Cavs Great Team Play Gets Them Past the Magic in Game Two Win
After taking a 97-83 Game One win at home Saturday afternoon, the Cleveland Cavaliers came back in Game Two to prove they are a truly formidable opponent in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Once again, Cleveland dominated on their home floor with a 96-86 win over the Orlando Magic to take a 2-0 lead in this first-round series. If the Cavs can take Game Three in Orlando on Thursday night, the Cavaliers will have a solid chance of sweeping the young, inexperienced Magic squad. The Cavs great team play ignited their second win in a row, and they hope as a unit they can stay on the same page and make a deep playoff run, something they could not do last playoffs.
Both of these teams battled in the first couple of minutes of this Game Two. However, Cleveland would start to make a run, and by the time the first quarter ended, the Cavs held a 12-point lead. Although the Magic tried to keep themselves in this game, Cleveland kept trying to stretch their lead. At one point the Cavs held a 15-point lead, before heading into halftime up by 14. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 19 points along with seven rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. For the Magic, Franz Wagner led the team with 17 points. Paolo Banchero played great during his first-ever playoff game in Game One, regardless in Game Two he had just six points and committed four turnovers at halftime.
Even with the Magic trying to break through in the second half, the Cavs' great team play held them down all throughout the third quarter. They led by 15 heading into the final quarter of play. Orlando outscored Cleveland in the fourth 21-16. That still was not enough, as the Magic trailed by double digits in those last 12 minutes of action. Even though this Magic team is young, they need to prove that this season was no fluke, and they have a team built for playoff contention for the next several seasons. The Cavs shot 42 percent from the field and nearly 31 percent from beyond the arc, compared to the Magic’s 36 and 26 percent. Orlando was also outrebounded 48-41.
Donovan Mitchell had just four second-half points, but he still led the game with 23 points. Jarrett Allen showed once again why he’s a beast on the board, accumulating 16 points and 20 rebounds, 11 defensive, and nine offensive rebounds in the Cavs great team play Game Two win. Paolo Banchero finished the game leading the Magic with 21 points while also recording three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block. Franz Wagner had just one second-half point, finishing the game going five for 17 from the field. Both Banchero and Wagner committed six turnovers each in the loss.
