Cavaliers vs Magic: How Cavs prevailed in Game 7 of first-round NBA playoff series

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Cavaliers vs Magic: How Cavs prevailed in Game 7 of first-round NBA playoff series

Nate Ulrich and Ryan Lewis, Akron Beacon Journal · Akron Beacon Journal

Mon, May 6, 2024 ·

14 min read

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CLEVELAND — The best two words in all of sports are Game 7 .

It's the stance Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell took in the immediate aftermath of his 50-point performance in Game 6 , a seven-point road loss to the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center.

Well, Mitchell delivered in a monumental moment Sunday afternoon. He scored a game-high 39 points to lead the Cavs to a 106-94 victory in Game 7 over the Magic at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. By prevailing 4-3 in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series, the Cavs won their first postseason series since 2018 and their first without LeBron James on the roster since 1993.

The Cavs advance to face the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. By moving on to the second round, the Cavs took a significant step after last year's 4-1 flop in the opening round against the New York Knicks .

"We want Boston" chants broke out among Cavs fans late in the fourth quarter of Game 7.

If the Cavs would have failed to get past the Magic, significant organizational changes would have likely unfolded in Cleveland — with J.B. Bickerstaff's future as coach and Mitchell's unresolved contractual situation under the proverbial microscope.

The Cavs trailed the Magic in Game 7 by as many as 18 points in the second quarter and by 10 points at halftime. But Cleveland rallied early in the second half and outscored Orlando 32-15 in the third quarter to lead 75-68 entering the final quarter.

With starting center Jarrett Allen (rib contusion) missing his third consecutive game, Mitchell received support from sixth man Caris LeVert (15 points), forward Evan Mobley (11 points and 16 rebounds), small forward Max Strus (13 points) and point guard Darius Garland (12 points).

All-Star forward Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 38 points and 16 rebounds. Center Wendell Carter Jr. added 13 points.

In the end, the Cavs earned the largest comeback victory in a Game 7 since the NBA began tracking play-by-play statistics during the 1997-98 season.

Cavs column: Cavaliers rally around Donovan Mitchell for historic Game 7 comeback victory vs. Magic

Tipoff for the decisive Game 7 occurred shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday. Here are our updates as they unfolded throughout the game.

Below are updates from the fourth quarter

Cleveland Cavs lead 94-85 with 3:22 left in the fourth quarter of Game 7 vs. the Orlando Magic

Garland sank a pair of foul shots with 3:22 left in the fourth quarter to give the Cavs a 94-85 lead over the Magic.

Orlando called timeout after Garland's trip to the free-throw line.

Cavs extend lead to 11 points with less than six minutes left in Game 7 vs. Magic

After Garland missed a 3-pointer, the Cavs benefitted from teamwork.

Forward Isaac Okoro grabbed an offensive rebound and Mitchell then passed to Garland for another open look from 3-point range. Garland nailed the 3-pointer on a second try, lifting the Cavs to an 88-77 advantage with 5:52 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Cavs lead Magic 81-74 with 8:04 left in the fourth quarter

The Cavs need 7-foot big man Mobley to capitalize when the Magic have 6-3 guard Cole Anthony on him.

In the aforementioned situation, Mobley missed a layup with 8:16 left in the fourth quarter. Then Anthony banked in a floater on the other end of the floor, allowing the Magic to cut the Cavs' lead to 81-74 with 8:04 left in the fourth quarter.

The Cavs called timeout.

Below are updates from the third quarter.

Massive turnaround by Cavs results in them leading Magic 76-68 at the end of the third quarter

The Cavs led the Magic 76-68 at the end of the third quarter after Cleveland outscored Orlando 33-15 in the quarter.

Mitchell had 17 points in the third quarter, followed by Strus with 11. Strus made back-to-back 3-pointers with 2:23 and 1:14 left in the third quarter to give the Cavs a 74-68 advantage. Mitchell shot 7 of 9 from the floor in the quarter. Strus was 4 of 5.

Okoro sank to foul shots with 41.1 seconds remaining in the quarter to put the Cavs ahead 76-68.

Cavs take their first lead since the first quarter

With 3:39 left in the third quarter, guard Caris LeVert made two foul shots to give the Cavs a 66-64 lead. It was Cleveland's first lead since 8:22 left in the opening quarter.

Cavs rally to begin the second half

The Cavs came out firing to begin the second half. With 10:21 left in the third quarter, they cut their deficit to 55-51 after Strus and Mitchell made consecutive 3-pointers.

With 6:58 left in the third quarter, Mitchell drew a shooting foul from Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. Mitchell made the two free throws to trim Orlando's lead to 61-59.

The Magic led by as many as 18 points in the second quarter.

Below are updates from the second quarter.

Orlando Magic take 10-point halftime lead of Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers

Sam Merrill buried a 3 in the final minute of the second quarter, and it might have led the loudest reaction from a Cavs home crowd this entire season, including Evan Mobley's game-winning block of Franz Wagner in Game 5.

