by After falling to an 18 point deficit in the second quarter, the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to defeat the Orlando Magic in Game 7 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Both the game and the series as a whole had its ups and down, but on their home floor, Cleveland pulled out their first series win since the 2017-18 season.
Superstar guard Donovan Mitchell will receive much of the credit for the victory, as he followed up a 50 point effort in Game 6 with 39 in Game 7, including 17 in the third quarter. That was the period when the Cavs turned the tides and never looked back. After these last two performances by Mitchell, it’s safe to say that he figured out Orlando’s best and most fearless defender, Jalen Suggs. Suggs had Mitchell’s number after he was switched on to him permanently prior to Game 3, but in the latter parts of the series, Mitchell found it best to really go in transition and seek out contact, not letting Suggs and the rest of the defense set up around him. Mitchell shot 17 free throws in the contest, using his athleticism to get into the lane and force the Magic big men to foul him.
With center Jarrett Allen out for the third consecutive game with a rib injury, Isaac Okoro made his second start of the series and was tasked with guarding Paolo Banchero, a task in which he performed admirably. While Banchero had 38 points against the much smaller Okoro, he shot just 36% from the field, a testament to the defensive abilities of the former #5 overall draft pick. Okoro’s presence meant that Evan Mobley, who had to guard Banchero earlier in the series, could operate mostly as a roaming rim protector, which he excelled at with his five blocks in the game. That made Franz Wagner’s night a nightmare as he just could not get to the rim cleanly. Wagner finished the night with 6 points on 1-for-15, a horrific evening in which Max Strus should be given some credit for chasing him around and staying in front of the German forward.
Aside from Allen’s absence, one of the few negatives that Cleveland can take from this performance was the struggles of Darius Garland. The Cavaliers second option had just 12 points and shot a miserable 3-for-13 from the field. After a stellar Game 5 and 6, Garland had another dud and while that might work out alright against Orlando, a young team with hardly any playoff experience, it won’t end so well with what’s coming next.
Cleveland will now head north to take on the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Tuesday. It’s a quick turnaround to face a team that won’t have played a game for six days. That also doesn’t give Allen a ton of time to get himself ready for a potential return in Game 1 and given the amount of pain that he apparently is in, he appears unlikely to suit up.
However, Allen’s injury is offset by an injury of Boston’s own as well: Kristaps Porzingis. After a stellar first season in green, Porzingis went down with a calf strain in Game 4 of Boston’s first round series against Miami and appears likely to be out for the entire series. In his absence, Al Horford has performed admirably despite his age and won’t just be a walk in the park for Cleveland’s bigs.
Matchup-wise, it can be assumed that Garland and Mitchell will be tasked with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, with Strus assigned to Jaylen Brown. If Allen does not play, Okoro will understandably guard Jayson Tatum, leaving Mobley to guard Horford. Horford’s ability from the perimeter will stretch Mobley thin as a rim protector, so Okoro and Strus will shoulder much of the defensive load. If Allen does play, the Cavs are better off defensively because of his presence, but it makes matchups a little trickier. Mobley would probably guard Tatum and while he’s mobile for a seven-footer, guarding crafty wings isn’t exactly his forte. Nevertheless, to have Allen around as an additional rim protector would be a huge help to slow an athletic offensive group.
On the other side, it would make a ton of sense for Holiday to guard Garland as his defensive prowess seems like the perfect thing to slow the inconsistent Garland down. From there, either White or Brown, who are both gifted defenders, would guard Mitchell and the other would chase around Strus. That leaves Tatum free to guard Okoro, allowing him to be able to roam around and be the excellent help-side defender that he has shown over the past few years. Horford on Mobley also works out well for Boston, as his physicality can certainly slow the young and lanky Mobley down.
Overall, the Celtics have been by far the best team in the league all year and would provide an uphill battle for whoever they’re facing. They rank in the top two in both offensive and defensive efficiency and are a matchup nightmare on both ends. To bring a little optimism, however, their previous playoff failures are well documented and Porzingis’ absence makes them just that much thinner. If Cleveland can contain Tatum and make threes, they’ve got a chance. After all, the last time these two faced off in the playoffs, the LeBron James-led Cavs went onto Boston’s home floor and beat them in Game 7.
