Donovan Mitchell of the Cavaliers went to the limit, giving everything he had while his team wanted to dismiss the Magic.
The star came up short, but there will be another opportunity. A seventh game.
“The best words in sports,” as Mitchell described it.
Defeated in every road game, the Magic and the Cavaliers will settle that on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. in Ohio.
The challenge is to face the Boston Celtics, who largely dominated in the East and then dismiss the Miami Heat in five games, in the first round.
Friday. Mitchell totaled 50 points, including his club’s last 22 and the team’s 18 in the final quarter. The Magic still had the last word, 103-96.
“Everything you’ve done in the six games so far, we’re throwing that out the window,” Mitchell said. It becomes, how bad do you want to win? »
“You have to find ways to hit, again and again. I am sure that we will respond and that the crowd will also be there. »
Mitchell seemed alone for long stretches of Game 6, for a club that hasn’t won a series without LeBron James since 1993.
Mitchell did it on a bruised left knee, notably in the second half, although it showed very little.
Darius Garland added 21 points, but the rest of the group struggled with a performance of 10 for 33 in continuous play.
In Game 5, Evan Mobley made a crucial block against Franz Wagner at the very end, sealing a one-point victory.
On Friday, he suffered an ankle injury in the first half and scored just three points. He was clearly limping after the match.
The Magic took the opportunity to dominate 66-38 in the bottle and 48-38 in rebounds.
Orlando only signed 22 wins two seasons ago and 34 in the next, but the current team exudes great confidence.
“The guys remember what got them to this point,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. They are aware of the magnitude of the moment, but we stayed true to ourselves throughout the season.
“Our way of playing, what were our requests and our requirements: playing intensely in each outing, playing according to each other and being rigorous in defense. »
Paolo Banchero has collected 39 and 27 points in the last two matches.
The 21-year-old is preparing to work in front of spotlights of unparalleled clarity. He is confident about how he and his teammates will react.
“No one really believed in us a few seasons ago but we had confidence,” summarized Banchero. We know what we are capable of accomplishing. »
2024-05-04 20:44:09
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