CLEVELAND Cavaliers took a 2-0 lead over the Orlando Magic in the second game of the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs, which was held at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse Cleveland, Ohio, Tuesday (23/4) WIB.
Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points and Jarrett Allen contributed 20 rebounds to help the Cavaliers beat the Magic 96-86 and take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
It’s been an impressive playoff start for the Cavaliers and a chance to atone for the mistakes that knocked them out in the first round of last year’s playoffs.
In the 2023 NBA playoffs, the Cavaliers lost 4-1 to the New York Knicks in the first round.
Mitchell controlled the game as the Cavaliers led from start to finish like they did in Game 1.
Evan Mobley added 17 points and Allen scored 16 for the Cavaliers. He’s the third player in team history to grab 20 rebounds in a playoff game, following Kevin Love (21) and Brad Daugherty (20).
Also read: Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat, Jayson Tatum leads the Celtics to win in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs
Paolo Banchero scored 21 points and Franz Wagner 18 for the Magic, who had won just one playoff series in 13 games when they lost their opener. Magic is now on the edge.
As was the case in Game 1, the Magic mightn’t find shooting touch. His shooting accuracy from open play was just 36%, including 9 of 35 three-point attempts.
“We have to put the ball in, that’s the essence of the game,” Banchero said as quoted by the NBA’s official website.
“This makes everyone frustrated because you keep shooting but don’t make it in. From these two matches, don’t let anyone think this continues when we play at home,” he continued.
Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs in the best-of-seven series between the Cavaliers and Magic will be held on Friday (26/4) WIB in Orlando. (Ant/Z-1)
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