The Orlando Magic forced a Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, defending their home court and keeping their season alive thanks to three starting pitchers scoring 20 or more points, winning 103-96.
It took a combined effort from Orlando to overcome the 50-point game Cleveland got from Donovan Mitchell. Only one other Cavalier scored 10 or more points.
The winner of Sunday's Game 7 will face the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Magic 103, Cavaliers 96
series: 3-3
Magic supersizes lineup
With Gary Harris out, Magic coach Jamal Mosley started Game 6 with the same big lineup he used at the end of Game 5: Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Jonathan Isaac, Paolo Banchero, and Wendell. – Selected Carter Jr. to the starting lineup.
All except Suggs are at least 6 feet 10 inches.
Why did Mosley choose that group? It allowed his two best defenders, Suggs and Isaac, to be on the floor at the same time. It also kept intact the Magic's regular second unit of Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, Joe Ingles, Isaac and Moe Wagner (Isaac came off the bench midway through the first quarter and returned at the start of the second). (because he returned to sub). It also frees Mosley from having to rely on rookie Anthony Black and second-year swingman Caleb Houstan, both promising young players who haven't played meaningfully in recent weeks. It became so.
Did it work? It was probably a mixed bag. Orlando outscored Cleveland 29-25, “winning” the first quarter for the first time in the entire series, but the same starting lineup entered the start of the third quarter as Cleveland began the second half on a 13-2 run. did.
Defensively, the extremely tall lineup was almost certainly a factor in limiting the Cavs to 7-of-28 3-pointers. But the Cavs also outscored the Magic in the paint, 66-38.
Mosley made a major adjustment late in the fourth quarter, substituting Anthony for Isaac for the majority of the game. Anthony, who had been in a slump in the series, played a big role in securing an offensive rebound on a teammate's error and making a layup shortly after to extend Orlando's lead to 96-91.
The ability to make adjustments on the fly is one of Mosley's greatest strengths.
On Friday, it paid off in a big way.
As Game 7 approaches on Sunday, it's certain that Mosley will continue to trust his instincts and make adjustments as needed.
That's what made his team grow this far.
The Magic are just one win away from advancing to the second round. — Josh Robbins, NBA Senior Writer
Cavaliers' non-LeBron playoff drought continues
The Cavaliers haven't won a playoff series without LeBron James in a jersey since 1993.
The two sides had a close game on Friday night, and Mitchell made his best impression on LeBron — scoring 50 points on 36 shots in 42 minutes. Had Cleveland won Game 6 and, by extension, the series, it would have been the performance of Mitchell's career, regardless of the team. The number of players coach J.B. Bickerstaff could rely on dwindled with each game, and in moments of decline, signs of fatigue seemed to overwhelm the Cavs – 56 remaining in their prime at Cleveland 98-93. Mitchell turnover example from timeout in seconds. Cleveland had one of eight turnovers in the fourth quarter.
Mitchell and Darius Garland (21 points in 43 minutes) both played the entire fourth quarter and most of the second half. Caris LeVert, on the other hand, did not play at all after halftime. That's not a criticism. Bickerstaff had a game to win, and with a five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, they used players they thought could help them win. Mitchell scored all 18 of the Cavaliers' points in the final frame.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that Marcus Morris Sr. would be on the floor not only during crunch time, but also at the start of the game. With Jarrett Allen unable to play again due to a rib injury, Bickerstaff countered by starting Morris in place of Isaac Okoro, who started at that position in Game 5. This idea could have alleviated some of Orlando's size, but Cleveland didn't have a 5 on Friday when they enjoyed extra space in the game.
Morris scored two points on 1-of-7 shooting. Evan Mobley, who has long been said to be the future of the franchise, recorded three points and seven rebounds.
Overall, the Cavs couldn't make any 3s. If he had shot better than 7-of-28, which he did in Game 6, Boston probably would have won. Despite the size disadvantage, Cleveland enjoyed an incredible 66-38 advantage in paint scoring.
After the game, Mitchell and Bickerstaff pointed out the stark difference in free throws in Game 6, noting that Orlando made 26 shots from the line compared to Cleveland's 10. Mitchell made it clear that wasn't the only reason for the loss, but noted that he had 66 points. It's crazy to score in the paint and make 10 free throws.
Game 7 will be over soon. There's so much at stake for the Cavaliers and the people in their locker room. Futures are at stake. They will have to go to bed thinking not only about this thought, but also about the following. Mitchell played like the best version of himself, but that wasn't enough in his shutout game.
That's a heavy thought. — Joe Vardon, NBA Senior Writer
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(Photo: Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)