Magic ‘super excited’ for opportunity at Cleveland
CLEVELAND — Win or the season is over.
That’s what the Magic are facing Sunday when Jamahl Mosley‘s squad steps onto the court inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for the fourth and final time against the Cavs in Game 7.
It’s also what Orlando faced when they defeated Cleveland in Game 6 at Kia Center on Friday to tie the series 3-3.
And it’s what the Magic essentially avoided by winning Game 3 — to not fall down 3-0 in the best-of-seven series — and securing a Game 4 victory, which let them steer clear of what would have been a daunting 3-1 deficit.
“We didn’t come all this way to just lose a Game 7,” Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. told the Sentinel in Orlando’s locker room after Game 6.
In order for Orlando to advance out of the first round and into the conference semifinals against No. 1 Boston — Game 1 is set for Tuesday at TD Garden (TNT, 7) — the Magic will have to do something they haven’t all series vs. Cleveland: Win on the road.
Orlando came close in Game 5 but fell short in the final moments when Cavs forward Evan Mobley blocked a Franz Wagner layup to secure a single-digit victory at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and take a 3-2 lead over the Magic.
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If the Magic want to find a way to win away from Kia Center — where the team’s net rating (plus-24.9) leads all playoff teams in home games — they’ll have to find more offense on the road.
Orlando and Cleveland each again could be down a starter. Magic guard Gary Harris (right hamstring strain) and Cavs center Jarrett Allen (right rib contusion) both are questionable after missing Game 6.
Although defense is their identity — Orlando’s home defensive rating (94.7) also tops the postseason — Cleveland’s defense is just as strong at home. The Cavs are just slightly behind the Magic in defensive rating at home (94.8) so far in the playoffs.
While the Magic’s defensive rating on the road balloons to 103.1, it still sits third among road playoff teams.
The problem for Orlando is that its offensive rating on the road (94.8) is second-worst behind only Cleveland (94.7). The Magic’s lowly offensive output combined with a slightly higher defensive rating leads to a minus-8.4 net rating on the road in this series.
Stronger shot selection and cleaner execution down the stretch would likely help Orlando on the road. In Game 5, a 30-foot step-back jumper from Paolo Banchero hit the front of the rim and took the wind out of the Magic’s late efforts.
But in Game 6, the Magic shot 7-of-8 from the free throw line in the final two minutes (including 4 of 4 from Banchero) to force a Game 7.
In a make-or-miss league, Orlando knows sometimes shots won’t fall. But the Magic are not adding extra pressure on themselves to perform in what is already a high-stakes situation.
“We kind of look at it as another game,” Carter said. “There’s a little bit more urgency, of course, but we never want to get too high or too low for games like this. That’s what the great players do.
“As a unit, we’re super excited to be in this position.”
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And the Magic have good reason to be excited as they look to win their first playoff series since 2010.
They were seconds away from winning on the road in Game 5 against the Cavs and now know they’re more than capable of putting themselves in position to secure a Game 7 victory in Cleveland.
“We made it this far; why not?” said Carter. “The mindset is we’re packing for Boston.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
