The NBA playoffs continue on Sunday, as the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers host the No. 5 seed Orlando Magic in Game 7 of the first round in the Eastern Conference.
The Magic extended the series to a decisive Game 7 by knocking off the Cavaliers on Friday. Paolo Banchero produced 27 points and eight rebounds, Franz Wagner had 26 points and Jalen Suggs added 22 points to lead the Magic in the 103-96 victory. They became the third trio under the age of 23 to each score 20 points in a playoff game.
Orlando won despite being outscored 66-38 in the paint. The group held the Cavaliers to 25% shooting from 3-point range, including 1-of-14 in the first half, and a 30-18 lead in the fourth quarter to pull out the win. The Magic also won the rebounding battle, 48-38, which led to a 15-2 advantage in second-chance points.
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The Cavaliers dropped Game 6 despite a 50-point performance by Donovan Mitchell, the third of his career in the playoffs. He joined LeBron James as the only two players in franchise history to score 50 points in a playoff game and set Cavaliers postseason records for field goals (22) and points in a half (31 points, second half).
After carrying a five-point lead into the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers were outscored by 12 points in the last quarter. Mitchell scored all 18 of the Cavaliers’ points in the period, going 7-of-13 from the field, while the rest of the team was held without a field goal. He scored the last 22 points of the game for the Cavaliers.
The Magic are 2-1 all time in Game 7s, with their last win coming against the Boston Celtics in the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Cavaliers are 5-2 in Game 7s and are looking to win their first playoff series without James since the 1992-93 season. Road teams are 6-3 in Game 7s since the 2020-21 season.