’s a very selfless human being, and he puts a lot of pressure on himself. …I’m so happy for him. I wouldn’t want anyone else to make these pieces. Hugging after the game, he just has a special aura and energy, and I just want him to continue to use it and let it shine.
Banchero, Suggs and Wagner had big plays, combining to score 75 of Orlando’s 103 points. Carter and Isaac helped limit Cleveland to just two second-chance points. And Fultz came off the bench to record a six-point, four-assist night while also playing solid defense.
Orlando played like the more desperate team, recovering most of the loose balls.
But most of the game — the moment where the Magic may have come of age — came early in the second half. Spurred on by Mitchell’s brilliance, the Cavs opened the third quarter on a 17-4 run to take a nine-point lead.
The Magic could have collapsed.
Instead, they fought back. Fultz scored on a layup. On Orlando’s next two possessions, Banchero and Suggs sank 3-pointers, and suddenly the Magic had cut their deficit to a measly point, sending the sold-out crowd into a frenzy.
“I thought we did a great job — everyone, all 15 guys — of staying together,” Banchero said. “There was a lot of communication at every timeout, every huddle. Yeah, it was just a special moment, everyone was engaged in the game like that and supporting each other.
What the Magic have yet to prove is that they can win a playoff game in Cleveland. In their first three playoff games there, they made just 38 percent of their shot attempts, 25 percent of their 3-point attempts and 71 percent of their free throws.
On Sunday afternoon, they’ll have to hit shots during the inevitable moments when Mitchell, Garland and the rest of the Cavaliers gain momentum.
“I’m looking forward to going to play in Cleveland, a hostile environment, where we haven’t won yet, where the odds are against us,” Suggs said. “It’s just everyone here on this roster, everyone on our bench, a few families behind the bench against an entire city. And I don’t think any of us would want it any other way.
Less than an hour after Game 6 ended, Banchero answered a question about Game 7.
What exactly should the Magic do?
“It’s a make-or-die situation,” Banchero said. “So we’re going to have to make another special effort.”
Isaac said it best. How can he and his teammates break through in Cleveland?
“Just be us,” he says.
As Friday night showed, being who they are may be all the Magic needs.
(Photo by Cole Anthony: Mike Watters / USA Today)