Cavaliers 104-103 Magic (Apr 30, 2024) Recreation Recap – ESPN

Evan Mobley stays with Mo Wagner and blocks his layup, preserving the Cavs' lead within the closing seconds.
CLEVELAND — — Evan Mobley groaned like an outdated man — and never a 22-year-old — as he pulled himself out of the chair in entrance of his locker.
“Lengthy sport,” Mobley mentioned.
Lengthy man, and the Cavaliers wanted each inch of the 7-footer.
Filling in at middle for the injured Jarrett Allen, Mobley blocked Franz Wagner‘s layup within the closing seconds and Cleveland survived a scare from Orlando, holding off Paolo Banchero and the Magic 104-103 in Recreation 5 on Tuesday night time to take a 3-2 lead of their Jap Convention sequence.
The Cavs, who had been embarrassed by the Magic whereas dropping two video games by 61 factors in Orlando final week, regrouped inside roaring Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
It took every part that they had.
Donovan Mitchell scored 28 factors, Darius Garland added 23 and the Cavs obtained big lifts from Max Strus and Marcus Morris Sr. to take care of home-court benefit whereas withstanding 39 factors from the sensational Banchero.
“We actually wanted a sport like this within the playoffs,” mentioned Garland, noting how protection has dominated on this sequence. “I am glad it was a block.”
After Mitchell missed a jumper with 15.7 seconds left, Wagner drove the left aspect for a possible game-tying layup however was denied on the rim by Mobley, who smacked the ball off the backboard and was quickly mobbed by his teammates.
“It was simply surreal,” Mobley mentioned. “It was an enormous play, and we obtained it performed.”
Wagner regretted difficult Mobley.
“It was not the most effective choice, and Evan Mobley made an awesome play,” mentioned Wagner, who scored 14 factors after getting 34 in Recreation 4. “The errors add up and damage us on the finish of the sport.”
From his vantage level, Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley thought Wagner might rating.
“I assumed he did an awesome job attending to the basket, and Mobley made a hell of a play on the rim,” Mosley mentioned.
The Cavs, who spent the season making an attempt put final yr’s first-round flameout in opposition to New York behind them, can advance with a win in Recreation 6 on Friday in Orlando.
The Magic want a win to salvage their breakthrough season and pressure a Recreation 7 in Cleveland on Sunday. Orlando went 29-12 within the common season at residence and are coming off the decisive wins at Kia Middle.
After the block, Mitchell was fouled and made two free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining to make 104-100. There wasn’t sufficient time for the Magic, who obtained a 3-pointer within the closing second from Banchero.
Enjoying in simply his fifth postseason sport, the 21-year-old Banchero seemed like a savvy veteran. He scored 16 factors within the fourth and completed 14 of 24 from the sphere (4 of seven on 3s) and added eight rebounds.
“I simply obtained misplaced within the sport and actually needed to win as a result of I knew how massive it will have been,” Banchero mentioned. “I simply needed to be aggressive, and I feel I obtained just a little fatigued on the finish.”
Lacking Allen with a bruised rib, Cleveland obtained 16 factors from Strus in his greatest sport within the back-and-forth sequence. Mobley added 14 factors and 13 rebounds and Morris, who had performed simply rubbish time within the first 4 video games, gave Cleveland grit and 12 factors.
“He at all times brings that toughness,” Garland mentioned of Morris, who signed with Cleveland on March 18. “A pair buckets, a few mid ranges. That’s what he’s recognized for. He made an enormous three ball for us within the nook. That was actually big.”
Mitchell, who has been slowed by a left knee harm, scored 14 within the fourth — going 9 of 10 on the line.
With Banchero main the way in which, the Magic, who trailed 2-0 earlier than successful massive at residence, stared down the Cavs and a hostile, towel-waving Cleveland crowd and had been poised to tug off their first playoff highway win since 2019 at Toronto.
However Mitchell, Garland and Mobley wouldn’t be denied and the Cavs, who’re 16-0 when main 2-0 in a sequence, stayed excellent at residence.
“We obtained to do it once more on the highway,” Mitchell mentioned. “We did our job. This doesn’t show something. We haven’t confirmed something. We haven’t performed something. We obtained to go down there and deal with enterprise.”
The Cavaliers had been short-handed as Allen, who has arguably been their greatest participant on this back-and-forth sequence, sat out with what the workforce mentioned was a bruised rib. His standing for Recreation 6 is unknown.’
Allen, who’s averaging 17.0 factors and 13.8 rebounds, took an elbow to the ribs within the second half of Recreation 4 on Saturday. He practiced Monday however was added to the harm report earlier than being dominated out.
With Allen out, coach J.B. Bickerstaff went with a smaller first 5 and began Isaac Okoro.
Bickerstaff has been criticized for a scarcity of changes. However he additionally went deeper into his bench straight away, bringing in guard Sam Merrill and each Tristan Thompson and Morris, a 13-year journeyman.
“He’s been by means of these battles earlier than,” Bickerstaff mentioned of Morris. “He’s powerful as nails. He’s not afraid of (stuff) and he’s obtained massive braveness like that shot he hit from the nook. There’s not so much he hasn’t seen, so it was nice for us to have the ability to go to him.”
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