After coming close to playing two Game 7s on Sunday, the Los Angeles Clippers had to do something Clippers-y and Clippers-y on Friday. Hang on, let me put on my hazmat suit for the barrage of internet tomatoes and probably more dangerous objects that will be thrown at my internet head.
In the interest of full transparency, I was born and raised during the Showtime era under shades of purple and gold. And I always pull my socks up to my knees.
In any case, the universe is still giving us the ultimate nirvana. One game is the key to opening the door and facing the big boss Boston Celtics in the next round. Sunday's Game 7 game between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers, with odds, staff picks, and a preview.
All odds are from BetMGM. Find great ticket deals on StubHub.
5th place Orlando Magic vs. 4th place Cleveland Cavaliers
How to watch: Airs at 1pm ET on ABC.
Series 3-3 tie
Like the Earth orbiting the sun, the first four games of the series played out as expected, with the home team dominating. But then Jarrett Allen's absence created a momentum that made geeks all over the world throw calculators at the wall, and now anything was possible, and the three-body problem became apparent.
The stray dogs barked and howled all night and were almost let out of their cages, but now the age-old question of who let them out should be answered. But alas, Evan Mobley saved the day by blocking Franz Wagner's layup attempt.
In Game 6, Orlando once again held its own on its home court, but it wasn't easy as the Dogs were jumping around again. This time, the big dog revealed himself. And I'm not talking about Clifford the Big Red Dog. We're talking about Donovan Mitchell.
I've known Mitchell had that ambition since Summer League before his rookie season. Because he would pick up players full court, slam his hands on the ground, and give opposing ball handlers an incredibly hard time. Sure, he was crossing over and putting the ball down defenders' throats, but what always stuck with me was his defensive intensity. He had the complete package of offense, defense and special teams. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a mini-drone that provided real-time information on the defender's location, allowing the defender to change direction and Euro to evade the defender.
In the previous two games in Orlando, Mitchell was 6-of-16 from the field and 5-of-14 from the field as the Cavaliers trailed by 38 and 23 points. In Game 6, he scored 50 points on 22-of-36 field goals. The Cavaliers were still losing, but most importantly Mitchell was back in the eye of the tiger.
During the regular season, Orlando was 18-23 on the road. And this road game on Sunday will be very different as Game 7 ratchets up the intensity and pressure. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are great players, but they are only 21 and 22 years old. The Magic have played the third-fewest playoff games as a team in the NBA.
Just like Bruce Lee had to fight and climb multiple levels to reach Kareem. death game, this is the first level of Orlando. They'll definitely be back in a few years, but Cleveland will be rock solid.
Cavs Magic Expert Recommendation
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(Photo of Franz Wagner and Evan Mobley: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)