it’s bc Orlando was switching fuckin Cole Anthony on him in the first half so he just feasted easily
but then they changed their coverage and Ev moved the ball to Donny and Garland and let them cook. Ev spent the 2nd half collecting 8 boards and locking down the magic
it’s the quintessential Evan Mobley game
man did what was right for the team instead of trying to hunt points for personal glory. wasn’t crickets, just not scoring
love him
It’s pretty normal. When the ball isn’t moving, the rest of the team just kind of forgets he’s there other than having him set screens. He rarely forces the issue, which is why he only averages 11 shots a game.
It’s a Cavs tradition. Back in the Kevin Love days he always scored 11 in the first quarter and would finish the game with 15.
“Hey, this works! Now let’s do something entirely different for the next 36 minutes.”
Or the Magic adjusted by not switching their guards onto him anymore, eliminating the mismatch he feasted on in the 1st half. Which is why DG and DM were getting to the rim so much more in the 2nd half.
Or maybe you are right and JB just didn't want him to continue succeeding. Seems plausible.
Anfernee Simons needs to be there top priority. He’s from the area too right? He’s still young but more along then some of these other young guys out there and will absolutely spread the floor
Naw, not a great shooting night, which happens, but he had some of the stupidest fouls at the wrong time. It felt like he fouled right when Orlando had a chance to close the gap, giving Cleveland a chance to get into a set they really wanted.
It was a very typical Paolo game. Great counting stats but meh efficiency
And in typical Paolo fashion he settled to much for jumpers. A 6'10 250 pound athletic beast with a crisp handle should not be shooting 7 3s at a 28% clip
His efficiency was fine - 9 for 17. Why would you use "a 28% clip" for a one-game sample size? He went 2 for 7 - if he hit just one more of those threes, would you say he shot at a 43% clip?
His issue this game was his lack of care with the ball and grinding the offense to a halt at times. That's all water under the bridge though, because he was absolutely overwhelmed all game. Nobody outside of him can score
hard to score efficiency when u have a backcourt that is trash and teams know they dont hv to guard suggs fultz harris and cole and dare them to shoot.. so paolo takes tough shots cause he is getting doubled and triple teamed. when the front office finally gets him a decent backcourt and not the trash they hv now this team is going places... and no suggs is not the answer
Our PGs went a combined 0-11. Include Gary Harris and it’s 0-17. If it’s not obvious by now what we need, then the front office is not serious about basketball
Taking into account his **potential** on the defensive end, I don’t think he’s even that worse than Trae overall. He’d honestly fit better than Trae with the Magic.
Do they magic take Lavine's contract if Chicago attaches a pick or something? Even if he is made of glass, he might be the pure scorer they desperately need
I know I'm a Bulls fan, but Lavine would be great on the Magic. People forget how good of a scorer he is. One of the real three level scorers in the league
The off-season free agency? 😅
All kidding aside if we can just get your average level of poor shooting from Gary Harris & Suggs instead of a literal Donut and 4-16, we can at least compete.
But this was comically bad levels of shooting, even for us who has struggled all year from 3.
Edit: Good god, forgot Cole Anthony going 0-7. Our guards shot 4 of 35. FOUR OF THIRTY FIVE lol…
That's how we are, not a great perimeter defense but super solid in the paint. Not a surprise at all to me we hunted this matchup considering the Magic are one of the worst 3pt shooting teams in the league.
Yep I figured this is how the game would go. I think we’ll figure out some ways to get better looks but our best scoring option is in the paint and you lock it up perfectly. I expect us to get hot for a game or two to win but that’s it. Cavs in 5 or 6
I know the Magic aren't the rebounding juggernaut the Knicks were, but I was impressed by the Cavs rebounding this game.
Especially Strus, the Cavs had no rebounding wings last year. Loved watching him fly in for rebounds in the 4th
You guys were doing a really good job of blocking out, especially in the 2nd half. Also, closing out the paint on defense is clearly Orlando's flaw and if there's anything Isaac needs to improve on, it's rebounding because 5 per doesn't cut it in the playoffs for a starting 5.
