Mitchell scored 39 points and led the Cavs’ offense, who overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Magic.
CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell scored 39 points, Caris LeVert added 15 and the Cleveland Cavaliers avoided a potentially franchise-changing loss by rallying to beat the Orlando Magic 106-94 on Sunday in Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference playoffs. .
Donovan Mitchell (photo) scored 39 points and led the Cavs’ offense, who overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Magic. Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images
The Cavs trailed by 18 points in the first half and were in danger of being eliminated in the first round for the second straight year, a scenario that could have led to layoffs.
But Mitchell, who scored 50 in the Game 6 loss in Orlando and has been battling a left knee injury for months, put the Cavs on his back. He led them past a promising Orlando team whose playoff inexperience showed in the second half.
Evan Mobley grabbed 16 rebounds and Darius Garland hit a critical 3-pointer in the fourth for Cleveland, which won its first playoff series without LeBron James since 1993.
The Cavs’ 18-point deficit is the largest by a winning team in a Game 7 since at least 1997, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Cleveland will begin the second round on the road against the top-seeded and well-rested Boston Celtics in Game 1 on Tuesday.
In the final minutes, the towel-waving Cleveland crowd chanted, “We want Boston!” — a confrontation that didn’t seem likely an hour earlier.
POINTS’01 Conference FinalsAllen Iverson90’24 1st. RoundDonovan Mitchell89’88 Conference SemisDominique Wilkins82’22 Conference FinalsJimmy Butler82’18 Conference FinalsLeBron James81’21 Conference SemisKevin Durant80
Paolo Banchero scored 38 (only 14 after halftime) and added 16 rebounds to lead the Magic, who showed growth in the series but did not know how to win in Cleveland while both teams held serve in their courts.
Orlando’s Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs were a combined 3 of 28 from the field.
Trailing by 10 points at halftime, Cleveland increased its defensive intensity in the third quarter and outscored Orlando 33-15. The Magic shot just 4 of 24 from the field in the period and seemed hesitant as they waited for Banchero to do more.
The Cavs were up 85-77 in the fourth when Garland, who expressed frustration early in the half before receiving a pep talk from Mitchell on the bench, hit a 3-pointer from the corner to put Cleveland up by 11.
After his shot fell and Orlando called a timeout, a relieved Garland hugged Mitchell, who was acquired in a trade two years ago from Utah to try to bring Cleveland closer to another championship.
The Cavs took another step with him.
Cleveland was again without starting center Jarrett Allen, who missed the final three games of the series with a rib injury suffered from an errant Magic elbow.
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Before his injury, Allen was Cleveland’s most consistent player against the Magic, grabbing 20 rebounds in Game 2 and giving the Cavs a defensive presence underneath to deter Orlando’s attacks.
Led by 21-year-old Banchero, the Magic, who only won 22 games two years ago before selecting him with the first overall pick in the draft, were 24 minutes away from winning a series in which they trailed 2-0.
But Orlando couldn’t get enough… and Mitchell did.
Every time the Cavs needed a big play, the All-Star guard made it. Whenever a teammate needed support, he was there. And by scoring 89 points in the final two games, Mitchell may have finally silenced critics who point out his inability to close out the playoffs.
The Cavs trailed by 18 points in the first half and seemed to be on the verge of summer.
But with LeVert and Sam Merrill providing a spark, Cleveland was able to cut into Orlando’s lead. Cleveland missed its first nine three-pointers and was in big trouble losing 47-39.
LeVert, who has been slowed by a knee injury, attacked the basket and scored on two drives and Merrill hit his second 3-pointer as the Cavs made seven of their last nine shots to pull within 53-43 at halftime.
The offensive problems that plagued Cleveland in the fourth quarter of Game 6, when Mitchell scored all 18 points for the Cavs, persisted.
There was too much waiting, bad shooting and turnovers, and when the Magic made 13 straight shots to open a 10-point lead, the Cleveland crowd let the Cavs know it with more than a handful of boos.
But in the end, when Mitchell dribbled in the final seconds, all was forgotten.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
2024-05-05 21:45:00
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