SUNSHINE STATEMENT
After taking the first two games of their First Round series at home, the Wine & Gold hit the road for the first time this postseason, traveling to Orlando for Game 3 on Thursday night.
On Monday, the Cavaliers once again stymied the Magic from the opening tip – holding Orlando to just 36 percent shooting from the floor, including 26 percent from long-range, while getting big performances from Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland took a double-digit lead in the first quarter and led by as many as 17 just before half, holding off the Magic in the fourth for their second straight wire-to-wire win.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando in scoring for the second straight contest, but the Cavs have forced the young All-Star into 15 combined turnovers in the series. Aside from Mo Wagner, who’s 9-of-16 from the floor, the Magic’s bench has been almost non-existent – going a combined 3-for-29 from the floor. Orlando’s starting backcourt was better in Game 2 – combining to shoot 7-of-15 from the field after going 4-of-22 in the previous matchup.
The series continues in the Sunshine State for Game 4 on Saturday afternoon. If necessary, the series returns to Cleveland for Game 5 next Tuesday night, back to Orlando the following Friday for Game 6 and back to the North Coast next Sunday if the series goes the distance.
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU
Through two games, Jarrett Allen has easily been the best big man in the series.
The 8th-year center from Texas is simply capping an outstanding season in which he piled up a career-best 42 double-doubles – adding two more through the first two games of the First Round – averaging 16.0 points and 19.0 rebounds on an even 60 percent shooting.
On Monday night, Allen became just the third Cavalier in team history to grab 20 rebounds in a playoff game – joining Brad Daugherty and Kevin Love – finishing with 16 points and 20 boards, going 6-of-10 from the floor, adding three assists, a pair of steals and a game-high three blocks.
After finishing with 10 points and a game-high three swats in Game 1, Orlando’s Jonathan Isaac was a non-factor in Game 2. In the loss, the 5th-year man from Florida State went 1-of-7 from the floor, adding four boards and a pair of blocks.
BACKCOURT BATTLE
The Cavaliers’ starting backcourt has simply outplayed their Orlando counterparts through the first two games – although the Magic’s tandem was a little better in Game 2.
Donovan Mitchell topped the 20-point mark just twice after the All-Star Break before the regular season’s final week. But he found his form in the homestretch and through the first two games of the First Round – averaging 28.8ppg on 47 percent shooting over that four-game stretch. Mitchell has also dominated the Magic over the past two seasons – averaging 30.3ppg on an even 50 percent shooting over his last seven games against Orlando.
Darius Garland has had a decent series, mostly thanks to the work he’s done in the second halves of the first two games. Garland finished with 14 points in Game 1 – netting 10 of those after intermission – and finished with 16 points in Game 2 – tallying 12 of those in the second stanza. Garland also led both teams with eight assists in last Saturday’s victory.
Orlando’s Gary Harris struggled mightily in Game 1 – taking the collar on six field goal attempts, including all five three-pointers. Harris bounced back on Monday night, finishing with 14 points, going 4-of-7 from long-range on the night.
Jalen Suggs returned to action after suffering a knee injury on Monday night. And while he’s typically great on the defensive end, the former Gonzaga star has struggled offensively – shooting 29 percent (6-of-21) so far in the series.