2024 NBA Playoffs Round 1 Game 2: (5) Orlando Magic at (4) Cleveland Cavaliers - Cavs up 1-0

[Knightro]

at



GAME INFO
Who: Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers
What: 2024 NBA Playoffs - Round 1, Game 2 (Cavs lead 1-0)
When: Monday, April 22 at 7pm ET
Where: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio
How: NBATV, Bally Sports Florida, 96.9 The Game (Radio)

GAMBLING
Line: CLE -5.5
Over/Under: 202.5

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ORLANDO MAGIC HEAD COACH
Jamahl Mosley - Career Record: 103-143 Regular Season, 0-1 Playoffs



ORLANDO MAGIC STARTERS

G: Jalen Suggs


G: Gary Harris


F: Franz Wagner


F: Paolo Banchero


C: Jonathan Isaac


ORLANDO MAGIC BENCH

G: Markelle Fultz


G: Cole Anthony


F: Joe Ingles


F: Moritz Wagner


C: Wendell Carter Jr.


ORLANDO MAGIC DEEP BENCH
G: Anthony Black
G: Jett Howard
G: Kevon Harris (two-way)
G/F: Caleb Houstan
F: Trevelin Queen (two-way)
F: Chuma Okeke
F: Admiral Schofield (two-way)
C: Goga Bitadze

Injuries: No Reported Injuries.

Cleveland Projected Starters
G: Darius Garland
G: Donovan Mitchell
F: Max Strus
F: Evan Mobley
C: Jarrett Allen

Bench
G/F: Caris LeVert
G/F: Isaac Okoro
F: Georges Niang

Injuries: Dean Wade (knee), Ty Jerome (ankle) and Craig Porter Jr. (ankle) are OUT.

[DiplomaticMagic]

As bad as we played in game 1, i feel like if we win today, we have a great chance of winning the series.

Just please dont play as bad as game 1.

I might consider going big with starting Wendell and Isaac and playing Franz at the 2. That way Isaac isnt limited to the paint, he is not to his strength guarding Jarret Allen.

DONT PLAY FULTZ.

[basketballRob]

I think Isaac can guard Allen, but he can't guard Allen and Mobley. When Isaac switches off Allen onto Mobley, Paolo can't guard Allen. That's why playing Wendell and Isaac neutralizes Allen and Mobley.

The Cavs are really good at getting switches, and I think think they target Paolo with Mobley and Allen. Paolo can't defend either one of them down low.

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[RichCollab]

I feel good for tonight.

[Knightro]

I think Isaac can guard Allen, but he can't guard Allen and Mobley. When Isaac switches off Allen onto Mobley, Paolo can't guard Allen. That's why playing Wendell and Isaac neutralizes Allen and Mobley.

The Cavs are really good at getting switches, and I think think they target Paolo with Mobley and Allen. Paolo can't defend either one of them down low.

Pick your poison.

If you go to a bigger lineup, then Franz has to guard one of Garland/Mitchell *and* Paolo has to chase Strus through a million off ball screens which he's not good at either.

[DiplomaticMagic]

I think Isaac can guard Allen, but he can't guard Allen and Mobley. When Isaac switches off Allen onto Mobley, Paolo can't guard Allen. That's why playing Wendell and Isaac neutralizes Allen and Mobley.

The Cavs are really good at getting switches, and I think think they target Paolo with Mobley and Allen. Paolo can't defend either one of them down low.

Pick your poison.

If you go to a bigger lineup, then Franz has to guard one of Garland/Mitchell *and* Paolo has to chase Strus through a million off ball screens which he's not good at either.

Than maybe Isaac shouldn't start this series...but still play heavy minutes

[basketballRob]

A lineup with a front court of Paolo and Wendell isn't going to do any better.

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[JoshuaPotter]

A lineup with a front court of Paolo and Wendell isn't going to do any better.

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To be fair, If Fultz + Harris + Ingles are going to put up the same effort as game 1 then Black+Goga needs to get some burn for defense.

I'm not really sorry for saying that.

[JoshuaPotter]

OT but ON Topic. Does anyone have Bally Sports and are they covering this game if you are local to Orlando?

[eyriq]

OT but ON Topic. Does anyone have Bally Sports and are they covering this game if you are local to Orlando?

They cover it, it's how I watched game 1

[Knightro]

OT but ON Topic. Does anyone have Bally Sports and are they covering this game if you are local to Orlando?

Bally Sports Florida is covering the entire first round. Every game.

[zaymon]

For all his offensive struggles Harris did very good on Mitchell in game 1. Suggs is athletic but very undisciplined, DM would put him in foul trouble early most likely. We dont have much choice to cover DM and Garland. Both Cole and Fultz suck on D.

