Despite a 50-point effort from Donovan Mitchell, the Cleveland Cavaliers are headed to a Game 7 in their first-round NBA playoff series against the Orlando Magic. The Magic fought back with notable performances from their young stars Paolo Banchero, who scored 27 points (including 10 in the fourth quarter), Franz Wagner, who added 26 points while going a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line, and Jalen Suggs, who hit six of his 13 three-point attempts on his way to 22 points. The Magic are seeking their first playoff series victory since the 2009-10 season. Game 7 will be held in Cleveland at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
The Magic got off to a lucky start, highlighted by a play in the first quarter where Suggs made a diving save to keep the ball in play. He passed it to Wendell Carter Jr., who almost threw it out of bounds. Suggs sprinted back to retrieve it near midcourt and, seeing he had space, launched a three-pointer from the halfcourt logo, nailing it. Orlando started hot from beyond the arc, hitting four of their 10 attempts in the first quarter while the Cavaliers struggled, managing only one of their eight attempts. Overall, the Cavs shot just seven-for-28 from three-point range.
Donovan Mitchell’s performance was nearly enough to carry the Cavaliers to victory. He scored the final 22 points for the Cavs, including all of their fourth-quarter points. However, his night was briefly interrupted when he had to leave for the locker room after suffering a knee injury in the third quarter. This same knee had kept him out for three games earlier in the season due to a bone bruise. Fortunately, he returned to the court after a brief absence and scored 13 points in the third quarter, keeping the Cavs in contention.
Other injuries also played a role in the Cavs’ defeat. Evan Mobley rolled his ankle in the second quarter, and Jarrett Allen missed his second consecutive game with a bruised rib. Darius Garland contributed 21 points to support Mitchell’s effort, but the rest of the Cavs combined for just 25 points in the loss.
Mitchell’s 50 points made him only the second player in Cavaliers history to score at least that many in a playoff game, joining LeBron James, who scored 51 in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals. The Cavs haven’t won a playoff series since that 2018 postseason, which ended with a loss in the NBA Finals.
Game 7 is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday in Cleveland, with the telecast on ABC. The home team has won every game in this series, so the Cavaliers will be hoping that trend continues in their favor.