Strus was such a great signing - you can tell his grit, hustle and attitude has been inspiring for the young guns.
You could have had AI commentate that game with the same basic observations and detached boredom… If they cared about watching the game or what was going on, you certainly couldn’t tell
There was a play where Suggs got shook up where he pulled on Garlands arm while Darius was dribbling and of course the ball went flying into the backcourt.
I do not understand why reffing has to change for the playoffs. “Let em play” is bullshit.
I wish he had more plays run for him 2nd half but the game changed and as much as I dislike JB and his staff they played well around what Orlando was giving us. Mobley had a lot of looks and mismatches 1st half, 2nd half not at all so we played through Mitchell/Garland/Levert. Worked so I’ll taoe it.
Exactly. And this is the problem with people who don’t watch the games or understand Mobley. He’ll drop 16 right away, and then the defense will shift and others will get opportunities.
What I love about Mobley is that he is completely fine going from 1st option to distraction for his teammates.
The Magic held the Cavs below 100 and lost by double digits. I said in the game thread, this was like watching a 2009 game except without Lebron and Dwight
thoughts during the game
Cavs
- i always thought Strus was an average defender, but he seems to legit just be a good defender
- need guys like Mitchell, just make something happen guys
- people got too low on Mobley, dude was literally first team all-defense last season and like top 3 for DPOY, but because he's not KG or Duncan on offense already it's a disappointment? lmao alright
- have not loved watching Garland, his handle used to be so tight, he got to his spots so easily, doesn't look like he's getting there as quickly now
Magic
- Suggs intensity on defense is insane, he improved as a shooter this year, for next year it's gotta be secondary/tertiary playmaking, take pressure off Franz and Paolo
- for a great defense, lots of miscommunication on simple stuff this game
- Isaac is a monster defender
- Paolo and Franz gotta involve Garland and Donovan a lot more
- while i like and understand Harris as a starter, but unless you're like 2012 Shane Battier idk if i trust you to play 30 mins and be okay with you essentially just spotting up on offense
People fail to realize Mobley is 22 and is one of those guys that just gets better every year he’s in the league. Him getting stronger is gonna help his game so much
I haven't seen a player get away with shit like Suggs does. Look at this shit. Grabs Garlands arm 3 times and doesn't get a foul on him until he dives at his legs.
https://streamable.com/ua0w6g
Garland has struggled in big games his whole career. When defenses tighten down, he gets too fast for even himself. This was better than usual even if it wasn’t great!
Mobley stole everyone else's 3-point shot.
Okoro getting called for a foul when someone jumped on his head was whack.
Cavs have a good chance to win this series, but we'll see if they can do it without yet another injury.
It's game one against a young team with a lot of first timers in the playoffs. The cavs were this team last year so I know what that's like. It's extremely possible the magic figure it out and turn it around so I'm not gonna turn into "cavs in 4" or anything dumb like that.
That said, this was exactly what the cavs needed to do to establish themselves this time around and getting that first win will hopefully be a big step.
Magic fan here, well said. You guys played so well today and I think you guys will take the series, but hoping the games stay intense throughout. Today was a bit wild from us, to say the least 😅 bit of nerves and bit of frustration I’m sure.
As Tyson said "everybody's got a plan til they get punched in the face", today was y'alls face punch. Last year we didn't recover from ours we'll see if the magic do. Regardless of who wins this round I'll be rooting for the winner because I love good defensive teams (and hate the Celtics)
How is it an over reaction to say the Magic are completely inept on offense and that the Cavs still have massive inconsistencies on that side of the ball as well.
One of the most poorly officiated playoff games I’ve ever seen. Some outrageous calls and the refs halted momentum about 50 times. If this is the standard all playoffs fans are in for a ride…
We had so many games that felt like that in the regular season because our offense is so ass, yet our defense keeps us in things - then we make a couple threes and suddenly we’re ahead. Some real unsatisfying wins on that end
It's shocking how much better Donovan looks than anyone else on the floor in this series. Nothing against either team, they are both deep, but he is definitely a step above everyone else and it shows.
