RUN IT BACK
After winning a defensive struggle on Saturday afternoon, the Cavs welcome the Magic back for Game 2 on Monday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
In Game 1, the Cavaliers clamped down defensively to start the postseason – holding the Magic to 33 percent shooting, including 22 percent from long-range. Orlando tallied 15 points in the second quarter and 17 in the third, with the Wine & Gold holding Orlando’s starting backcourt to a combined 4-for-22 from the floor, 1-of-12 from beyond the arc. Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 30 points and both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley doubled-up in the victory.
Following Monday’s matchup, the series heads to the Magic Kingdom for Games 3 and 4 – on Thursday night and Saturday afternoon, respectively. If necessary, the First Round 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 extends to Game 7.
GUARD DUTY
The Cavs and Magic match up well in the frontcourt, but Cleveland has the definite edge in guard play, at least on the offensive end.
That was made abundantly clear on Saturday afternoon, with the Cavaliers guards outscoring Orlando’s, 44-13, with Donovan Mitchell continuing his mastery of the Magic.
After netting 30 points in the Game 1 win, not only is the five-time All-Star averaging 31.5ppg on 52 percent shooting from the floor in his last six games against Orlando, but he’s averaging 30.7ppg in his last three games overall – finding his rhythm over the last week of the regular season after struggling following the All-Star Break.
Darius Garland didn’t have a monster offensive night – finishing with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, but he did pace both teams with eight assists.
As usual, Jalen Suggs was solid on the defensive end, and he chipped in with 13 points overall, but he was just 4-of-16 from the floor, including 1-of-7 from long-range. Gary Harris would’ve taken that afternoon – missing all six field goal attempts, including all five three-point shots, going scoreless in 33 minutes of work.
RESERVE JUDGEMENT
No one from the Cavaliers second unit connected on a field goal until the 2:33 mark of the third quarter, when Georges Niang connected on a floater to put Cleveland up 10.
Niang didn’t have a great offensive showing on Saturday – going just 1-of-7 from the floor – but he also tied a team-high, finishing with a plus-13 mark in 24 action-packed minutes off the bench. On the afternoon, both Niang and Caris LeVert finished with five points, with Isaac Okoro pitching in with four points in 19 minutes of work.
Orlando’s Mo Wagner led all reserves with 10 points and five boards on Saturday – going 4-of-8 from the floor in 13 minutes off the bench. The other three Magic reserves who saw action – Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony, Wendell Carter Jr. and Joe Ingles were a combined 1-for-16 from the floor.