Orlando Magic’s Season Ends With Game 7 Loss in Cleveland
The home team won all seven games and the Cavs, behind another Herculean performance from Donovan Mitchell, erased an 18-point first-half deficit to win the series finale 106-94 and advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they will take on the top-seeded Boston Celtics.
Mitchell, a five-time NBA All-Star, was just 3-of-13 from the field prior to intermission, and then like a flip of a switch, he transformed into “Spida,” a nickname given to him by a former teammate’s father for his Spider-man-like attributes.
Immediately following the game, he acknowledged just how tough it was to play against the Magic and, after going toe-to-toe against them for seven games, can see why they are widely thought of as one of the best young teams in the league.
“First of all, I want to give to the credit to the Magic, man,” he told ABC’s Lisa Salters. “They’ve got some dawgs over there. Jamahl Mosley is a phenomenal coach. They’ve got some guys (that are really good). Paolo Banchero is going to be a monster. Much respect to them. This wasn’t easy.”
For most of the first half, the Magic were outmuscling and outhustling the Cavs. Their defense, which is their calling card, was smothering, and they were forcing Cleveland into an abundance of heavily-contested shots – both in the paint and on the perimeter.
The other big component of Orlando’s early-game success was the dominant play of Banchero, scored 24 of his 38 points prior to the break. He also finished with 16 rebounds, giving him a pair of double-doubles in the series and three performances of over 30 points.
“Special,” Mosley said of the 21-year-old second-year sensation. “There’s a reason why he’s an All-Star. There’s a reason why he’ll be All-NBA. Big moments, he never shies away from them. Never backed down. (He) wanted every ounce of whatever they were throwing at him…All the things that you’ve asked him to do in these big moments, he did.”
As was the case in each of the other three games in Cleveland, the Magic struggled mightily from 3-point range, going 10-for-31 (32.3 percent) in Sunday’s Game 7. Overall, Orlando shot 33.7 percent from the floor.
The Magic’s supporting cast, which was superb at home but limited on the road throughout the series, didn’t collectively do enough offensively. Franz Wagner, uncharacteristically, went 1-for-15 from the field and finished with just six points. Jalen Suggs, who scored 10, went 2-for-13, with eight of those misses coming from downtown. Orlando’s bench, meanwhile, totaled just 21 points.
The Cavs were without center Jarrett Allen for a third straight game with a right rib contusion. Caris LeVert, who’s been bothered by knee pain, came up big and had 15 points. Evan Mobley’s defense played a huge factor as well.
The Magic are now 2-2 all time in Game 7s. It’s also the third time they’ve been part of a playoff series where the home team won all the games. The others were in the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers and in the first round against the Heat in 1997, which was a best-of-five.
Although the loss is fresh, Mosley, Banchero and the rest of the team realize how much progress they made this season, and believe this playoff series against the Cavs will make them even stronger in the long run.
“After those first two games, everyone was looking at us like, oh I don’t know if they are ready and whatever. For us to take this to seven and then have a great first half (in Game 7), and then have them have to fight for every inch to get back in and beat us,” Banchero said. “It shows where we are headed. It shows what we were able to do this year by itself. It’s really encouraging for everybody – players, coaches, whole organization. We are really going to build off this.”