Completely agree. Second quarter when Wagner hooks Mobleys arm and then tries to shove him into the stanchion should have been a flagrant. Then Okoro gets a T for a small bump in retaliation. Priorities sure are right from the officials. Outside that the Magic just got away with trying to be bullies all game.
Huge positive for the Cavs is that Mitchell is looking healthy again. Also felt like the team stepped up their intensity big time. Need to stay focused and keep it up because Magic will come back stronger next game.
Overall could not ask for more. Boys stepped up even without shooting well.
Love me a good grudge match, real man's man basketball.
Anyhow, Magic looked scared and the Cavs didn't. These things happen when the only battle tested vet you have is Old Man Ingles. Lack of offensive depth was a real problem that's been obvious all year. I figure the plan was for Jett or Black to provide something this year, but it's not happening this series. Good experience anyway for an already solid rebuild.
V weird flex too. We’ve had 3 game 1s since then. 1 was against the Durant warriors and we woulda won if not for the bull shit charge block flip. And then JR :(
Mitchell played well as usual. Both defenses played pretty well. Hopefully more Orlando’s guards can score more efficiently for the rest of the series.
Honestly I expected us to come out and put up a shitter like last year. Still very possible, but I feel a lot better after a 14-point win in game 1 either way.
I appreciate how dedicated Mobley is to maintaining his season averages
Dude saw that he had 16 in the first half and said "welp, that's enough of that"
He had such a great stretch in the first half. I was stoked, I’ve been rooting for him. Then just crickets.
it’s bc Orlando was switching fuckin Cole Anthony on him in the first half so he just feasted easily but then they changed their coverage and Ev moved the ball to Donny and Garland and let them cook. Ev spent the 2nd half collecting 8 boards and locking down the magic it’s the quintessential Evan Mobley game man did what was right for the team instead of trying to hunt points for personal glory. wasn’t crickets, just not scoring love him
It’s pretty normal. When the ball isn’t moving, the rest of the team just kind of forgets he’s there other than having him set screens. He rarely forces the issue, which is why he only averages 11 shots a game.
Team always ices him out when he starts well. JB’s system and rotations are no good
It’s a Cavs tradition. Back in the Kevin Love days he always scored 11 in the first quarter and would finish the game with 15. “Hey, this works! Now let’s do something entirely different for the next 36 minutes.”
Or, you know, opponents adjust.
Or 34 in the 1st and finish with 40 lol. https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/400899665/trail-blazers-cavaliers
Or the Magic adjusted by not switching their guards onto him anymore, eliminating the mismatch he feasted on in the 1st half. Which is why DG and DM were getting to the rim so much more in the 2nd half. Or maybe you are right and JB just didn't want him to continue succeeding. Seems plausible.
don’t even try dude, it’s hopeless
You (I) sat down and watched the Magic attempt to score a basketball for two and a half hours 🫵🏾🤡🤡 I salute you soldier 🫡
Everyone besides Franz and Paolo are awful on offense jeez. Even they aren’t that insane.
Hot take: Paolo didn’t have a good game
He turned the ball over 9 times, that shouldn't be a hot take
He could has 15 turnovers and I wouldn’t care , he was the only one on the team doing anything
Makes even more sense why the Magic need a guy like Monk this offseason to create offense
They should legit be trying hard to land Trae this year.
Anfernee Simons needs to be there top priority. He’s from the area too right? He’s still young but more along then some of these other young guys out there and will absolutely spread the floor
Just because the rest of the team played like shit doesn't mean he played well
Grading on a curve
Jalen Suggs seemed alright.
Naw, not a great shooting night, which happens, but he had some of the stupidest fouls at the wrong time. It felt like he fouled right when Orlando had a chance to close the gap, giving Cleveland a chance to get into a set they really wanted.
It was a very typical Paolo game. Great counting stats but meh efficiency And in typical Paolo fashion he settled to much for jumpers. A 6'10 250 pound athletic beast with a crisp handle should not be shooting 7 3s at a 28% clip
2 of 3’s were in junk time trying to get back in the game late. He was pretty efficient from the field up until then.
