We were so close to having two Game 7s on Sunday, but the LA Clippers had to be the Clippers and do Clippers things on Friday. Wait, let me put on my protective gear against the barrage of Internet tomatoes and probably more dangerous objects that will be thrown at my Internet head.
For full disclosure, I was born and raised in the Showtime era under the shade of purple and gold. And I always pull my socks up to my knees.
Regardless, the universe still gave us hoops nirvana — a matchup for the key to opening the door and facing the big boss of the Boston Celtics in the next round. Here’s a preview of Sunday’s Game 7 between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers with odds, staff picks and a preview.
All odds of PariMGM. Find the best deals on StubHub for tickets.
No. 5 Orlando Magic vs. No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers
How to watch: 1 p.m. ET on ABC
Series tied 3-3
Like the Earth orbiting the Sun, the first four games of the series played out predictably, with the home teams dominating. But then the Three-Body Problem manifested itself, as the absence of Jarrett Allen introduced a force that caused nerds across the universe to throw their calculators against the wall, because now anything was possible.
The road dogs barked and howled all night, and they were almost freed from the cage, which would have answered the age-old question: “Who let the dogs out?” But alas, Evan Mobley saved the day by blocking a lay-up attempt from Franz Wagner.
In the sixth game, Orlando once again maintained its prowess on the court, but it didn’t come easy as the dogs were once again jumping up and down. This time the big dog revealed himself. And I’m not talking about Clifford the big red dog. I’m talking about Donovan Mitchell.
Ever since that Summer League before his rookie season, I knew Mitchell had that guy in him because he was picking up guys all over the court, slamming his hands on the floor, and making life incredibly difficult for opposing ball handlers. Sure, he was crossing and throwing it down the defenders’ throats, but it was the defensive intensity that always stood out to me. He had the complete package – offense, defense, special teams. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had mini drones that provided real-time information on where the defenders would be so he could swerve and the Euro would get around them.
In the previous two games in Orlando, Mitchell shot 6 of 16 and 5 of 14 from the field, as the Cavaliers got smoked by 38 and 23 points. In Game 6, he made 22 of 36 from the field for 50 points. Although the Cavaliers lost again, the most important thing is that Mitchell recovered this tiger’s eye.
During the regular season, Orlando was 18-23 on the road. And this road game on Sunday will be a completely different beast, as the sevens game will increase the intensity and pressure. While Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are extraordinary players, they are still only 21 and 22 years old. The Magic, as a team, have the third fewest playoff games played in the NBA.
As Bruce Lee had to fight and climb several levels before reaching Kareem in game of death, this is the first level for Orlando. They’ll definitely come back in years to come, but Cleveland will be great.
Expert Picks for Magic at Cavs
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(Photo by Franz Wagner and Evan Mobley: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)