A key for Cavs? Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley answered J.B. Bickerstaff's challenge | Ulrich

CLEVELAND — Coach J.B. Bickerstaff challenged Cavaliers big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley throughout the week in the buildup to Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the Orlando Magic.

The message was clear: Go get every rebound you can possibly grab.

Center Allen and forward Mobley answered the bell, the Cavs scrapped their way to a 14-rebound advantage and they seized a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven Eastern Conference series with a 97-83 victory Saturday afternoon at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

“You challenge me — I'm going to try to make sure I deliver the best I can,” Allen said.

Allen deserved to feel gratification. Let's be clear about something, though. He absolutely should be pushed and called out by Bickerstaff.

The Cavs were outrebounded by the New York Knicks 227-186 a year ago and flopped out of the opening round of the playoffs with a 4-1 series defeat.

Allen was left calling the rebounding discrepancy against the Knicks “the elephant in the room — the Tyrannosaurus rex in the room” and lamenting how “even for me, the lights were brighter than expected” in the postseason.

This time, with the fourth-seeded Cavs (48-34 in the regular season) positioned to redeem themselves against the less-experienced fifth-seeded Magic (47-35), Allen and Mobley were not blinded by the light. Instead, Allen and Mobley played as if they were armed with solar eclipse glasses.

The duo operated with a sense of urgency, purpose and determination.

The results were 16 points by each of them, a game-high and playoff career-high 18 rebounds by Allen and 11 by Mobley. Small forward Max Strus added nine rebounds, and the Cavs finished with a 54-40 advantage against the Magic on the boards.

“That was our main priority,” Allen said.

Bickerstaff preached the importance of aggression. The Magic are known for crashing the glass and collectively rebounding well. They have six players who averaged more than four rebounds per game in the regular season. In Game 1, Orlando's two leading scorers, forwards Paolo Banchero (24 points) and Franz Wagner (18 points), were also their top rebounders with seven apiece.

But Allen and Mobley combining for 29 rebounds set a tone for this series in which the Cavs were hell-bent on throwing the first punch. It's as if 12 months worth of frustration gave the Cavs the attitude they needed out of the gate. Allen and Mobley are known more as finesse players than bruisers. They're never going to become Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley, yet they have a chance to change their reputations in the playoffs.

“Just go get the ball at any cost,” Allen said of his mindset. “It doesn't matter if you've got to push your man to go get the ball or jump over somebody's back, just come up with a rebound.”

Of course, Game 1 is one game, not a series. Allen and Mobley must establish a trend for the Cavs to take care of business and advance to the second round for the first time since 2018.

“Those guys will never ever get enough credit for what they bring to this team,” Cavs forward Georges Niang said. “It's truly remarkable how they've been able to be so sound and solid in the paint and dominating the details. Rebounding is a part of that, and they do such a great job. I think winning the rebounding battle is gonna be huge in this series. Obviously, those two are a very integral part of that.”

Cavs vs Magic: Cleveland Cavaliers grind out victory in Game 1 of NBA playoff series

Allen also repeatedly attacked the rim and went 6-of-10 shooting from the floor. Mobley shot 6 of 12 from the field and made two 3-pointers in the first 4:21 of the opening quarter, forcing the Magic to account for him from deep. The Cavs outscored the Magic 48-36 in the paint.

Mobley tallied a team-high and playoff career-high three blocked shots. His primary matchup, All-Star Banchero, committed nine turnovers. Allen recorded two steals. The Magic's 83 points were the lowest scoring total to which the Cavs limited a playoff opponent since 2018, when Cleveland held the Boston Celtics to 79.

Now the challenge for Allen and Mobley is to assert themselves again Monday night in Game 2.

Updates from Cleveland's Game 1 win: Scores and highlights as they unfolded during Cavaliers' victory over the Orlando Magic in the NBA playoffs

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs' Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley answer J.B. Bickerstaff's challenge