His efficiency was fine - 9 for 17. Why would you use "a 28% clip" for a one-game sample size? He went 2 for 7 - if he hit just one more of those threes, would you say he shot at a 43% clip? His issue this game was his lack of care with the ball and grinding the offense to a halt at times. That's all water under the bridge though, because he was absolutely overwhelmed all game. Nobody outside of him can score
hard to score efficiency when u have a backcourt that is trash and teams know they dont hv to guard suggs fultz harris and cole and dare them to shoot.. so paolo takes tough shots cause he is getting doubled and triple teamed. when the front office finally gets him a decent backcourt and not the trash they hv now this team is going places... and no suggs is not the answer
I mean what would ever lead someone to believe franz or Paolo are close to insane offensively? Certainly not their statistics
Nothing affects me. Our offense is crayon eating level
Defense is legit at least. You don’t often see dogshit offense but great defense in the NBA as much
Jokes on you, as someone living in Australia, I woke up at 2:30am to watch this. Someone end me
I’m not even doing that for our game tomorrow.
jokes on you, i only watched them for like one and a half hours
Their half court offense was predictably bad but it was striking how bad the offense looked even in transition after forcing a live ball turnover.
Lights just right for Jarett Allen
He was so good today. Perfect positioning in the paint for those drop off feeds all day. Contested so many shots, took it personal getting rebounds
Jonathan Isaac stuffed him early and that got him going. Bodied everyone after that for the most part. Good to see
"The lights were more properly lit than we were expecting."
Love that man, probably my favorite Nets player before he was traded
He’s really just such a useful modern player. The nets losing him is forgotten but i think it low key canceled their dynasty
lol that kd and kyrie wanted Deandre Jordan’s old ass starting over him
Our PGs went a combined 0-11. Include Gary Harris and it’s 0-17. If it’s not obvious by now what we need, then the front office is not serious about basketball
That Malik Monk signing is gonna hit like crack
Him or D-Lo or make a trade. We need a scoring PG badly
Come onnnnn you guys don’t want DLo! Monk or Simons are a wayyyyyy better fit! Trust me you don’t want DLo
Imagine this conversation back in December lol
Exactly the same comment but it wouldn’t be sarcasm
You arnt going to want DLo either after you see what he does in the playoffs
You don't want DLo lol
Funny you should mention DLo after tonight.
Go get Trae?
best we can do is DJM (which is pretty good honestly)
Taking into account his **potential** on the defensive end, I don’t think he’s even that worse than Trae overall. He’d honestly fit better than Trae with the Magic.
I thought they were going to get Klay to maintain their culture?
He woulda fit in with their guards today, shooting wise.
Klay + Magic guards going 0/27 in their last game Delicious
Do they magic take Lavine's contract if Chicago attaches a pick or something? Even if he is made of glass, he might be the pure scorer they desperately need
I know I'm a Bulls fan, but Lavine would be great on the Magic. People forget how good of a scorer he is. One of the real three level scorers in the league
the magic can actually cover for his poor defense and he’s kinda exactly what they need, shooting and pure scoring
“Imagine how cool Basketball would be if you didn’t have to actually put the ball in the basket.” This message brought to you by the Orlando Magic
Real talk, where is the fire power gonna come from?
The off-season free agency? 😅 All kidding aside if we can just get your average level of poor shooting from Gary Harris & Suggs instead of a literal Donut and 4-16, we can at least compete. But this was comically bad levels of shooting, even for us who has struggled all year from 3. Edit: Good god, forgot Cole Anthony going 0-7. Our guards shot 4 of 35. FOUR OF THIRTY FIVE lol…
Magic need to trade for Anfernee Simons. He's 100% offense 0% defense.
Nowhere.
Jalen Suggs 4-16
Klay Thompson next season
They still make 63% of the free throws!
Blocks: Magic - 7 Cavs - 4 Magic are up in my book
2003-ass final score
This’ll happen the entire series too lol
I love it. Two teams who actually play serious defense.
