It all comes down to this, the best two words in all of sports, Game 7. The Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers will go head-to-head and play a Game 7 in their first-round NBA playoff series, despite Donovan Mitchell putting up a 50 piece for the Cavaliers in a 103-96 loss.
Paolo Banchero scored 27 points, with 10 of those coming when it mattered most, in the fourth quarter. Franz Wagner added 26 points, going 11 for 11 from the free-throw line and Jalen Suggs scored 22, shooting 6 for 13 from 3-point range, as the Magic attempt to win their first playoff series since the 2009-10 season, when they made it all the way to the finals against Koby Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
“We’ve definitely learned a lot through this series, seeing what works and what doesn’t work,” Banchero said. “Knowing what we have to do to win a game.”
Embed from Getty ImagesGame 7 is Sunday in Cleveland at 1 p.m. ET with the telecast on ABC.
This is where the Cavs won Games 1, 2 and 5 and clearly play better than on the road, where they have dropped seven straight playoff games dating back to a LeBron James-led Game 7 victory at Boston in the 2018 Eastern Conference finals.
“I’m excited. It’s a do-or-die situation, so we’ll have to put together another special effort,” Banchero said, looking ahead to Sunday.
The Cavaliers have not won a postseason series since then. The Magic, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2020, are seeking their first series win in 14 years.
“Our guys will be ready for the moment,” Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “They’ve been really good at home and we don’t expect that to change.”
The ‘Basketball God’ seemed to smile on the Magic from the start. That was best demonstrated on a play midway through the first quarter, when Suggs dove after a loose ball to keep it from going out of bounds on the sideline, tapping it to Wendell Carter Jr.
Carter then tried to pass the ball back out to Suggs to reset the play but nearly threw it out of reach. Suggs tracked the ball down near midcourt and when he noticed Marcus Morris Sr. not guarding him, he shot a long 3 from the halfcourt logo that went in.
The Magic, who are not known for their 3-point efficiency, had a significant advantage shooting from 3-point range in the first quarter, hitting 4 of 10 from behind the arc. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers continued to struggle with 3-point shooting, going a horrendous 1 for 8. They shot 7 for 28 from distance for the game.
Wagner also started hot, looking as if he would have a game for the ages after scoring 14 points in the opening quarter.
