The Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic haven't had a lot of NBA playoff success in recent seasons, but they are two of the most exciting young teams in the league. Both sides will look to announce themselves to the basketball world with a run deep postseason run this year, a possibility for only one of them as fourth-seeded Cleveland and fifth-seeded Orlando face off in the first round. round. In this article, we will explain everything that you need to know about the Cavaliers-Magic series.
Where is Cavaliers vs. Magic?
The Cavaliers struggled with injuries throughout the season, but still managed to finish fourth in the East. That means they will have home-court advantage in the first round against the Magic. The Cavaliers will host Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, while the Magic will have Games 3, 4 and 6 at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida.
How to watch Cavaliers vs. Magic
Game 1: Magic at Cavaliers: Saturday, April 20 at 1 p.m. ET – ESPN
Game 2: Magic at Cavaliers: Monday, April 22 at 7 p.m. ET – NBATV
Game 3: Cavaliers at Magic: Thursday, April 25 at 7 p.m. ET – NBATV
Game 4: Cavaliers at Magic: Saturday, April 27 at 1 p.m. ET – TNT
Game 5: Magic at Cavaliers: Tuesday, April 30
Game 6: Cavaliers at Magic: Friday, May 3
Game 7: Magic at Cavaliers: Sunday, May 5
Cavaliers storylines
The Cavaliers have tons of talent, but haven't won a playoff series since LeBron James last took them to the NBA Finals in 2018. All remnants of that team are gone, but the new era of Cleveland basketball has lots of potential.
The Cavs boast well-balanced starting lineup, with dynamic players on the interior and perimeter. Both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are among the best shot-blockers in the league, while the team's star-studded backcourt leads the way on offense. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell can score at will, but both have missed large chunks of the season with injuries.
Health is something to monitor in this series, but if the Cavaliers can avoid the injury, they could be very dangerous in the playoffs. On paper, Cleveland has a favorable matchup against Orlando. The Magic are one of the best teams in the league in the paint, but they struggle shooting from deep. If any team can neutralize Orlando's interior scoring, it is the Cavaliers.
Magic storylines
The Magic's development this season has been impressive, and the young team is hungry. Jamahl Mosley's team improved from 34 wins last season to 47 this year, and they only won 22 games two seasons ago. Orlando has improved by deploying one of the best defenses units in the league.
Jonathan Issac and Jalen Suggs are two of the best defenders in basketball, wreaking havoc on that end of the floor while propelling the Magic to a 110.8 defensive rating, third-best in basketball. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the team's two stars, are pretty good on that end as well. They carry the scoring burden on offense, though. Banchero averaged 22.6 points per game in only his second season in the league, and Wagner scored 19.7 points per game.
The duo are among the best slashers in the league, but like the rest of their team, are iffy shooters from deep. Orlando has found ways to win despite ranking toward the bottom of the league in three-point accuracy and volume, and Suggs' development as a long-range shooter has been huge. It will help the Magic in the first round that Dean Wade and Sam Merrill, two of Cleveland's best three-point shooters, have been out with injury recently and could also miss time to begin the postseason.
Parity is at an all time high in the NBA, and a few years ago no one would have expected these two teams to be offering one of the most exciting matchups in the playoffs. That's where the Eastern Conference stands, though, and the Magic and Cavaliers are sure to deliver with a thrilling series.
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