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Cavs doing 'little things' in playoff redemption tour. Result is 2-0 series lead | Ulrich
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- Cavs doing 'little things' in playoff redemption tour. Result is 2-0 series lead | Ulrich
CLEVELAND — Isaac Okoro is emblematic of the maturity and seasoning the Cavaliers have gained in the past year.
The 23-year-old Okoro is among the young Cavs players who now fully realize excelling in the intangible areas of the game — what professional athletes often label "the little things" — is vital to success in the NBA playoffs .
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"The little things" aren't talked about enough when a team is winning. Players often lament a failure to grasp them while performing an autopsy of a loss.
But the Cavs have earned the right to be proud of "the little things" they have done well thus far in their best-of-seven first-round series against the Orlando Magic .
After the Cavs prevailed 96-86 in Game 2 on Monday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, they owned a 2-0 series lead and had yet to trail the Magic at any point through two games.
Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro dunks in the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic during Game 2 of the first-round playoff series, April 22, 2024, in Cleveland.
The Magic aren't the New York Knicks , who defeated the Cavs 4-1 in the opening round of the playoffs a year ago.
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Yet, the 2024 playoff Cavs aren't the 2023 playoff Cavs, either.
The players on the latest version of the Cavs have operated with a sense of urgency and, for the most part, great intensity. They have hustled and dived for loose balls, controlled the boards and been relentless on defense.
"It's the playoffs. You've got to sacrifice your body," Okoro, who scored 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field and tied a career best with four steals, told the Beacon Journal.
"If you see a ball, dive on it. Go into the stands. Dive into the stands. Do anything you can."
Cavaliers guard Darius Garland reacts in the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic during Game 2 of the first-round playoff series, April 22, 2024, in Cleveland.
By the way, Cavs point guard Darius Garland took the advice to heart. He spilled onto the sideline as Magic center Moritz Wagner fell into a row of people sitting courtside with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. A fan who was involved walked off the floor moments later with medical personnel. Garland was shaken up but stayed in the game.
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Even the Cavs' smallest player, Garland, has entered the postseason fray despite pushing through a back issue. He had the team's final seven points of the third quarter and five of its first seven in the fourth quarter. He finished with 15 points, including 12 in the second half.
Nothing Garland did, though, garnered as much applause as when he drew contact from a defender with 2:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. Wagner had fouled out, and the crowd went wild. Let's just say the guy isn't on many Christmas card lists in Northeast Ohio.
Orlando Magic center Moritz Wagner (21) reacts in the fourth quarter against the Cavaliers during Game 2 of the first-round playoff series, April 22, 2024, in Cleveland.
On the other hand, Okoro's popularity ought to be soaring. In his 25 minutes on the court, the Cavs outscored the Magic by 12 points.
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The only Cavs player who matched Okoro's plus-minus impact in Game 2 is starting center Jarrett Allen , who scored 16 points and grabbed a playoff career-high 20 rebounds, including nine on the offensive end of the floor. Allen's 20 rebounds is the second-highest total ever by a Cleveland player in a postseason game. Kevin Love had 21 rebounds for the Cavs in 2017, which is also the last playoffs in which the Cavs recorded consecutive wire-to-wire wins.
Small forward Okoro and guard Caris LeVert created sparks, giving the Cavs all 18 of their points off the bench. With two 3-pointers and a layup, Okoro scored eight points in less than two minutes during the second quarter. LeVert did the same late in the first quarter, with two 3s and a driving layup accounting for all eight of his points in less than two minutes.
Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) looks to shoot in the second quarter against the Orlando Magic during Game 2 of the first-round playoff series, April 22, 2024, in Cleveland.
The Cavs scored five points off Okoro's steals. Cleveland had 15 turnovers compared with Orlando's 17.
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"He's just willing to do all the dirty things, the loose balls, the long rebounds, take any defensive assignment," Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "So he's the spirit of our group, and he's an inspiration to the rest of his teammates."
Tenacity can be contagious. So far, the Cavs lead all NBA playoff teams with 19 loose balls recovered.
Late in the first half, LeVert hit the floor under the basket to save the ball from going out of bounds. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell wound up with it and attempted to avoid a shot-clock violation with a heave. Magic center Jonathan Isaac snatched the ball out of the air and was whistled for goaltending with 9.4 seconds left before halftime. Mitchell was credited with two points and finished with a game-high 23 in a series no one is labeling an offensive clinic.
The fourth-seeded Cavs beat the fifth-seeded Magic 97-83 in Game 1 on Saturday.
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Winning ugly shouldn't bother the Cavs, though, because, well, they're winning. In Game 2, they outrebounded the Magic 48-41. They outscored them 48-36 in the paint, 18-9 in second-chance points and 20-11 in fast-break points.
Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) throws a pass as Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) defends in the second quarter during Game 2 of the first-round playoff series, April 22, 2024, in Cleveland.
Cavs small forward Max Strus had nine rebounds for the second time in as many games. Mitchell grabbed eight rebounds. Each of them had more than the Magic's rebounding leader, forward Franz Wagner , who finished with seven.
Remember how Knicks guard Josh Hart repeatedly dominated the Cavs on the glass? Cavs perimeter players haven't always held up their end of the bargain in rebounding. They're doing it in the early stages of the 2024 playoffs.
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Cavs vs. Magic in Game 2: Cleveland has yet to trail in best-of-seven Eastern Conference playoff series
With the series moving to Orlando for Game 3 on Thursday night, the Cavs will be tested in ways they haven't been at home.
They must continue to do "the little things" necessary to win without the benefit of feeding off an incredible atmosphere created by Cleveland fans.
Finding the requisite energy on the road would be another sign of legitimate progress.
Cleveland Cavs 2024 playoffs: Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen lead Cavaliers to win and 2-0 series lead
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs vs Magic: Cavaliers' success epitomized by Isaac Okoro in Game 2
