Despite never even having a lead in Cleveland, the Orlando Magic defeated the Cavaliers with the biggest postseason victory ever.
On Thursday night, the Magic cut the Cavaliers’ lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series to 2-1 thanks to 31 points and 14 rebounds from Paolo Banchero, 24 points from Jalen Suggs, and impressive play throughout.
Franz Wagner’s effort, who finished with 16 points and 8 assists, helped the Magic take a 43-point lead and win by the third-largest margin of victory in a postseason game.
With 15 points and 8 rebounds, Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers, who made 39% of their field goals and 23.5% of their 3-pointers. Donovan Mitchell finished with 13 points and seven assists, while Caris LeVert contributed 15 points.
In the first quarter, Orlando gained the lead for the first time in the series, and in the third quarter, they dominated the game. With 3:16 remaining in the quarter and the Cavaliers behind 92-58, Mitchell, Allen, and Cleveland starters Evan Mobley and Max Strus were substituted out.
Allen remarked, “I feel like it was reverse roles.” “We came out really physically and energetically when we were at home, and they treated us the same way, and we just didn’t react right away.”
The Magic trailed seven goals after missing seven of their first eleven field goals, but then rallied to make 34 of their next 52 attempts, finishing with a 51.1% field goal percentage (47 for 92).
With 5:27 remaining in the first quarter, Banchero made a 3-pointer to give them their first lead of the series. They went on a 13-0 run to end the quarter. It was 31-21 after Cole Anthony made his first basket of the series, a 3-pointer, at the first-quarter buzzer.
Orlando led 55-34 at the end of the first half after Suggs and Jonathan Isaac made three 3-pointers and Banchero scored twice.
In the third quarter, Banchero and Suggs dominated, accounting for 21 of Orlando’s first 27 points. Their two other bigger playoff victories were forty-seven against Boston in 1995 and forty-three against Atlanta in 2010.
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