Los Angeles (AFP) – With a huge comeback led by Donovan Mitchell, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Orlando Magic 106-94 on Sunday in the decisive seventh game of the series, the last one left to resolve in the first round of the playoffs of the NBA.
First modification: 05/05/2024 – 22:49 Last modification: 05/05/2024 – 22:47
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Mitchell scored 39 points as the Cavaliers overcame an 18-point deficit in one of the biggest comebacks in a seventh playoff game.
Cleveland thus advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since the departure of LeBron James in 2018, in which they will face the Boston Celtics, the best team in the regular phase.
“I didn’t want to go home,” said Mitchell, who had just scored 50 points in Friday’s loss in Orlando.
“We have worked hard and we have been rewarded. We have to stay focused and continue believing in what we do,” added the All-Star guard, whose future in Cleveland would have been in question in the event of another early elimination.
In front of their home crowd, the Cavaliers looked close to elimination against a Magic team that dominated 29-47 midway through the second quarter.
All-Star power forward Paolo Banchero scored 24 of his 38 points in the first half, a number that no player had achieved at halftime of a seventh game before turning 22.
The Magic, who were competing in their first playoffs since 2020, were up 10 points at halftime, taking advantage of the fact that Cleveland’s stars were off.
Mitchell had 15 points but with a poor shot selection, with just 3 shots scored out of 13. Point guard Darius Garland was even less inspired with only 2 points (1-6).
But upon returning from the locker room, the Cavaliers reacted in a big way under the command of Mitchell, who starred in an explosive third quarter in which he scored 17 points without any Orlando defender being able to stop him.
This time other Cleveland players did appear to support him, such as guard Max Strus, who scored 11 of his 13 points in that third quarter in which the locals took the lead.
The young Magic, a team with serious deficiencies in outside shooting, were no longer able to reverse the trend weighed down by the disastrous performances of the German Franz Wagner (6 points in a series of 1-15) and Jalen Suggs (10 in 2-13) .
Although they have not won a series since 2010, Orlando is looking forward to the future for the first time in a long time with the second-youngest roster in this postseason after the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The other Eastern Conference semifinal will be played by the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers.
In the West, the Thunder clash against the Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who won the first game of their semifinal series on Saturday.
© 2024 AFP
2024-05-05 20:49:07
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