SUMMARY
- Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points during Game 5 to help the Cavaliers take the 3-2 lead.
- Evan Mobley had a game-winning block on Franz Wagner and held Paolo Banchero scoreless while defending him.
It was a tough matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic but Donovan Mitchell fought his way through offensively. Cleveland was in the lead for the majority of the game despite having multiple exchanges in between. The Cavaliers had a big second quarter as Mitchell scored 10 points. There were multiple other individuals who stepped in that the All-Star never failed to acknowledge.
Mitchell said, “It’s a balanced effort. It’s not going to be pretty man, it’s the playoffs. You know, it’s going to look ugly but we did a bunch of different things. Shout out to Darius Garland for setting the tone for us, Evan Mobley for playing huge for us, Max Strus [as well].” He added, “And then the fourth quarter man… that’s what I do. But I gotta play better for my group. I’m glad we got the win, but I can be better.”
Donovan Mitchell finished with 28 points along with 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. It was purely a collective effort made by the Cavaliers as Darius Garland had 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Marcus Morris came off the bench and scored 12 points. Cleveland did not have Garrett Allen due to a rib contusion, which was a major loss in this series.
Donovan Mitchell gives Evan Mobley props over game-winning final plays
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner need to be credited for the Magic’s final efforts to win the game. The 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year came down with two crunch-time shots and one was a three-pointer right before the game clock expired. Banchero claimed he was fouled but the whistle wasn’t blown. Before Banchero brought the scores to 103-104, Wagner nearly made a shot to give the Magic a chance to win. But he was blocked by Evan Mobley while driving in.
EVAN MOBLEY BLOCKS WAGNER’S GAME-TYING LAYUP ATTEMPT 😱
CAVS WIN pic.twitter.com/ryIX6xmAGY
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 1, 2024
Mitchell did not fail to give his teammate props, especially for guarding Banchero. He said, “That’s what he does. He’s been doing a phenomenal job on him [Paolo Banchero] this series. But I need one more from Evan. I have no doubt he’ll do it.” Mobley held Banchero to zero points while guarding him. The Magic forward finished with 39 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.
JB Bickerstaff claims Evan Mobley executed a tough play vs Franz Wagner
If you look at the Magic, Wagner has been a lethal weapon on the scoring end averaging a team-high 21.5 points along with 8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks. In Game 4, the German superstar erupted for 34 points and 13 boards. Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff claimed Wagner is extremely hard to defend.
“Franz is bigger than you think. When you watch him and he’s attacking, he’s kinda got that off-beat change of direction footwork. And you know, for big guys, when you’re sliding, you’re used to or normally able to keep that guy going one way. But a guy who has that size, that footwork, who can be shifty in the moment, it’s just difficult to guard,” Bickerstaff said.
He complimented Mobley on reading the play well by saying, “I think Evan read the play that time. He anticipated him trying to get to that left hand. Studying, watching film, understanding personnel and was able to come up with a great block in it.” Mobley finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. Both teams will meet at the Kia Center as the Cavaliers have a chance to close out the series in Game 6.