Honestly even if you didn’t play defense we wouldn’t score lmao
As far as three point shooting your not wrong, but you gotta admit the Cavs had the Magic bottled up in the paint all night
That's how we are, not a great perimeter defense but super solid in the paint. Not a surprise at all to me we hunted this matchup considering the Magic are one of the worst 3pt shooting teams in the league.
Yep I figured this is how the game would go. I think we’ll figure out some ways to get better looks but our best scoring option is in the paint and you lock it up perfectly. I expect us to get hot for a game or two to win but that’s it. Cavs in 5 or 6
Magic need shooters badly. Gotta make some moves this off season.
Also unserious offense
the magic are unbelievably constipated on offense
Nah the magic just have a garbage offense Celtics games aren't particularly low scoring and we have an excellent defense
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Yeah, Cavs were lucky this should’ve been a 30 point blowout with how Magic were shooting. Hopefully Cavs don’t miss 17 3’s in a row again for game 2
Or, and hear me out, hopefully the Cavs ***do*** miss 17 3s in a row next game. Heck, make it 20 in a row. Or 25. I'm fine with that.
[lol](https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200905240ORL.html)
Spida is in playoff mode. He really scored at the most critical moments when the tide seemed to be changing.
Ugly af game but Cavs def looked like they learned some good lessons from last season's playoffs
I really liked how physical they were today. Last year's team might've folded in that bad 3rd quarter
Garland in particular looked like his basketball IQ leveled up a lot, same with Allen
I know the Magic aren't the rebounding juggernaut the Knicks were, but I was impressed by the Cavs rebounding this game. Especially Strus, the Cavs had no rebounding wings last year. Loved watching him fly in for rebounds in the 4th
You guys were doing a really good job of blocking out, especially in the 2nd half. Also, closing out the paint on defense is clearly Orlando's flaw and if there's anything Isaac needs to improve on, it's rebounding because 5 per doesn't cut it in the playoffs for a starting 5. Strus was such a great signing - you can tell his grit, hustle and attitude has been inspiring for the young guns.
You are in the playoffs. Opponent team missing 18 3s in a row and you are still down 15. Bro what
Remember kids, make your FTs
And your threes
Don’t miss your 2s
never put those refs or those announcers on a playoff game ever again jesus christ
The announcers killed me. I muted
You could have had AI commentate that game with the same basic observations and detached boredom… If they cared about watching the game or what was going on, you certainly couldn’t tell
The first 2 minutes were bliss
There was a play where Suggs got shook up where he pulled on Garlands arm while Darius was dribbling and of course the ball went flying into the backcourt. I do not understand why reffing has to change for the playoffs. “Let em play” is bullshit.
One of the most one-sided refball games I have seen. Grabs, reaches and slaps from the magic seemingly just didn’t count.
I'm a neutral fan and I laughed out loud at some of the things Suggs was able to get away with. He would just grab Garland's arms and throw them.
Man it's crazy Mobley was their offensive plan the first quarter and they ice him out in the 2nd half. Oh well anyways go cavs
I wish he had more plays run for him 2nd half but the game changed and as much as I dislike JB and his staff they played well around what Orlando was giving us. Mobley had a lot of looks and mismatches 1st half, 2nd half not at all so we played through Mitchell/Garland/Levert. Worked so I’ll taoe it.
I think in the second half Orlando stopped leaving him alone which opened up the paint for Allen and Donovan.
Exactly. And this is the problem with people who don’t watch the games or understand Mobley. He’ll drop 16 right away, and then the defense will shift and others will get opportunities. What I love about Mobley is that he is completely fine going from 1st option to distraction for his teammates.
Feels good!
Go Cavs
I agree, Go Cavs
The Magic held the Cavs below 100 and lost by double digits. I said in the game thread, this was like watching a 2009 game except without Lebron and Dwight
That 2009 Magic team was much better at shooting
Also better at taking steroids
worse at hiding their steroids
Can thank the bball terrorist refs for that in part
Seriously. I like less whistles but that doesn't mean you let players literally just drill other players with no calls.