The Cavs will enter the locker room at halftime trailing 53-43. It's a steep hole from which to try to climb out, but they also might be encouraged by the fact that the offense has started to show signs of life.

The Cavs are shooting 35 percent from the floor. Donovan Mitchell has a team-high 15 points, and he's going to need some help in the second half. Mitchell has taken a few hard shots today while being fouled as he drives to the hoop. Mitchell is a star, but he can't single-handedly carry the offense for the second time in roughly 36 hours.

Darius Garland somehow has just two points on 1-of-6 shooting from the floor. Caris LeVert has been a big plus for the Cavs with 10 points, and he's done well to find penetration, which has opened up the Cavs offense a bit.

Franz Wagner has exactly equaled Darius Garland's first half with two points on 1-of-6 shooting and three fouls, which might have saved the Cavs for the time being.

Cavs trim Magic lead to 12; Orlando ahead of Cleveland 49-37 late in first half

The Cavs have a lot of work to do, but they've begun to chip away at the Magic lead.

The Cavs have consecutive baskets in which they've driven into the paint with success and are on a 6-0 run and now within 12 of the Magic advantage.

The Cavs have 22 points in the paint, compared to only 12 for the Magic. They've been able to find lanes for penetration. It's one of the only things that has gone right for the Cavs in this first half.

Franz Wagner, Darius Garland, Max Strus all have 3 fouls midway through second quarter

Quite a few key players are having to watch a foul trouble situation for the rest of the game.

Darius Garland, Max Strus and Franz Wagner have all committed their third fouls, and all three are now out of the game.

Garland has somehow committed more fouls (three) than points he's scored (two).

The Magic lead the Cavs 47-31 with 4:33 left in the second quarter.

Paolo Banchero pushes Max Strus; Magic lead Cavs by 17

There have been plenty of little high-tension moments this series, and Game 7 has an early one.

After a pretty hard foul in which Max Strus pulled Paolo Banchero's arm down, Banchero pushed Strus and the two traded some words.

Meanwhile, the Cavs offense is still nowhere to be found. They've continually turned the ball over in the paint and now have seven turnovers overall, and they're shooting 27 percent from the floor. They did finally hit a 3, though.

Cavs trail Magic 31-18 early in second quarter

This Game 7 is a few minutes into the second quarter. The Cavs are shooting just 23.1 percent from the floor. They still haven't hit a 3. They've scored only 18 points. They're trailing by 13 points, the biggest margin of the day.

And plenty of boos are beginning to rain down on an offense that is simply out of sync right now.

Below are updates from the first quarter.

Magic lead Cavaliers 24-18 at end of first quarter; Donovan Mitchell gets layup to go over Jonathan Isaac

You don't often see a poster layup, but that's pretty much what Donovan Mitchell just pulled off.

After Tristan Thompson grabbed an offensive rebound, Mitchell drove the baseline and went up for a dunk over Jonathan Isaac. The two made contact mid-air, and Mitchell couldn't complete the dunk, but he got the layup to fall. The two fell to the floor on one another and had to untangle themselves, but no foul was called.

The Magic will take a 24-18 lead into the second quarter. The Cavs are still 0 for 6 from 3-point range.

Darius Garland has two points, and that's just not going to work for the Cavs, who need scoring punch aside from Donovan Mitchell.

Magic, Cavaliers score: Orlando leads 20-10 in Cleveland

The Cavaliers are going to have to find a counterpunch in this Game 7.

The Magic have opened up a 20-10 lead late in the first quarter, as the hangover from the Cavs' offensive struggles seem to have carried over into Sunday afternoon.

The Cavs are shooting just 21 percent from the floor, and they've missed all four of their 3-point attempts so far.

Tristan Thompson, who was shooting free throws during pregame introductions, even as the baskets were shooting fire out of them, is checking into the game.

Magic jump out to 16-10 lead over Cavs in Game 7

The atmosphere at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is noticeably more electric than earlier in the series.

Donovan Mitchell has six early points and is receiving some loud "MVP, MVP, MVP" chants while he's at the free-throw line.

Paolo Banchero, though, has led the Magic to an early 16-10 lead with 6:17 left in the first quarter. He's got eight points and two assists already today. It was in this building, in Game 5, that Banchero took over with 39 points.

The Magic have hit four of their first seven 3-point attempts, which has been the difference so far.

Below is some pregame information.

Is Jarrett Allen playing today? Cavaliers center ruled out for Game 7. What is the injury report for Cavs vs Magic?

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac defends Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) in the first quarter of Game 2 of the first-round playoff series, April 22, 2024, in Cleveland.

On Saturday, the Cavs listed starting center Jarrett Allen (rib contusion) as questionable to play in Game 7 . Then about a half hour before tipoff Sunday, the Cavs officially ruled out Allen.

