The Orlando Magic forced a Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 103-96 victory Friday night, protecting the home court and keeping their season alive thanks to three starters scoring more than 20 points.
Each of Orlando’s combined efforts was vital to overcoming the 50-point game Cleveland received from Donovan Mitchell. Only one other Cavalier scored more than 10 points.
The winner of Sunday’s Game 7 will face the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Magic 103, Riders 96
Series: 3-3
Magic expands its range
With Gary Harris out, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley opted in Game 6 to start the same big lineup he employed to finish Game 5: Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Jonathan Isaac, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. .
Everyone except Suggs is at least 6 feet 10 inches tall.
Why did Mosley choose this group? This put his two best defenders, Suggs and Isaac, on the ground simultaneously. He also kept the Magic’s usual second unit of Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, Joe Ingles, Isaac and Mo Wagner intact (as Isaac was replaced midway through the first quarter and reinstated to start the second quarter). And it also allowed Mosley to not rely on rookie Anthony Black or second-year swingman Caleb Houstan, who, while promising, haven’t played significant minutes in weeks.
Did it work? It was probably a mixed bag. Although Orlando “won” the first quarter for the first time in the series, outscoring Cleveland 29-25, the same starting lineup was on the field to open the third quarter when Cleveland opened the second half. -time on a 13-2 streak.
Defensively, the very tall lineup almost certainly played a role in holding the Cavs to 7 of 28 shooting from 3-point range. But the Cavs also outscored the Magic 66-38 points in the paint.
Mosley made a significant adjustment during the fourth quarter, choosing Anthony over Isaac the vast majority of the time. Anthony, who had lost that series, played a big role, getting an offensive rebound off a teammate’s miss and immediately following with a layup to extend Orlando’s lead to 96-91.
The ability to adjust on the fly is one of Mosley’s greatest strengths.
Friday, it paid off big.
Heading into Game 7 on Sunday, it’s certain that Mosley will continue to trust his instincts and adjust on the fly as necessary.
That got his team this far.
The Magic are one win away from reaching the second round. —Josh Robbins, NBA Senior Writer
Cavaliers’ Lebron playoff drought continues
The Cavaliers still haven’t won a playoff series since 1993 without LeBron James wearing their jersey.
They came close on Friday night, and Mitchell did his best LeBron impression – 50 points on 36 shots in 42 minutes. It would have been a signature performance of Mitchell’s career, regardless of team, had Cleveland won Game 6 and thus the series. The number of players coach JB Bickerstaff can trust dwindles with each passing game, and a hint of fatigue seemed to overcome the Cavs in the final moments – Mitchell’s turnover with 56 seconds remaining, out of timeout, with Cleveland 98-93 in the lead. example.
Mitchell and Darius Garland (21 points in 43 minutes) both played the entire fourth quarter and most of the second half. Caris LeVert, meanwhile, didn’t play at all after halftime. This is not a criticism; Bickerstaff had a game to win, had a five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and went with the players he thought could take it home. Mitchell scored all 18 points for the Cavs in the final quarter.
In your wildest dreams, you wouldn’t have imagined Marcus Morris Sr. not only on the field in critical moments, but also at the start of the game. With Jarrett Allen once again unable to play due to a rib injury, Bickerstaff countered with Morris instead of Isaac Okoro, who started at that spot in Game 5. The idea was likely to alleviate some of Orlando’s size, but the extra spacing Cleveland benefited from in the game. 5 was not there on Friday.
Morris finished with 2 points on 1 of 7 shooting. Evan Mobley, long called the future of the franchise, had 3 points and 7 rebounds.
Overall, the Cavs couldn’t make a 3. They’re shooting better than the 7 of 28 they made for Game 6, and that probably would have been against Boston. Again, Cleveland enjoyed an incredible 66-38 advantage in paint scores, despite the size disadvantage.
Game 7, phew, will be upon us soon. There is so much at stake for the Cavs and the individuals inside this locker room. The future is on the line. They’ll have to sleep on that notion, as well as this: Mitchell played like the best version of himself, and it wasn’t enough in a closing game.
It’s a heavy thought. — Joe Vardon, Senior NBA Writer
Required reading
(Photo: Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)