SUMMARY
- The Cleveland Cavaliers just beat the Orlando Magic 86-98 to go up 2-0 in the series.
- The Magic have been restricted to scoring less than 90 points once again.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are going at it against the Orlando Magic in round one of the playoffs. Both of these teams have young players who can take a game on single-handedly and that’s one of the reasons why the series has been keeping fans on the edge of their seats. The Cavs won Game 1 97-83. It was one of the lowest-scoring games in the round, and the main reason for that would be their defense.
Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen made 11 and 18 rebounds respectively in Game 1. That speaks at length about the Cavs’ strategy to beat the Magic. The Orlando-based team does not boast players who can score from anywhere beyond the perimeter, and they mainly rely on points from the paint. The Cavs have restricted this by placing two of their bigs in the paint, where they have raked insane numbers of rebounds.
The same was the case in Game 2, where the Cavs walked away with an 86-96 win. Mobley made 7 rebounds but Jarrett Allen was the star of the night on defense. He made 20 rebounds, with 11 of them coming in when the Cavs were defending. The team’s strategy is clear and simple, but it looks like Donovan Mitchell is still unsatisfied.
Donovan Mitchell has a message for his Cleveland Cavaliers teammates
During the postgame interview, Mitchell said, “We’ve called upon them and they have answered. My biggest challenge to them is to continue to do it, not get satisfied with just two games.” As Spida mentions, the Cavaliers should not get complacent about the two wins they have in the bag, as any team in the playoffs could make a comeback at any given point. As the legendary Kobe Bryant says, the job is still not done for the Cavs.
Spida was the star of both of the games, scoring 30 and then 23. The player has been exceptional for the team in terms of scoring, and this has come all while there has been some major doubt over his Cavs future. It is said that the Cavs are still unsure whether Mitchell will stay beyond his current contract.
Mitchell reveals the Cavaliers’ strategy against the Magic
As mentioned earlier, it looks like the Cavs’ strategy is to swarm the paint. Mitchell confirmed this, “Try to contest their jumpers, clog the paint. They got a lot of guys that can get in there and score, so just trying to make it tough. It’s going to be a physical series, give them credit, they’re never going to stop fighting, but we held our own. We got some things to clean up but it’s good to go up 2-0.”
The Cavs will face the Magic in their backyard in Game 3, and that can prove to be tricky for Mitchell and Co. Magic fans are undoubtedly one of the most passionate groups, and they will surely be on their toes to help their team bag the win. It will be interesting to see if the Cavs opt for the same strategy in Game 3.