Allen will miss his third consecutive game with the injury. Bickerstaff has said Allen took an elbow to the ribs in Game 4.

When asked during pregame media availability late Sunday morning whether Allen would be available for Game 7, Bickerstaff said, "We'll see."

The Magic listed starting guard Gary Harris (hamstring strain) as questionable for Game 7. He was idle for Game 6.

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said late Sunday morning Harris will be available to play in Game 7.

The Cavs continued to rule out backup forward Dean Wade (sprained knee) and reserve point guards Craig Porter Jr. (ankle) and Ty Jerome (ankle).

There are other injuries neither the Cavs nor Magic are listing on their official injury reports.

For example, Mitchell has been playing through a left knee bone bruise , and Cavs forward Evan Mobley pushed through an ankle injury in Game 6 after suffering it in the first half.

In Game 6, Mitchell was visibly bothered by his knee injury and conceded as much afterward. He still produced the second-highest scoring total in a single playoff game in Cavs history. LeBron James holds the record with 51 points on May 31, 2018, the last year in which the Cavs won postseason series. Mitchell also scored all 18 of Cleveland's fourth-quarter points in Game 6.

Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell handles the ball against Magic forward Paolo Banchero during the second half of Game 6 of a first-round playoff series, May 3, 2024, in Orlando.

Cavs Game 7 starting lineup vs Magic

The players the Cavs will start in Game 7 against the Magic are as follows:

point guard Darius Garland
shooting guard Donovan Mitchell
small forward Max Strus
Isaac Okoro
center Evan Mobley

Magic Game 7 starting lineup vs Cavs

The players the Magic will start in Game 7 against the Cavs are as follows:

point guard Jalen Suggs
shooting guard Gary Harris
small forward Franz Wagner
power forward Paolo Banchero
center Wendell Carter Jr.

How can I watch, stream or listen to Cleveland Cavs vs. Orlando Magic in Game 7?

The game will be televised nationally by ABC. It will be broadcast locally on the radio via WTAM (1100-AM), WMMS (100.7-FM) and WNZN (89.1-FM).

Will Cavs big men deliver?: Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley were challenged by Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff before Round 1 began

Cavs vs. Magic Game 7 predictions

Who will win today? The home team is 6-0 in this series. Our Cavs writers, Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich, think that trend continues. Read their Game 7 predictions here .

When will the winner of Cavs vs Magic Game 7 play Celtics in Eastern Conference semifinals?

The winner of the fourth-seeded Cavs and fifth-seeded Magic in Game 7 will advance to face the Celtics, the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed. The Celtics defeated the No. 8 Miami Heat 4-1 in the opening round. Here is the schedule for the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals between the Cavs or Magic and the Celtics:

Game 1: Cavs or Magic at Celtics — 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, in Boston, TNT
Game 2: Cavs or Magic at Celtics — 7 p.m. Thursday, May 9, in Boston, ESPN
Game 3: Celtics at Cavs or Magic — 8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11, in Cleveland or Orlando, ABC
Game 4: Celtics at Cavs or Magic — time TBD Monday, May 13, in Cleveland or Orlando, TNT
Game 5: Cavs or Magic at Celtics — time TBD Wednesday, May 15, in Boston, TNT (if necessary)
Game 6: Celtics at Cavs or Magic — time TBD Friday, May 17, in Cleveland or Orlando, ESPN (if necessary)
Game 7: Cavs or Magic at Celtics — time TBD Sunday, May 19, in Boston, TV TBD (if necessary)

Jun 8, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts during the second quarter in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-382868 ORIG FILE ID: 20180608_gma_ar7_101.jpg

When did the Cavaliers last win an NBA playoffs series without LeBron James

The Cavs have not won a series without James on their roster since 1993. That was Lenny Wilkens' final season as Cleveland's head coach. With Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance Sr. and Mark Price leading the way, the Cavs won their first-round, best-of-five series 3-2 over the Nets before being swept in four games by Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Cavs want an aggressive Darius Garland: Donovan Mitchell's message to fellow Cleveland Cavaliers guard is simple

What's the Cavs' all-time record in winning first-round NBA playoff series?

The Cavaliers are in the NBA playoffs for the 24th time in franchise history. They have won their first-round series 12 of the previous 23 times. The Cavs went 9-0 in winning first-round series with James on the team. They are 3-11 all-time without James. Their only first-round wins sans James are in 1993, 1992 and 1976.

Remember the Cleveland Cavs beat the Orlando Magic 97-83 in Game 1 in Cleveland?

Here is our coverage from Game 1:

How the Cavs defeated the Magic 96-86 in Game 2 in Cleveland

Here is our coverage from Game 2:

Looking back at the Cavaliers' 104-103 win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 in Cleveland

Here is our coverage from Game 5:

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich . Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs defeat Magic in Game 7 of NBA playoffs as Donovan Mitchell stars

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