[jezzerinho]

For all his offensive struggles Harris did very good on Mitchell in game 1. Suggs is athletic but very undisciplined, DM would put him in foul trouble early most likely. We dont have much choice to cover DM and Garland. Both Cole and Fultz suck on D.

Cole was really bad all around in Game 1. Like unplayable bad. Especially on D. It's a shame because he's exactly what Orl needs.

I'm not even going to comment on Fultz.

[Orl_Magic]

Paolo is a cone on defense. He is the one that didnt slide over and to stop Allen from cutting for the easy dunks.

[Knightro]

For all his offensive struggles Harris did very good on Mitchell in game 1. Suggs is athletic but very undisciplined, DM would put him in foul trouble early most likely. We dont have much choice to cover DM and Garland. Both Cole and Fultz suck on D.

I agree. Too many guys shot the ball horribly to bench everyone, ya know?

At the end of the day the Magic are just going to need 37% 3PT shooter Gary Harris to not go 0-5 and 40% 3PT shooter Jalen Suggs to not go 1-7 from 3PT again.

If those guys shoot that poorly in these upcoming games, the Magic will not have a chance to really even be competitive in this series.

[doct3r dr3]

I think Isaac can guard Allen, but he can't guard Allen and Mobley. When Isaac switches off Allen onto Mobley, Paolo can't guard Allen. That's why playing Wendell and Isaac neutralizes Allen and Mobley.

The Cavs are really good at getting switches, and I think think they target Paolo with Mobley and Allen. Paolo can't defend either one of them down low.

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I disagree -- see my post in the General Series Discussion thread:

I know everyone's campaigning to shorten the rotation for the playoffs, but I'm gonna zag here a little bit:

Why don't we start (or at least play) Goga?

The Jonathan Isaac at starting Center experiment didn't go great in Gm 1. Cleveland won points in the paint 48-36. They won rebounds 54-40, with Jarrett Allen snagging 18. Isaac left Allen a few times to hunt weak-side blocks instead of staying home, and gave up some open Allen dunks in the process. During Isaac's minutes, the Cavaliers exploited the Magic's lack of a traditional Center.

Meanwhile, Goga is probably the Magic's best traditional Center. His rim protection numbers are comparable to Isaac's, on more attempts. He leads the team in rebound percentage (when you throw out Kevon Harris's 6 minutes). When the Magic faced Cleveland on 12/11/23, Goga started and held Jarrett Allen to 4 points and -15 (in 15 minutes), while putting up 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, and +8 in a 10-point win.

No, he doesn't provide 3-point shooting, but then again, neither did anyone else in Gm 1. If Gary Harris isn't hitting his 3s, then maybe you roll with a modified death lineup of: Goga, JI, Paolo, Franz, and Suggs, with Suggs guarding Garland and JI guarding Mitchell. Then you could bring in Wendell and Moe together off the bench, and get more size and spacing.

[MasterGMer]

Let's get this!!

[basketballRob]

I think Isaac can guard Allen, but he can't guard Allen and Mobley. When Isaac switches off Allen onto Mobley, Paolo can't guard Allen. That's why playing Wendell and Isaac neutralizes Allen and Mobley.

The Cavs are really good at getting switches, and I think think they target Paolo with Mobley and Allen. Paolo can't defend either one of them down low.

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I disagree -- see my post in the General Series Discussion thread:

I know everyone's campaigning to shorten the rotation for the playoffs, but I'm gonna zag here a little bit:

Why don't we start (or at least play) Goga?

The Jonathan Isaac at starting Center experiment didn't go great in Gm 1. Cleveland won points in the paint 48-36. They won rebounds 54-40, with Jarrett Allen snagging 18. Isaac left Allen a few times to hunt weak-side blocks instead of staying home, and gave up some open Allen dunks in the process. During Isaac's minutes, the Cavaliers exploited the Magic's lack of a traditional Center.

Meanwhile, Goga is probably the Magic's best traditional Center. His rim protection numbers are comparable to Isaac's, on more attempts. He leads the team in rebound percentage (when you throw out Kevon Harris's 6 minutes). When the Magic faced Cleveland on 12/11/23, Goga started and held Jarrett Allen to 4 points and -15 (in 15 minutes), while putting up 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, and +8 in a 10-point win.

No, he doesn't provide 3-point shooting, but then again, neither did anyone else in Gm 1. If Gary Harris isn't hitting his 3s, then maybe you roll with a modified death lineup of: Goga, JI, Paolo, Franz, and Suggs, with Suggs guarding Garland and JI guarding Mitchell. Then you could bring in Wendell and Moe together off the bench, and get more size and spacing.

It looked like to me that Isaac had to guard both Allen and Mobley. Paolo's interior defense was non-existent.

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[pepe1991]

Allen and Mobley are also simply very good.

[Message Boar]

Hope we do better, and it's at the very least a close, exciting game.