In their second consecutive back-and-forth slugfest, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Orlando Magic 96-86 on Monday night to grab a 2-0 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference series. Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points, while Jarrett Allen pulled down 20 boards, per the NBA website.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have had an outstanding start to the season. They had to wait out the regular season for another chance to prove their mettle after losing to the New York Knicks in the first round of the previous season, who humiliated them in five games.
As in Game 1, Mitchell set the tone as the Cavs led to the end. Allen scored 16 points for Cleveland and pulled nine offensive rebounds, while Evan Mobley added 17. With Brad Daugherty (20) and Kevin Love (21) having recorded 20 rebounds in a postseason game, he is the third player in club history to do so.
The Magic, who had only won one postseason series in thirteen attempts after dropping the series opener, were led by Paolo Banchero with twenty-one points and Franz Wagner with eighteen. They’re in a much bigger hole now.
Game 3 Might Be the Match to Seal the Deal for the Cleveland Cavaliers
The best-of-seven series’ third game is scheduled for Thursday in Orlando, and Allen anticipates another physical struggle. Magic guard Jalen Suggs fell during the first quarter due to a sprained left knee.
Suggs made contact with Mitchell and instantly fell to the ground, clutching his leg in agony. Suggs, overcome with emotion, was transported to the locker room without being able to bear any weight on his leg after being hoisted up.
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But when the half was over, he returned with a sleeve on his leg. With nine points in the end, he ignited the Magic’s comeback in the fourth quarter, when they scored 13 points in a row to cut the deficit to 87-78.
With 9:09 remaining, Garland’s basket put the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead by 22, enabling their fans, waving towels, to let out some steam and celebrate Cleveland winning its second postseason game for the first time since 2018.
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