‘They fought hard’: Fans celebrating as Cavaliers move forward in Playoffs
CLEVELAND (WJW) – It certainly wasn’t easy, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are moving onto the second round of the NBA Playoffs after a 106-94 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
Many Cavaliers fans were taken on an emotional rollercoaster through a tale of two halves. The Cavaliers started out sluggish, trailing by as many as 18 points and 53-43 at halftime.
“I know we came in not the healthiest,” Cavs fan Ted Dunn said. “We didn’t have Jarrett Allen, Mobley’s coming off an ankle injury, Donovan’s got a cranky knee. You know, he’s struggling in the first half, but they fought hard. I think they tired Banchero out a little bit. And then, you know, the second half was just freaking amazing.”
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The Cavs outscored the Magic by 18 in the third quarter and the Wine and Gold never looked back.
“We’re true fans, we’re going to hang in there,” Cavs fan Deanna Dunn said. “We’re going to keep fighting. We’re going to keep counting on them. We’re going to win, right? We were sure that these guys could do it for us.”
Many fans who attended the game feel like the crowd made a huge difference in seizing momentum.
“Loudest thing I’ve ever heard,” Cavs fan Jayce Collier said. “I mean, I’ve been to a lot of games… but that was the loudest thing I’ve ever heard. It’s like a college game.”
“Electrifying! That was a great comeback, down 17 first half, kind of bummed at the beginning,” Cavs fan Henry Perez said. “But Donovan Mitchell really pushed that comeback, so I’m just excited for the next round.”
Cleveland advances to face the top seed Boston Celtics, a betting favorite to win the NBA championship. A lot of fans are a little nervous about that matchup, especially with the Cavs being a little banged up. But overall, they’re excited for the challenge.
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“We got some good defensive players that can match up well with them and I think we can do our thing,” Cavs fan Kyle Collier said. “Get down to it and maybe get a win.”
“If we play the way we just did in the second half, I think we got a chance,” Cavs fan Randy Radiarta said. “We got it. We’ve got to let ‘em know.”
“If they can beat Boston, they can win it all,” Cavs fan Jim Sedmack said. “Absolutely, 100%.”
Single game tickets for games 3 and 4 in Cleveland go on sale Monday at 3 p.m. for the general public. There is also a watch party at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for games 1 and 2 of the series against Boston. Admission for the watch party is $5 and doors open an hour before tipoff.
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