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'We're not friends': The Cavs proved they won't be pushed around against the Magic
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- 'We're not friends': The Cavs proved they won't be pushed around against the Magic
CLEVELAND — Nearly every time Orlando Magic forward Mortiz Wagner touched the ball Saturday in Game 1 of an NBA playoffs first-round series , he was mercilessly booed by Cavalier fans, and with good reason.
But, in reality, he gave a team searching for a tougher identity a gift.
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That present, from Wagner and Magic guard Markelle Fultz , was wrapped up with a bright red bow and delivered via a couple of shoves and one particularly hard shoulder.
It was everything needed to electrify the Cavaliers bench .
For roughly a calendar year, the Cavs have been eager to show they've reached a new level of toughness , that they wouldn't be pushed around again, that they're not to be messed with anymore.
That goal would be aided in the Cavaliers being given opportunities to push back, or stand up to some chippy plays. The simple act of the playoffs being a bit more physical wouldn't be enough. Wagner, Fultz and the Magic allowed them to display all of that right out of the gate.
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Saturday afternoon's Game 1, which the Cavs went on to easily win 97-83 , turned chippy in the first half and carried a bit of tension all the way to the final whistle.
Isaac Okoro receives technical foul after standing up to Mortiz Wagner's push of Evan Mobley
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) talks with referee Mark Lindsay (29) in the second quarter against the Orlando Magic during Game 1 of a 2024 NBA playoffs first-round series Saturday in Cleveland.
First, Wagner shoved Evan Mobley out of bounds on a play that didn't sit well with the Cavs. As Wagner, who acted as a troll all day trying to get under the Cavs' collective skin, walked to the other end of the floor, Isaac Okoro bumped Wagner with his shoulder and shoved him, earning a technical foul.
That was the first evidence the Cavs, during these playoffs, are going to show teams they won't be stepped over anymore, like they were in last year's 4-1 first-round series loss to the New York Knicks .
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"Man, it was great. Never seen that from Isaac, so I think that was his first tech of the year, of his career, I believe," said Darius Garland . "I mean, he's like our rock, so it was good to see him just being a little bit chippy, a little bit physical with somebody like that."
Georges Niang , Markelle Fultz share words after hard foul in Game 1 of Cavs vs. Magic
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Georges Niang (20) reacts beside Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz (20) in the second quarter during Game 1 of a 2024 NBA playoffs first-round series Saturday in Cleveland.
The second play that fit that description drew a standing ovation. As Georges Niang was on a fast break, he was fouled hard by Fultz, who shouldered Niang with some rough contact. Niang immediately walked back to Fultz and got in his face.
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The crowd loved it. Garland again loved it, clapping his hands and jumping around as he walked back to the bench. Even the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse PA system played "I Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty.
Because they won't. And they're hell bent on proving it.
"It's the playoffs, right? You expect everything just be amplified to a whole new level," Niang said after the win. "So whatever they were planning on doing, I was expecting it to be as physical as it was, if not more physical.
"I mean, that's just how the playoffs are. It's a battle. I mean, you may have friends out there, but we're not friends. It's a battle."
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There was no love lost Saturday afternoon.
J.B. Bickerstaff praises Cavs are not taking Magic's bait in physical Game 1
Cleveland Cavaliers coach J. B. Bickerstaff talks with referee Mark Lindsay (29) in the second quarter against the Orlando Magic during Game 1 of a 2024 NBA playoffs first-round series Saturday in Cleveland.
But there is a fine line between a team standing up for itself on the court and responding too harshly, to the point it becomes a detriment to the ultimate goal, which is actually winning the game.
Wagner spent just about every minute he was on the floor trying to antagonize the Cavs. There were numerous plays with hard contact, in addition to him pushing Mobley out of bounds. After one basket, he flexed toward the bench even though the Magic were down double digits. The Cavs didn't fall for any it.
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"I thought we stood our ground, first and foremost, but we didn't allow ourselves to get caught up in the s***," said Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff . "I thought that was their intent, was to try to disrupt the game, and our guys didn't take the bait."
The Magic struggled mightily on the offensive end of the floor, so it stood to reason Bickerstaff was right that their intent became to muddy up the game with physicality. It's the type of scenario the Cavs might not have handled as well a year ago. It's also the type of thing for which they've been preparing for the better part of a year.
"We didn't back down," said center Jarrett Allen . "They definitely tried to make things chippy, but we held our own. We went right back at them, tried to make it even more chippy for them, and we still kept our composure."
Wagner put it on himself to play the role of instigator Saturday afternoon, and he'll surely continue to receive boos when he touches the ball for any games in this series played in Cleveland.
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But the Cavs needed someone like him, and a play like the Fultz foul, to galvanize them.
If there's anything Cavs fans should want to say to Wagner in the wake of Cleveland's Game 1 win, it is simply: "Thank you."
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Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers Magic playoffs Game 1: Georges Niang Mortiz Wagner chippy