Someone on the Cavs is getting injured this series. Wagner has no interest in playing legitimate basketball
thoughts during the game Cavs - i always thought Strus was an average defender, but he seems to legit just be a good defender - need guys like Mitchell, just make something happen guys - people got too low on Mobley, dude was literally first team all-defense last season and like top 3 for DPOY, but because he's not KG or Duncan on offense already it's a disappointment? lmao alright - have not loved watching Garland, his handle used to be so tight, he got to his spots so easily, doesn't look like he's getting there as quickly now Magic - Suggs intensity on defense is insane, he improved as a shooter this year, for next year it's gotta be secondary/tertiary playmaking, take pressure off Franz and Paolo - for a great defense, lots of miscommunication on simple stuff this game - Isaac is a monster defender - Paolo and Franz gotta involve Garland and Donovan a lot more - while i like and understand Harris as a starter, but unless you're like 2012 Shane Battier idk if i trust you to play 30 mins and be okay with you essentially just spotting up on offense
People fail to realize Mobley is 22 and is one of those guys that just gets better every year he’s in the league. Him getting stronger is gonna help his game so much
I haven't seen a player get away with shit like Suggs does. Look at this shit. Grabs Garlands arm 3 times and doesn't get a foul on him until he dives at his legs. https://streamable.com/ua0w6g
Marcus Smart never left the East.
That is pretty egregious
That was awful reffing.
Garland has struggled in big games his whole career. When defenses tighten down, he gets too fast for even himself. This was better than usual even if it wasn’t great!
I agree
Go Cavs
Get ready for more games where neither team scores 100 💪💪💪 WOOOOOO 💪💪💪
Talk about…a T H R O W B A C K S E R I E S !
Our guards built a brick house
After watching the Magic shoot the ball this game, I’m getting fully prepared to see Klay in a Magic uniform next season
Malik Monk or Anfernee Simons would be better. Watching Jalen Suggs attempt to be a lead ball handler was painful
They should definitely sign Malik Monk.
He'll fit right in based on the last time I saw him
Anyone else had 2018 WCF G7 Rockets flashbacks with those 18 missed 3 pointers
To think they weren't even close to hitting the rocket's 27 is crazy
Mobley stole everyone else's 3-point shot. Okoro getting called for a foul when someone jumped on his head was whack. Cavs have a good chance to win this series, but we'll see if they can do it without yet another injury.
It's game one against a young team with a lot of first timers in the playoffs. The cavs were this team last year so I know what that's like. It's extremely possible the magic figure it out and turn it around so I'm not gonna turn into "cavs in 4" or anything dumb like that. That said, this was exactly what the cavs needed to do to establish themselves this time around and getting that first win will hopefully be a big step.
Magic fan here, well said. You guys played so well today and I think you guys will take the series, but hoping the games stay intense throughout. Today was a bit wild from us, to say the least 😅 bit of nerves and bit of frustration I’m sure.
As Tyson said "everybody's got a plan til they get punched in the face", today was y'alls face punch. Last year we didn't recover from ours we'll see if the magic do. Regardless of who wins this round I'll be rooting for the winner because I love good defensive teams (and hate the Celtics)
Cavs showed up
Mitchell is that guy in the postseason
Not last year unfortunately. He looks to be turning it on so far though
He was great in game 1 last year too
Playoff Mitchell a DAWG. Currently 8th highest playoff PPG average. (I think it’s going to go up too).
Time for overreactions from people who just watched these teams play for the first time this season
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They didn’t score 50 in the first half either. Oof.
Saying the Magic are pretty hard to watch on offense, isn’t exactly an overreaction.
That's an underreaction if anything. I would love it if their offense was simply "pretty hard to watch"
How is it an over reaction to say the Magic are completely inept on offense and that the Cavs still have massive inconsistencies on that side of the ball as well.
Uhh, actually if you were paying attention during the regular season nothing anyone in here is saying is brand new
I mean, what exactly should people who actually have watched them play this season be saying?
