What was particularly interesting about this first-round playoff series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic going into it was that one team in the regular season was exceptionally good at guarding the paint, while the other was exceptionally good at getting into the paint.
Through two games, the former has overpowered the latter.
The Cavs, once again, made it awfully difficult for the Magic to get deep in the paint, which forced them to take an abundance of shots from beyond the arc, where they continued to struggle in Monday’s 96-86 Game 2 loss.
“I think that’s their game plan,” Magic forward Franz Wagner said. “I think it could be on the second or third time maybe getting in the paint, but on the initial action, they do a pretty good job of always having someone in there. They are really good at protecting the rim. Just continue to move the ball, move bodies so they can’t just sit in the paint.”
Orlando hit just nine of its 35 3-point attempts and is now 17-for-72 (23.6 percent) in the series. It also scored just 32 paint points, nearly 20 fewer than its regular season average.
The Magic have not led at any point through the first two games. In Game 1, they shot 32.6 percent from the field overall and in Game 2, they shot 36.3 percent.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando in Game 2 with 21 points, while Franz scored 18 and Gary Harris had 14.
Jalen Suggs, who ended with nine points, six rebounds and five assists, originally left Monday’s game after injuring his left knee with 4:02 remaining in the first quarter. He appeared to be unable to put any weight on his leg while being assisted back to the locker room. However, after being diagnosed with a left knee strain, the 6-foot-5 guard returned at the start of the third quarter.
The Magic didn’t go down without a fight. After trailing by as many as 22, they pulled within nine with just under five minutes remaining. That’s when Donovan Mitchell connected on a pair of driving shots to push Cleveland’s lead back to double digits.
Mitchell finished with 23 points, while Jarrett Allen tallied 16 points and 20 rebounds and Evan Mobley had 17 points and seven rebounds. The Cavs, largely because of the Magic’s stingy defense, only shot 41.5 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from 3-point range.
Game 3 will take place in Orlando on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Magic were 29-11 at Kia Center in the regular season.
“It’s going to be great to be back at home in front of our fans,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “That energy, that intensity – that’s something that we are going to be looking forward to. Take care of home court.”