Not even Donovan Mitchell’s 50 points were enough to guarantee the Cleveland Cavaliers’ long-awaited victory over the Magic, on Friday night, at the Kia Center, in Orlando. The Florida franchise defeated the visitors 103-96 and ensured survival in the competition. Paolo Banchero was the highlight for the home team, with 27 points.
With the Orlando Magic’s victory, the playoff series between the franchises is tied at 3-3. The seventh clash will be in Ohio, next Sunday.
The Cleveland franchise started the match ahead, but Orlando got close to the scoreboard several times in the first quarter, until they tied at 17/17 and took the lead with Carter’s three-pointer. The hosts opened up a gap of eight points, and won the first period just maintaining the advantage gained.
In the second period, Orlando dominated the scoreboard, with good performances from Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Paolo Banchero. The Cavs tried to balance the difference, but went into halftime with a score of 53 to 49. Cleveland returned to the court more confident and managed to have their best performance in the match with Garland and Mitchell.
With a very short distance of points, the game remained undefined until the last moments. Despite the 50 points scored by Donovan Mitchell, the Orlando team showed more balance and chemistry and guaranteed another match in the playoffs, winning 103-96.
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