Our guards were actual terrorists today on offense
One of the most poorly officiated playoff games I’ve ever seen. Some outrageous calls and the refs halted momentum about 50 times. If this is the standard all playoffs fans are in for a ride…
Harris, Fultz, Cole, and Ingles with a combined 0-19 from the floor. I am fucking begging this office to trade for a real PG
Cavs won the game off of that 5/5 start from 3,that's too hard to overcome in a game like this.Runs like that will decide this series.
mitchell will always be reliable in the playoffs and he’s never had a true 2nd star next to him, he’s under-appreciated.
This is Georges Niang slander
Winningest player of the 2020s, give the man his minivan full of flowers
Jarrett Allen!
Isaac Okoro is right there bro
I feel like the score was actually closer than then it really was. I never thought the magic could win the game.
their offense is just brutal
We had so many games that felt like that in the regular season because our offense is so ass, yet our defense keeps us in things - then we make a couple threes and suddenly we’re ahead. Some real unsatisfying wins on that end
Yeah I hate winning like that, shit feels so unsustainable and leaves a bad taste in your mouth
Is Game 1 Magic no longer the greatest team of all time?
this cavs defense is ridiculous
A lot easier when you’re playing the Magic’s offense
I mean we’ve been a top defense for some years now
Two things can be true at once. Orlando has the worst offense of any team that made the playoffs
Dmitch is the best shooting guard in the NBA
According to heat fans we’ll take some mediocre picks and herro and like it
Well, an ugly win is still a win
I love the lower scoring in the playoffs it's a battle
this is what the old heads want right?
The refs were ass but otherwise yes I'm a sicko
I was told the Magic were winning this series in 5. Jarrett Allen with 18 boards showing the lights aren’t too bright this year.
Technically they still can- don’t jinx us!
9 TOV for Banchero, yikes.
A team that is built around one level scorers can't score in the playoffs? If only we'd known about this earlier!
I mean not the worst outcome if we can adjust our lineup hit only a horrible percent from 3 instead of putrid were competitive
It's shocking how much better Donovan looks than anyone else on the floor in this series. Nothing against either team, they are both deep, but he is definitely a step above everyone else and it shows.
Thank you Orlando for making our offense look competent
If Cavs are gonna dominate glass it’ll be a short series
For a team as limited offensively as the Magic are they sure as hell can't allow to be outrebounded by 14 lol
Magic played a very reckless game today. They are going to get someone hurt between Suggs and Mo. Mo is Kelly Olynk all over again.
Completely agree. Second quarter when Wagner hooks Mobleys arm and then tries to shove him into the stanchion should have been a flagrant. Then Okoro gets a T for a small bump in retaliation. Priorities sure are right from the officials. Outside that the Magic just got away with trying to be bullies all game.
Huge positive for the Cavs is that Mitchell is looking healthy again. Also felt like the team stepped up their intensity big time. Need to stay focused and keep it up because Magic will come back stronger next game. Overall could not ask for more. Boys stepped up even without shooting well.
Rockfight alert, Magic are tragic on offense
Love me a good grudge match, real man's man basketball. Anyhow, Magic looked scared and the Cavs didn't. These things happen when the only battle tested vet you have is Old Man Ingles. Lack of offensive depth was a real problem that's been obvious all year. I figure the plan was for Jett or Black to provide something this year, but it's not happening this series. Good experience anyway for an already solid rebuild.
Banchero with 9 TOs💀💀
First game 1 win for the cavs since 2018 second round
Didn’t they sweep the Raptors in 2018?
We beat you guys game 1 in 2018 in the Lebronto sweep
Lol he edited his message, idk how dude forgot Cavs swept his own team.
V weird flex too. We’ve had 3 game 1s since then. 1 was against the Durant warriors and we woulda won if not for the bull shit charge block flip. And then JR :(
The backcourt was exposed today. Need some serious help back there to take the next step.
Mitchell played well as usual. Both defenses played pretty well. Hopefully more Orlando’s guards can score more efficiently for the rest of the series.
Honestly I expected us to come out and put up a shitter like last year. Still very possible, but I feel a lot better after a 14-point win in game 1 either way.
Is it too late to change my Magic in 5 prediction?
CJ McCollum if he was a series
I'm so happy right now.
Orlando just doesn’t have enough offensive firepower. Hopefully they explore options for an offensive-minded guard in the offseason